The Commonwealth calls on the United Kingdom to repair damages caused by slavery and apologize to its former colonies
Afp
La Jornada Newspaper
Tuesday, October 29, 2024, p. 23
Apia. The 56 members of the Commonwealth, which brings together the United Kingdom and former colonies, agreed last weekend that the time has come to discuss the legacy of hateful triangular slave trade, which opens the door to possible reparations for this scourge.
At the end of a tense summit in Samoa, Commonwealth countries took note of calls for a restorative justice for the hateful transatlantic slave trade and agreed that The time has come to have a useful, sincere and respectful conversation on the subject, according to a statement to which the AFP news agency had access.
Many nations in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific want the United Kingdom and other European powers to provide financial compensation for slavery or at least make political reparation.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has so far rejected demands for reparations.
The Commonwealth was originally made up of former British colonies, but was later expanded to include countries such as Togo and Gabon, former French colonies.
The British royal family, which profited from the slave trade for centuries, was asked to apologize.
However, the monarch refrained from doing so and asked the summit participants to “reject the language of division.
None of us can change the past. But we can commit, with all our hearts, to learning from it and finding creative ways to correct the inequalities that persist.declared King Charles III.
