African and Caribbean nations call for formal apology for transatlantic slavery
Key takeaways
- The demands come at the end of a three day conference in Ghana which looked to advance the push for reparatory justice.
- It follows a landmark UN resolution earlier in March which recognised transatlantic slavery as the "gravest crime against humanity", urging UN member states to contribute to a reparations fund.
- Around 12-15 million African men, women and children were captured and trafficked to the Americas to work as slaves from the 15-19th century.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Yvette Tan Reuters Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and other dignitaries attend a wreath-laying event at the Christiansborg Castle, a former slave post, during a high-level consultative conference on the next steps to the landmark United Nations resolution on the trafficking of enslaved Africans, in Accra, Ghana, June 19, 2026African and Caribbean countries have called for a formal apology and reparations from countries that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade.
The demands come at the end of a three day conference in Ghana which looked to advance the push for reparatory justice.
It follows a landmark UN resolution earlier in March which recognised transatlantic slavery as the "gravest crime against humanity", urging UN member states to contribute to a reparations fund.