African Union joins Caribbean nations in demanding colonial reparations from Britain

The African Union has joined the campaign demanding reparations from Britain for its “historical crimes.”

The African Union is demanding “meaningful reparations” from former colonial powers that exploited the continent’s people, lands, and resources.

The Union also linked the ongoing “systemic injustice” on the continent to 19th-century imperialism.

At a summit of African and Caribbean leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week, the chairperson of the African Union Commission called for “reparatory justice and true freedom.”

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the Djiboutian politician responsible, announced that Africa and the Caribbean would work together to “honor our ancestors, uplift our descendants, and reclaim our common destiny in freedom, justice, and unity.”

The African Union will prepare its own reparation demands, while Caribbean nations are seeking trillions of dollars in compensation for slavery.

Britain, which controlled a quarter of the continent at the height of its empire, could face reparation claims not only related to the slave trade, in which African kingdoms also participated, but more broadly for “colonialism” and ongoing “structural and systemic injustice.”

Reparations could include the reform of global economic practices, the return of cultural artifacts, and compensation for the effects of climate change.

The demands will be directed at the former colonial powers in Africa, consisting of Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Belgium in the late 19th century.

The 15 member states of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have been demanding reparations for slavery for more than a decade, presenting a “10-point plan” to former colonial powers.

This plan includes not only financial compensation but also a full formal apology, debt cancellation, and requests for assistance with economic development and education.

The Telegraph previously revealed that when these demands were first drafted in 2013, Attorney General Lord Hermer worked with Caricom, advising on a potential case that could be brought against Britain.

The African Union is trying to catch up with the Caribbean’s cause, and The Telegraph has learned that a branch of the organization has been tasked with developing policies to pursue reparation claims.

This work has been ongoing for about eight months as part of the year the African Union declared the “Year of Reparations,” but progress is understood to be slow, and a definitive policy has not been established.

This follows a series of meetings between Caricom and the African Union dating back to 2023, when the idea of forming a united front against former colonizers was first raised.

Various injustices requiring reparations have been put forward, including “economic inequalities between Africa and the Global North,” which are said to be perpetuated through the “exploitative practices” of multinational corporations.

Furthermore, in the context of climate change, it has been argued that “industrialized nations in the Global North bear historical responsibility for environmental degradation.”

Experts working on the African Union policy also emphasize that “the return of stolen artifacts to their rightful owners in African countries is a step towards cultural restoration and healing.”

Museums in the United Kingdom have moved to return artifacts, including the Benin Bronzes, Ashanti gold, and objects sacred to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, on a temporary or permanent basis.

While the African Union is trying to model its approach on the Caribbean reparations infrastructure, which consists of special national and multinational committees, Caricom’s approach has so far yielded no results.

Demands for reparations have been repeatedly rejected by successive prime ministers, including Keir Starmer, who has opposed the Commonwealth’s efforts to secure commitments on reparation payments.

There were hopes that the Labour Party would be more open to paying reparations, and inside sources indicated that David Lammy would host a “Caricom forum” to listen to reparation demands during his time as foreign secretary.

However, this was postponed due to the conflict between Israel and Iran.

France and other former slave-trading powers have rejected the demands, and some Caribbean island nations have changed tactics, seeking reparations from institutions rather than unresponsive governments.

In June, leaders in Jamaica announced plans to call on King Charles, who as head of state under the Jamaican constitution is the conduit for legal petitions, to address the issue of reparations.

Grenada has demanded reparations from the Bank of England for its direct involvement in the slave trade, which included owning a plantation on the island.

Former BBC reporter Laura Trevelyan has offered personal reparations to the island nation, where her ancestors had stakes in several slave plantations.

In a 2023 interview with The Telegraph in Grenada, she called on others to do the same, revealing that more than 100 descendants of wealthy slave owners had signed up for a reparations group.