Ghana has become the leading voice on reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, pushing for formal apologies, debt relief, and financial compensation from nations and institutions that benefited from slavery. In June, a summit on reparations was held in Accra, the capital, with delegates from around 80 countries, who concluded that recompense was long overdue.
Ghana's Role in the Fight for Reparations
Ghana has been given special responsibility by the African Union to be the "champion for reparatory justice." Foreign Minister Samuel Okuzeto Ablakwa emphasizes that Ghana cannot afford to be silent on ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable. He says, "Ghana was the crime scene where these atrocities took place, so Ghana cannot afford to be silent on ensuring that we hold perpetrators accountable."
About 10-15% of the estimated 12 million Africans who were forcibly removed from their homes were from what is now Ghana. The minister has called for a system of reparatory justice that funds educational grants, venture capital for young African entrepreneurs, and research into enduring health issues that some argue may trace their roots back to the severe malnutrition and inhumane conditions of enslavement.
The Church of England's Involvement in the Slave Trade
The Church of England has been named as one of the institutions that benefited from the slave trade. In the 18th Century, the Church's missionary wing ran plantations and owned hundreds of slaves, which helped fund its work across the Americas and beyond. Many Church of England clergy independently owned slaves, and a recent report by the Church's endowment fund reported the institution made large investments in the slave trade from which it made huge sums of money.
Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally recently visited Ghana and toured the dungeons where slaves were held at Cape Coast Castle. She said, "I felt the weight of the depth of evil that the transatlantic slave trade was. You can't help but be deeply moved by the horrific conditions that people were kept in." The Church has set up a £100m social impact fund designed to benefit communities thought to continue to feel the enduring legacy of the slave trade today.
Countering the Narrative of African Complicity
One of the key counter-arguments to the push for reparations is that some Africans were themselves complicit in the capture and sale of their fellow people. However, Foreign Minister Ablakwa emphatically rejects this narrative. He argues that the entire architecture of chattel enslavement was curated by Western slave-owning powers, who simply utilised local actors to help carry out their plans. He points out that when the laws, insurance policies, and financial architectures of the trade were being drafted, "there was no African at the table."
Ghana's Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has publicly apologised for his ancestors' involvement in the slave trade. However, the conversation around African complicity is far more nuanced, and for some traditional leaders, acknowledging the past is a vital prerequisite part of healing.
The Road Ahead
Ghana's push for reparations is gaining momentum, and the country is taking its role as the "champion for reparatory justice" seriously. The country's leaders are calling for a system of reparatory justice that funds educational grants, venture capital for young African entrepreneurs, and research into enduring health issues. The Church of England has apologised for its involvement in the slave trade, but many are calling for action to follow the apology. As Ghana continues to lead the charge on reparations, the world is watching to see what will happen next.
Source: Joy Online
