The demand for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism took center stage at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, as a coalition of Global South leaders mounted an unprecedented call for reparative justice while criticizing Western nations for their continued silence on historical crimes.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, serving as the African Union Champion for Reparations, delivered a landmark address that framed the debate in stark moral terms. He declared the slave trade “the greatest crime against humanity,” referencing the forced displacement of over 12.5 million Africans to generate wealth for Western nations.
“We must demand reparations for the enslavement of our people and the colonisation of our land that resulted in the theft of natural resources,” President Mahama stated. He highlighted the historical irony that Western governments “happily paid reparations to former slave owners as compensation for the loss of their ‘property’—the enslaved people themselves.”
“We recognise the value of our land and the value of our lives,” he declared.
Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadera reinforced the continental solidarity behind reparations, declaring that “the era of Africa’s dependence is over.” He called for a fundamental shift toward “sovereignty, not subordination; partnership, not exploitation.”
President Touadera condemned the persistent global inequality, stating it is “unacceptable to see poverty worsening in Africa while wealth accumulates in the Northern countries,” while confirming his nation’s full support for the pan-African reparations initiative.
Bolivian President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora outlined specific mechanisms for addressing historical injustices, proposing the establishment of a dedicated UN commission on reparations covering “slavery, apartheid, genocide, and colonialism.”
“This commission must establish effective mechanisms to restore historical justice,” President Arce explained, detailing three core components: Financial reparations, Environmental restoration and Restitution of stolen cultural property.
He called for those responsible for historical crimes to contribute “billions of dollars into a reparations fund” and urged unity between the African Union and CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) in confronting colonialism’s lasting effects.
A consistent theme across all presentations was profound disappointment with the Global North’s engagement on reparative justice. Leaders expressed unanimous frustration that Western countries continue to avoid meaningful dialogue on the issue, demonstrating what they characterized as a deliberate unwillingness to acknowledge historical responsibilities. This coordinated stance at the UN General Assembly represents a significant escalation in the international reparations movement, signaling that former colonial powers can no longer sideline these demands on the global stage.
The statements were delivered during the general debate of the 80th UN General Assembly session.
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