Let’s confront historic injustices of slavery – Prez
By Daniel NONOR
PRESIDENT Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made an impassioned call for reparative justice for people of African descent at an important side event at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The President emphasized the need for the global community to confront the historic injustices of slavery and colonialism, and to take concrete steps towards a future of justice and equality.
“This is not just a moment to reflect on past wrongs, but a time to create a future that corrects these injustices and ensures dignity and humanity for generations to come”, the President noted
Speaking before an audience of diplomats, dignitaries, and representatives from African nations and the diaspora, Akufo-Addo referenced the ongoing legacy of slavery, colonialism, and systemic racism.
He stressed that reparations are not only about financial compensation but also about restoring the dignity and future of those whose humanity was denied for centuries.
He referenced the historical injustice in Haiti, where the newly-independent nation was forced to pay reparations to France for gaining freedom in 1804. The unjust debt of $21 billion crippled Haiti’s economy for generations.
“When reparations are misused, they entrench power structures that perpetuate inequality,” he remarked.
President Nana Addo also noted similar injustices in the United States and the United Kingdom, where slave owners, rather than the enslaved, were compensated for the abolition of slavery.
In the U.S., slaveholders received $300 per enslaved person, while in the U.K., £20 million (now equivalent to £20 billion) was paid to former slave masters, with no compensation given to those who had suffered.
“This was a grotesque reversal of justice,” he said, linking these past wrongs to the enduring economic disparities and systemic racism that continue to affect African descendants.
The President further highlighted the outcomes of the Reparations Conference in Accra in 2023, where key steps were outlined, such as the creation of a global reparations commission, the return of stolen cultural artifacts, and investments in African nations and communities.
President Nana Addo stressed that reparation should focus on creating a sustainable and just future, not just compensating for the past. He also introduced the concept of “Afro-diplomacy,” calling on African nations and their diaspora to champion their own futures through global diplomacy and alliances. “Reparations will not be given freely; we must actively seek them,” he asserted.
He expressed hope in the youth of today, confident they would be the force to reshape global systems and ensure a future of justice, equality, and empowerment for Africans. “This is the world of reparative futures, where the wrongs of the past are corrected, and African nations have the freedom to define their destinies,” he declared.
