Ghana's proposed transatlantic slave trade resolution to UN well-timed, historian says

Record ID: 2369750

  • Title: Ghana's proposed transatlantic slave trade resolution to UN well-timed, historian says
  • Date: 25th March 2026
  • Summary: BADAGRY, NIGERIA (MARCH 25, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) HISTORIAN, BABATUNDE MESEWAKU, SAYING:   "We are not counting those that were lost during the middle passage on the sea, to America, to Europe, and to the Caribbean, and to other parts of the world. We are not counting that, but those that are visible, that are able to be counted during the slave trade, they
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Africa Ghana Nigeria UN West africans chains merchant ships reparation resolution restitution slave trade slavery
  • Location: BADAGRY, NIGERIA
  • City: BADAGRY, NIGERIA
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Africa,Crime/Law/Justice
  • Reuters ID: LVA006707724032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Ghana will propose a resolution at the U.N General Assembly on Wednesday (March 25) to recognise transatlantic slavery as the "gravest crime against humanity," and calling for reparations. 
        The West African nation has been a leading advocate for reparations, a cause that has gained significant momentum in recent years, even as a growing backlash has emerged.
        But, Nigerian historian Babatunde Mesewaku, speaking in Badagry, a coastal town in Lagos state, Nigeria that served as a major slavery port, said that Ghana's resolution is "well-timed."
    "We want to talk about the experience of the slave trade in Africa. The slave trade in Africa plagued the continent for over 500 years. And Africa lost more than 30 million of its able bodies to other regions of the world," he said.
    "During those periods, Africa was stagnated politically. Africa was stagnated economically. Africa was stagnated socially," he continued, explaining the long-term effects the transatlantic slavery has had on the African continent and its diaspora. 
        Several Western leaders have opposed even discussing the subject, with critics arguing today's states and institutions ‌should not be held responsible for historical wrongs.
        "It is expected that they are going to criticize and oppose this resolution... they may not be able to recover (financially), if, really, they want to quantify the reparations that Africans deserve in terms of the cruelty they meted to her (Africa) during the transatlantic slave trade," Mesewaku said. 
        The draft resolution, seen by Reuters, urges member states to engage in dialogue on reparations, including issuing formal apologies, returning of stolen artefacts, providing financial compensation, and ensuring guarantees of non-repetition.
    "We are still in shame," Mesewaku said. "Slavery-wise, economy-wise, political-wise, and social development-wise, he said adding that the resolution might help address the past, if passed at the U.N. 
    (Production: Kazeem Sanni, Angela Ukomadu, Catherine Schenck)
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