The Prime Minister of Grenada has stated that former colonies are not looking for charity, but rather a suitable apology.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been informed that former colonial powers must issue apologies and provide compensation for their past involvement in the enslavement of Africans.
During the 48th meeting of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) heads of government in Barbados on Thursday, attended by von der Leyen, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell urged Western leaders to acknowledge slavery as a crime against humanity. He also emphasized the need for appropriate reparations to prevent similar atrocities from happening again.
“I don’t mean to be impolite,” Mitchell said to von der Leyen, “But I will say it to you: the issue of reparations… is an issue we will take up with you.”
The transatlantic slave trade involved the capture of millions of Africans, who were then purchased by European merchants, forcibly transported to the Americas, and sold into slavery. Between 1517 and 1867, approximately 12.5 million people were subjected to the brutal Middle Passage across the Atlantic, enduring inhumane treatment and disease. Only about 10.7 million survived the journey, with nearly 40% being sent to work on sugarcane plantations in Brazil.
Demands for reparations for slavery and colonialism have been ongoing for many years, and are gaining increasing support globally, particularly within Caricom and the African Union (AU).
Caricom has proposed a reparations plan that includes calls for technology transfers and investments aimed at addressing health crises and illiteracy. Meanwhile, the AU is in the process of formulating its own strategy.
“We owe it to ourselves and future generations of humanity to ensure [slavery] is accepted as a crime against humanity, and that appropriate apology and compensation is paid, and that the international community accepts this should never happen again,” Reuters reported Mitchell as saying.
Von der Leyen responded to Mitchell by stating that “slavery is a crime against humanity… and the dignity and universal rights of every single human being is untouchable and must be defended by all means,” without mentioning reparations.
Reflecting Mitchell’s statements, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, told the Guardian that the Caribbean nations are not seeking “a handout” but an “apology for the wrongs of their forebears.”
Caribbean leaders have stated that no specific figures for reparations have been agreed upon yet, but constructive collaboration on the issue is the priority. The topic of compensation was discussed in closed-door meetings following the event in Barbados, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also in attendance.