By: Seringe ST Touray
Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, is urging African leaders to unite in demanding reparations for transatlantic slavery and damages from the colonial era.
While some Western leaders acknowledge historical wrongs, the concept of financial reparations for the slave trade remains unclear.
“No amount of money can restore the damage caused by the transatlantic slave trade and its consequences. However, this is a matter that the world must confront and can no longer ignore,” Akufo-Addo said at a reparations conference with African leaders in Accra.
Akufo-Addo also emphasized the need for formal apologies from European nations involved. He called for African and Caribbean collaboration in advancing this “valid demand for justice.”
The debate over reparations is ongoing, but the return of stolen treasures and artifacts is progressing, with Nigeria repatriating looted items from the Kingdom of Benin. These restoration efforts reflect a growing acknowledgment of historical injustices.
