UK slavery reparations must be top issue at Commonwealth summit, says campaigner
Summary
Ralph Gonsalves, former prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, said that Britain’s reparations for slavery should be a main topic at the next Commonwealth summit. The Commonwealth includes many Caribbean and African countries, and there is increasing support for reparations to address the lasting effects of colonialism and slavery.Key Facts
- Ralph Gonsalves calls for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade to be a top issue at the Commonwealth leaders meeting.
- More than 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and enslaved between the 15th and 19th centuries.
- The UK and some European countries abstained from a UN vote that labeled chattel slavery as a serious crime against humanity.
- The Commonwealth has 56 member countries, including 33 from the Caribbean and Africa.
- Caricom, a Caribbean community, has a reparations commission working on this issue.
- Ghana plans to host a reparations conference in June to coordinate global efforts.
- The prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago renamed Nelson Island to honor Indian indentured immigrants who suffered under British rule.
- Jamaica is seeking legal advice from the UK’s top court about reparations, with Caricom’s support.
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