Reparations on the table for Commonwealth summit

The UK is facing growing pressure to address the issue of reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and other atrocities, as the former colonial power and many of its former colonies prepare to gather for the biennial Commonwealth heads of government meeting next month. Voice of America notes that the Commonwealth emerged from the ashes of Britain's empire after World War II and the vast majority of its 56 members are former British colonies. The organisation is set to choose a new secretary-general at its heads of government meeting in Samoa, as the term of incumbent Patricia Scotland comes to an end. All three candidates vying for the job – all of whom are from Africa – voiced strong support for reparations at a recent event at London's Chatham House. Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Botchwey said reparations could take various forms. ‘Financial reparations are good, (but) the conversation is now moving to other reparations in kind. And so, either way it's fine, but I stand for reparations,’ she said. Joshua Setipa, a candidate from Lesotho, said the Commonwealth was the right forum to address the issue. ‘I support the idea of reparative justice,’ said Setipa, a former Trade Minister. Mamadou Tangara, The Gambia's candidate for Commonwealth secretary-general who is  serving as the country's Foreign Minister, agreed: ‘This is a cause, a noble cause, that has to be championed by member states and the Commonwealth can use its convenient power to facilitate the dialogue and make it happen’.

At the last Commonwealth summit, in Rwanda in 2022, then-Prince Charles – who is now king and therefore head of the Commonwealth – spoke of his deep sorrow over the slave trade. ‘I want to acknowledge that the roots of our contemporary association run deep into the most painful period of our history,’ Charles told delegates in Kigali. ‘I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact.’ However, the UK has rejected any form of reparations. VoA notes that the issue can no longer be dismissed, said Kingsley Abbott, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London. ‘In my view, the fact of transatlantic slavery, the harm it caused, the harm it continues to cause, and the need for this to be addressed in some way meaningfully, can't really be ignored any longer. And these expressions of support from the candidates I think mirror the fact that the global movement for reparations is growing,’ Abbott said.