The African Union, which brought together heads of state from Central America and the Caribbean, has agreed that countries that colonized and used slavery must apologize and pay reparations to the countries where slavery was used, and return natural resources that were confiscated during that period of slavery.
African and Central American Caribbean countries are calling on the countries that colonized and benefited from slavery to publicly apologize. They are also demanding that they pay reparations.
The call came after a three-day conference, from June 17 to 19, in Ghana, aimed at strengthening efforts to demand justice for the human and economic consequences of slavery.
The meeting followed a United Nations resolution in March that recognized transatlantic slavery as the worst crime against humanity. The UN called on member states to prepare a plan to pay the cost of slavery to the countries where it was committed.
During this colonization, during the slavery period, men, women, and children, numbering between 12 and 15 million, were captured and transported to the Americas for use as slaves and indentured servants from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
The 19-point resolution was adopted as part of the Next Steps conference held in Accra, Ghana. The resolution calls for concrete measures to reduce the debt burden of African and Caribbean countries.
It includes a provision calling for the return of cultural objects stolen during slavery. It also calls for the establishment of a global compensation fund, although the amount is not specified. It also addresses the disproportionate impact of slavery on African women and girls.
The leaders at the summit called on countries that were involved in the use of slavery to offer a full, public and unconditional apology. They called for such an apology to be accompanied by concrete measures to compensate the affected countries.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama told the conference: "History does not demand forgiveness, but responsibility." The statement underscored the desire of African and Caribbean leaders to hold former colonial powers accountable for their actions.
Contact us on+250790142262
NSANZIMANA SylverJune 22, 20262 min read0 Comments
