Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA (EI): African and global leaders at the annual African Union (AU) Assembly Summit have called for reparatory justice for historical injustices against Africa and people of African descent, as they called for a greater representation of Africa on the global stage.
This came during the two-day 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of the Heads of State and Government, which was held under the AU’s theme for 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” from February 15-16 at the its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.
Despite African leaders’ push for reparatory justice for historical injustices — under the umbrella of the 55-member Pan-African bloc, experts and analysts, however, argued that the reparatory agenda hinges on several key factors, including Africa’s bargaining power and the ability to present a united front on the international stage.
Addressing the assembly, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the theme underscores the crucial need to heal the scars of historical injustices and overcome lingering trauma that has long hindered the progress of Africa and people of African descent.
He said the reparations agenda “requires not just words, but concrete actions to affirm the equal worth of every human being.” “The demand for reparations is not about charity or financial aid, it is a call for justice. It seeks to restore the dignity of millions and heal the deep scars of poverty, inequality, and discrimination.”
The Ethiopian PM emphasized the crucial need for the continent to strengthen its collective resolve, embrace resilience, and foster unity in its quest for reparatory justice.
“Reparations demands an end to the systemic exploitation of our wealth, resources, and opportunities. It also calls for a transformative process that acknowledges past harms and takes bold steps to right the wrongs caused upon societies across the continent,” Abiy said.
According to the AU, the reparations agenda underscores the importance of addressing historical injustices stemming from colonialism, trans-Atlantic enslavement, apartheid, and systemic discrimination. It said reparatory justice is not merely about rectifying past wrongs but also about fostering equity, healing, and recognition of the rights and contributions of Africans from all walks of life.
Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said the reparations agenda encompasses Africa’s greater representation on the global stage. Describing the current concepts and legal instruments serving to analyze the dynamics of contemporary international politics as “outdated,” Faki said the reparations agenda calls for conscious institutionalization of reparatory justice and racial healing.
“Such an observation explains why the debates today focus on the modalities for the advent of a new global economic and political governance. Africa cannot remain silent and inactive. It must imperatively throw itself into the battle to carve-out its own place in the configurations currently being designed,” he said.
He said such efforts will require “a real redemption for an awakening of the consciousness and the soul of pan-Africanism, and the rejection of our de-personalization and our nihilistic servility of our identity and our being.”
Echoing the sentiment, United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, emphasized the urgent need to address the legacies of colonialism and slavery.
“The world must never forget that Africa is the victim of two colossal and compounded injustices,” referring to the “profound and continued” impacts of colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade on Africans and people of African descent, on one hand, and Africa’s lack of representation in the global stage.
“The roots stretch back centuries and the bitter fruit continues to affect Africans and people of African descent to this day. Decolonization, alone in itself, was not a panacea,” Guterres said. “It is high time for reparatory justice frameworks to be put in place. Africa was under colonial domination when today’s multilateral system was created—and that injustice endures.”
The UN chief expressed his readiness to working with the AU and its members “to ensure the representation Africa needs and the justice you deserve – including with two permanent members of the Security Council.”
The AU has outlined a comprehensive approach to realizing the reparatory justice agenda, including historical acknowledgment, financial reparations, land restitution, cultural preservation, policy reforms, international accountability, community empowerment, and continued advocacy.
Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley, who is also the head of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), stressed that the global reparations agenda is a call for the recognition of historical injustices that continue to shape the lives of Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
“The reparations that we call for, beyond acknowledgement of historical injustices, must be for fair access on development and compensation as we all started the journey of independence with a chronic journey of the deficit of resources, fairness and opportunities,” Mottley told African leaders.
Against this backdrop, experts argued that the reparatory agenda’s success mainly relies on African leaders’ strong resolve to articulate a clear roadmap for advancing the reparations agenda. This includes engaging with international bodies, fostering partnerships with the African diaspora, and mobilizing resources to support initiatives aimed at addressing historical injustices.
Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, a former advisor to the AU and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said the AU’s focus on reparatory justice is “bold and commendable,” but its successful implementation hinges on a number of critical factors, including Africa’s bargaining power and collective unity on the international stage.
“Currently, both the African Union and the continent as a whole possess minimal leverage to compel international accountability for historical wrongs from the colonial era,” Costantinos said in a recent interview. “While the call for financial reparations and the restitution of cultural and economic resources is admirable, achieving these goals demands significant bargaining power and solidarity, qualities that both Africa and its individual nations currently seem to lack when it comes to reparatory justice.”
Experts emphasized that future engagements in ensuring full reparations for historical injustices will largely depend on the AU’s ability to galvanize support from its member states, regional economic communities, and civil society organizations.
