4 hours ago
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The president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, is right to argue that recognising the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity is an essential step toward justice (It’s time for the UN to formally recognise the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, 22 March). But recognition alone will not be enough. The real question before the international community is what recognition is meant to achieve.
For decades, Africa and the Caribbean have secured acknowledgments of historical injustice, from the Abuja Proclamation to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Yet the structural effects of that history remain visible in patterns of development, opportunity and vulnerability across Africa and its diaspora. If this new initiative at the United Nations general assembly is to succeed, it must move beyond symbolic affirmation toward institutional consequences.
Reparatory justice should therefore be understood not simply as compensation for the past but as a framework for restructuring opportunity in the present. Recognition only becomes meaningful when it strengthens the ability of affected societies to negotiate fairer terms within the international system that their labour helped build.
The African Union’s decision to designate 2026 to 2035 as the “decade of action on reparations” signals that Africa is approaching this issue with seriousness and coordination. The next step is to translate that commitment into practical mechanisms: support for the Caribbean Community’s 10-point reparations framework, expanded educational partnerships and development financing arrangements that help correct longstanding structural imbalances.
Handled with discipline and imagination, this initiative could help redefine reparations not as a backward-looking claim, but as a forward-looking project of global fairness.
Rear Adm Kenneth B Ati-John
Lekki, Nigeria
President John Dramani Mahama demonstrates an eagle eye, spotting an injustice that many have overlooked or conveniently bypassed. Calling for the UN to formally recognise the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity is an act of moral courage, forcing the world to confront a past that has been too long ignored. Recognition is not merely symbolic; it is a call to accountability, education and reparative justice – a necessary step toward restoring dignity to millions whose lives and legacies were stolen.
For more than four centuries, the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans was not merely a historical event; it was structural violence that reshaped continents, erased cultures and forged inequalities whose legacies persist today. Many of the world’s economic disparities, racial hierarchies and institutional exclusions are traceable to this system of exploitation, which profited the few at the expense of millions. Recognition must therefore open pathways to cultural restoration, economic opportunity and education about the profound human costs of slavery.
However, true recognition also demands nuance. While Europe’s colonial powers orchestrated and expanded the trade, a complete historical account acknowledges that multiple actors and networks – including African intermediaries under coercive conditions – were entangled in this complex system. Incorporating this fuller truth enriches our collective understanding and strengthens the moral case for rectification.
Finally, this is not merely an African concern. It is a global human cause. By confronting the shadows of our shared past, we honour not only those whose bodies and spirits were stolen, but also the enduring human values of dignity and equality. Let this moment be a turning point toward justice, unity and a more equitable future for all.
Ndine Wa‑Chiuta
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
