The Member of Parliament (MP) for Salaga South, Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah, has stated that Africans deserve reparations from the West to address the “historical injustices and injurious crimes committed against Africans and people of African descent through transatlantic enslavement, colonisation, and apartheid.”
She added that such a gesture would also serve to “address the inequities present in the international economic and political orders, as well as demonstrate progress toward reparatory justice and healing for Africans and all people of African descent.”
Addressing the subject in Parliament on Friday, following the theme of the African Union’s 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 15–16, 2025, the MP referenced a previous conference in Accra on reparations.
That event had proposed the establishment of a “Committee of Experts on Reparations to develop an African Common Position on Reparations.”
The 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly was themed: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”
The Accra Reparations Conference, held from November 14 to 17, 2023, in Ghana’s capital, marked the culmination of years of advocacy for adequate compensation from the West to Africa and its people for the injustices inflicted by the transatlantic slave trade, colonisation, and other dehumanising actions.
Reiterating a statement she had made earlier this year on the floor of Parliament, Ms. Ibrahimah noted that the Accra Conference had further proposed the creation of:
A Committee of Experts on Reparations to develop an African Common Position;
A reference group of legal experts, led by the AU Commission and including judicial and quasi-judicial organs;
A global reparations fund based in Africa; and
A transcontinental partnership framework involving the AU, the African diaspora in Latin America, North America, Europe, the UK, and other relevant groups to build a strong common front in pursuit of reparatory justice on the global stage.
The proposal aligns with the views of several individuals who have recently shared their thoughts on how Africa should advance the reparations agenda.
Summarizing these views, the MP stressed the need for a unified Pan-African movement to champion the cause and ultimately compel the West to compensate Africa and its people for the injustices suffered due to slavery and other dehumanising practices.
