African & Caribbean Nations Demand Apology & Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery

Sat Jun 20 2026 14:18:41 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

African and Caribbean leaders call for formal apologies and reparations from former slave‑trade benefactors, highlighting a new UN‑backed reparations plan.

In Accra, Ghana, African and Caribbean states demanded a formal apology and reparations from former slave‑trade powers following a UN resolution that declared transatlantic slavery the gravest crime against humanity. The 19‑point plan calls for debt relief, restitution of looted cultural property and a global reparations fund, though it leaves the exact amount open. Leaders argued that reparations must also address the disproportionate impact on women and children. Despite opposition from several western countries, the proposal marks a historic step toward acknowledging and correcting centuries‑long injustices.

African and Caribbean states met in Accra, Ghana for a three‑day conference that pushed for a formal apology and reparative measures from the former slave‑trade powers.

The call follows a landmark UN resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity and setting the stage for a 19‑point reparations strategy. The plan highlights debt relief, restitution of looted cultural property, and the creation of a global reparations fund, though it does not set a specific sum.

Ghana’s president John Dramani Mahama reminded delegates that history demands responsibility rather than guilt, while France’s Emmanuel Macron noted that enslaved people were dehumanised and treated as goods. Macron emphasised that reparations should not be seen as merely a financial cheque.

The proposal faces resistance from the United States, Israel, Argentina, the United Kingdom and other nations that argue the past offences cannot be held legally accountable today. Nonetheless, the agreement marks a historic step that could pave the way for the first global reparations fund devoted to those affected by slavery.