According to Ghana’s foreign ministry in a statement to Reuters, the West African country aims to submit a United Nations resolution that would recognize transatlantic slavery as the “gravest crime in the history of humankind,” and additionally, would propose reparations.
Ghana plans to table the proposal at the U.N. General Assembly as early as this month, said the ministry, and the country hopes its effort will be endorsed by many member nations, as this marks a new step in Africa’s efforts to seek accountability and reparations for historical injustices by colonial countries.
“The proposed resolution seeks to recognize the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime in the history of humankind, taking into account its scale, duration, legalization, and enduring consequences.” The statement said.
The idea of reparation has attracted immense backlash, especially from several European countries, with critics claiming that countries of today cannot be held responsible for historical wrongdoings. However, according to the ministry, “A backlash against truth is one that we hope would not occur. Ghana is not seeking to reopen old wounds but to heal those wounds with truth.”
The African Union, among its 55 member states agreed to create a cooperative idea of what reparation may entail, including financial compensation, formal apologies, and policy reforms. Leaders of the A.U. endorsed the resolution at a summit in February.
The ministry added that it remained hopeful that others would be encouraged to take the same path. The Caribbean Community which has its own plans for reparation, is also expected to endorse it.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah