African leaders demand compensation for slavery at the hands of colonial powers

African leaders meeting in Ethiopia this week are set to launch a new push on the issue of slavery and reparations for colonialism, though they are likely to face resistance from former colonial powers, most of whom have ruled out offering compensation for historical wrongs.

At least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported by mostly European traders and sold into slavery between the 15th and 19th centuries.

At an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, leaders plan to formulate a “common vision” of what reparations might look like, including financial compensation and formal recognition of past wrongs, Reuters reported.

The African Union's Economic, Social and Cultural Council wrote on its website that "reparations are the hot topic in Addis Ababa," saying that "the discussion on reparations needs to address the legacy of colonialism and slavery today, from racism to economic disparity between Africa and wealthy Western nations."

According to Reuters, much of the debate focused on reparations, particularly from former colonial powers such as Britain and Portugal, but proponents say that reparations for the past can take many forms.

"Reforms are not just about reparations, they are about ensuring that future generations inherit a world that acknowledges their past and propels them towards a brighter future," said William Caro, head of the secretariat of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council.

“Reparations for Africa could include the return of land in countries where indigenous peoples have been displaced and the return of cultural artefacts,” the AU said in a statement, also highlighting “the need to change policies that perpetuate inequality and for international bodies, such as the United Nations, to hold former colonial powers accountable.” “This could require diplomatic pressure or legal action in international courts,” the AU added.

Netherlands to make formal apology for slavery in former colonies

The Netherlands has decided to issue an official apology for a 150-year era of slavery in its colonies. Prime Minister Mark Rutte will deliver a speech on Monday evening at the National Archives in The Hague to formally present this apology.

Representatives from the Cabinet will also address the issue in Suriname, a former Dutch colony in South America, as well as in six other Caribbean islands that remain part of the Dutch Kingdom.

It is worth noting that the Netherlands was once the third-largest colonial power in the world. Over a span of more than 200 years, the Dutch enslaved approximately 500,000 people, most of whom were abducted from West Africa. These individuals were sold and forced to work on plantations in Suriname and the Antilles.

Descendants of those who were enslaved and those who lived in the colonies at the time have organized campaigns demanding an apology from the Netherlands. For years, Rutte's government had refused to issue such an apology.

A committee appointed by the Dutch government announced in July of last year that the Netherlands must apologize and take strong action to address the lingering effects of slavery, such as racism.

A History of Slavery

The Dutch transported over half a million Africans across the Atlantic to work on plantations between 1596 and 1829. These individuals were treated as objects and property, and their names were erased as part of what Linda Nooitmeer, chair of the National Institute of Dutch Slavery History, describes as a process of "dehumanization."

The Netherlands was one of the last countries to abolish slavery in 1863, three decades after Britain took the same step. Even then, enslaved people in Suriname, on the northeastern coast of South America, had to wait an additional 10 years to gain full freedom.

Enslaved individuals were also shipped to Brazil, as well as to Haiti, Curaçao, and other locations in the Caribbean.

Upon emancipation, freed slaves were given artificial names, often linked to their former owners, plantations, or random pronunciations of Dutch city names or words that sounded Dutch. They were prohibited from using common Dutch surnames.

As a result, names with meanings such as "cheap," "submissive," "tamed," and "backward" were imposed on them.