The gravest crime against humanity may be hundreds of years old but justice is still absent: World Reframed

Several hundred years after the height of transatlantic slavery, African leaders believe they may finally be on a path towards justice.

At a recent African Union summit, reparations for the mass human trafficking, colonialism and apartheid were designated as a flagship priority of the Union. The move marks a significant moment in a long-running effort to coordinate Africa’s position on one of the gravest chapters in global history.

Ghana has been tasked with leading the development of a unified proposal. Situated on the West African coast, Ghana - like several neighbouring countries - became a major hub in the trafficking of enslaved Africans. Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children were forcibly taken from its shores and transported across the Atlantic in appalling conditions.

For decades, there was little international consensus about how to address this history. Many of the countries responsible sought to frame slavery as a closed chapter. Some African states prioritised other urgent post-independence challenges. Caribbean nations, whose populations include many descendants of enslaved Africans, developed their own approaches shaped by different political and economic realities.

Now, however, the African Union is attempting to bring together African states and the wider diaspora behind a common position.

The gravest crime

At the heart of the new initiative is a draft declaration that characterises the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

Slavery is already prohibited under international law as a peremptory norm - a jus cogens principle from which no derogation is permitted. The proposed resolution builds on this legal foundation and rests on three pillars - historical accuracy, legal defensibility and continental and diaspora alignment.

The language has been deliberately refined. The draft title reads: Declaration of the Trafficking in Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity. Supporters argue that such precision matters. It recognises the systematic trafficking of millions of Africans, the racialised and institutional nature of chattel enslavement, and the unprecedented scale and enduring consequences of these crimes.

The emphasis on describing slavery as a crime - rather than merely a trade or an economic system - reflects a broader shift in tone. For many African leaders, justice begins with acknowledgement: first, that a crime occurred, and second, an understanding of its nature and consequences.

A 15-point plan

Although the full text of the new declaration has yet to be published, its direction is informed by the 2023 Accra Proclamation on Reparations.

That proclamation sets out a 15-point plan. It includes the creation of a reparations fund, but extends far beyond financial compensation. It calls for reform of international financial institutions to produce a fairer global system for countries subjected to slavery and colonial exploitation. It demands the return of cultural artefacts removed during periods of enslavement and colonial rule. It urges the formation of a joint front across nations and peoples who suffered as a result of these systems.

The proclamation also links historical injustice to contemporary global inequalities. It highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on the Global South and argues that patterns of extraction and dependency established during colonialism continue today through economic and cultural dependence on former colonial powers.

In this framing, reparations are not simply about calculating a monetary sum for historical suffering. They are about restructuring relationships and correcting systemic imbalances that trace their origins to slavery and colonial rule.

It's not (only) about the money

African leaders have been clear that the issue of reparations and restitutive justice goes beyond money.

Setting the historical record straight is seen as a central objective. Around 12 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic. An estimated 2 million died during the Middle Passage - some from disease and brutality, others thrown overboard, and some choosing death over a life in bondage.

The argument is that this historical reality must be formally recognised at the highest international level. Supporters stress that no single payment or lump sum could meaningfully account for the scale of suffering or the generational harm inflicted. The damage extended far beyond those who were taken. Entire societies were destabilised. Generations of descendants across Africa and the diaspora continue to live with the social and economic consequences.

Questions of financial quantum are still under research, and leaders suggest that any eventual settlement would not simply involve distributing money to governments. Instead, they envision a broader programme of transformation - returning stolen artefacts, addressing structural inequities, and restoring opportunity to affected communities.

A Changing Global Context

The renewed push comes at a time of uncertainty in the international system. The multilateral order established after the Second World War is under strain. Nations increasingly act unilaterally and prioritise domestic interests. Humanitarian assistance and overseas development funding to Africa and other parts of the Global South are declining.

In this context, African leaders argue that the continent cannot remain a passive actor, appealing for aid while global priorities shift. Instead, they say Africa must take its destiny into its own hands and assert its moral and legal claims on the world stage.

The past cannot be undone. But it can be acknowledged. For those leading this initiative, acknowledgement is the first step towards justice.

After centuries in which the suffering of enslaved Africans was minimised, reframed or ignored, many across the continent believe the moment has come to secure formal recognition - and to begin reshaping the systems that grew out of that injustice.

World Reframed is produced in London by Global South World, part of the Impactum Group. Its editors are Duncan Hooper and Ismail Akwei.

ISSN 2978-4891