Commonwealth heads of government are preparing to challenge the United Kingdom by agreeing to plans for examining reparatory justice related to the transatlantic slave trade.
Despite Downing Street’s insistence that this issue will not be addressed at the upcoming summit of 56 Commonwealth countries, which is set to take place in Samoa on Friday, diplomatic sources indicate that officials are negotiating an agreement to conduct further research and initiate substantial discussions on a matter that could potentially leave the UK liable for billions in reparations.
Frederick Mitchell, the foreign minister of the Bahamas, according to the BBC, stated, “Once you broach the subject, it may take a while for people to come around, but come around they will.”
The current draft of the summit communique, as reported, notes, “Heads, noting calls for discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement… agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity.”
The text highlights that government leaders will take an active role in fostering inclusive discussions aimed at addressing these issues. They have committed to prioritising and facilitating further research into the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel slavery, which will promote dialogue and provide insights for future actions.
Although the text may still be modified when Commonwealth leaders arrive, it has been developed by diplomats ahead of the summit. British officials managed to prevent a separate declaration on the matter.
The UK has resisted any language related to reparatory justice in the communique, but it must now accept that it will include three full paragraphs outlining the Commonwealth’s position.
Officials from Caricom, which represents Caribbean nations, have sought to expand the issue to encompass not only the Atlantic slave trade but also activities in the Pacific.
The draft communique indicates that a majority of member states “share common historical experiences in relation to this abhorrent trade, chattel enslavement, and the debilitation and dispossession of indigenous peoples.” It also specifically references practices such as “blackbirding,” wherein Pacific islanders were deceived or abducted into forced or low-paid labour in colonies across the region.
Diplomats now anticipate that reparatory justice will be a central theme at the next Commonwealth summit, scheduled to take place in two years in the Caribbean, potentially in Antigua and Barbuda.
Leading up to this year’s summit, there has been an increasing chorus of calls from Commonwealth leaders urging the UK to issue an apology and provide reparations estimated in the trillions for its historical role in the slave trade.
Frances Ibiefo
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