Commonwealth leaders to challenge UK on reparative justice for slavery

Commonwealth heads of government are preparing to challenge the UK by agreeing plans to examine restorative justice related to the transatlantic slave trade.

Despite Downing Street’s insistence that the issue will not be raised at the upcoming 56-nation Commonwealth summit in Samoa on Friday, diplomatic sources say officials are negotiating a deal to carry out further investigations and open discussions substantial on an issue that could leave the UK liable for billions in reparations.

Frederick Mitchell, the Bahamian foreign minister, according to the BBC, stated: “Once you address the issue, it may take a while for people to come around, but they will.”

The current draft of the summit communique, as reported, states: “The Chiefs, noting calls for discussions on restorative justice with regard to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel slavery.. .they agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity”.

The text emphasizes that government leaders will play an active role in fostering inclusive debates aimed at addressing these issues. They have pledged to prioritize and facilitate further research into the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel slavery, which will promote dialogue and provide insights for future action.

While the text is still subject to change when Commonwealth leaders arrive, it has been developed by diplomats ahead of the summit. British officials managed to avoid a separate statement on the issue.

The UK has resisted any language related to restorative justice in the communique, but must now accept that it will include three full paragraphs outlining the Commonwealth’s position.

Officials from Caricom, which represents Caribbean nations, have tried to expand the issue to include not only the Atlantic slave trade, but also activities in the Pacific.

The draft communiqué states that most member states “share common historical experiences in relation to this abominable trade, chattel slavery and the weakening and dispossession of indigenous peoples”. It also specifically refers to practices such as “blackbirding,” in which Pacific Islanders were tricked or kidnapped into forced or poorly paid labor in colonies throughout the region.

Diplomats now anticipate that restorative justice will be a central issue at the next Commonwealth summit, scheduled for two years in the Caribbean, potentially in Antigua and Barbuda.

Ahead of this year’s summit, there has been a growing chorus of calls from Commonwealth leaders urging the UK to apologize and provide reparations estimated in the trillions for its historic role in the slave trade.

Francis Ibiefo

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