The United Nations General Assembly this week adopted a historic resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade “the most serious crime against humanity.”
It also calls on UN member states to engage in dialogue on reparative justice “including full and formal apology, restorative measures, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, guarantees of non-repetition, and changes to laws, programs and services to address racism and systemic discrimination.”
While not legally binding, the proposal is widely seen as an important political milestone.
Isa Sanusi, executive director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, said, “This is a very important decision… It recognizes the fact that the transatlantic slave trade was a grave injustice to humanity.”
“This recognition alone, even if symbolic, would go a long way in opening the way to correcting that injustice,” Sanussi told DW.
For many Africans and the diaspora, the vote signals a shift from symbolic recognition to a more substantive global conversation about accountability.
From historical memory to global politics
On Ghana’s coastline, pressure for compensation is often linked to historical sites where the legacy of the trade is visible.
Elmina Castle, built in 1482, is one of the most prominent reminders of the transatlantic slave trade. Behind its walls, enslaved Africans were kept in cramped dungeons before being forced onto ships bound for the Americas.
Today, visitors pass through the same places, and encounter a past that many visitors describe as deeply personal.
Charles Preston Britton, an ancestral seeker visiting the site, said, “I can only imagine what they must have gone through… It’s worse than any story can tell you.” “There’s no reparations you can make, but it’s a start.”
This spirit of taking the first step is reflected on the global stage, where the demand for accountability is gaining new momentum.
“Accepting an apology is a sign of recognition that yes, we did this and we acknowledge that it happened,” said cultural heritage curator Michael Kunke. “This is the first step toward other things…talking about compensation and all that.”
Michael Ndimancho, a political analyst at the University of Douala in Cameroon, agrees, calling acknowledgment the foundation of any meaningful process.
He said, “Forgiveness is very, very important…everything starts with saying I’m sorry.” “When it comes to regrets, we now look for a way forward.”
Sanusi also directly connects historical injustice to current inequalities.
“The injustices we face around the world are linked to the injustices of the past,” he said. “These things have long-lasting effects…they don’t just happen.”
What form should the compensation take?
Although calls for compensation are growing, there is no consensus on what they should look like.
Ndimancho argues that focusing solely on financial compensation risks oversimplifying a complex historical injustice.
“Who are we compensating?” he asked. “If you want to estimate it in terms of money, how much will they pay, and what are the parameters?”
Instead, he suggests a more structural approach that addresses long-term development challenges across the continent.
“African countries should ask for the cancellation of their debts… assistance in terms of education, development, cultural and social development.”
Amnesty’s Sanusi also emphasizes that compensation is an essential component of justice, adding, “Whether it is in the form of financial awards or other measures, what matters is that injustices are recognized and addressed.”
A controversial history
The debate over reparations is further complicated by questions about African participation in the slave trade.
Ndimancho acknowledges that some African leaders participated in the trade but emphasizes the broader context in which it occurred.
He said, “It was a period in which Africans had to join only… through pressure, through force.” “They came with affinity.”
He suggests that the focus should remain on the systemic nature of the transatlantic slave trade, which historians widely consider to be attributable to the economic interests of European imperial powers.
“The victims of the transatlantic slave trade number in the millions and are spread throughout the world,” he told DW. “Many people were separated from their roots… and families are still in shock.”
price of slavery
Historians estimate that at least 12.5 million Africans were forcibly transported during the transatlantic slave trade, while millions died during captivity and transportation. Analysts say the long-term impact goes far beyond those numbers.
For Ndimancho, the removal of millions of people represents a profound loss of labor and development potential.
“We’re talking about 13 million Africans here…that’s a lot of labor force that was taken out of Africa,” he said.
Ndimancho describes this as the “historical cost of development” – a factor he believes continues to shape the continent’s economic trajectory, which he says has contributed to structural inequalities that persist today.
Sanusi argues that these consequences are visible in all societies.
“Many people still face exclusion, racism and discrimination… It’s not just history – it’s something we’re still living with.”
For some members of the Indian diaspora, the consequences are equally important.
“We have been doubly robbed, doubly lied to,” said Dr. Lilith Johnson Whittaker, an ancestor seeker. “And now it’s time to pay.”
For many, the UN resolution marks not a conclusion but the beginning of a long-delayed conversation about justice.
Edited by: Keith Walker