The Government of the Republic of Ghana, serving as the African Union’s Champion for Reparations, is hosting a two-day joint Bureau meeting of the African Union Committee of Experts on Reparations (AUCER) and the African Union Legal Experts on Reparations (AULER). The gathering aims to strengthen coordination and advance Africa’s reparations agenda at both continental and global levels.
Opening the session, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to its role as Champion of the reparations cause. He highlighted Ghana’s historical significance as a key site of memory in the transatlantic slave trade, noting that many Africans forcibly removed from the continent passed through forts and castles along Ghana’s coast. Ablakwa emphasized that reparations are a matter of justice, describing the slave trade as a sustained exploitative economic system and citing precedents where reparations had been paid for past crimes. He called for clarity of purpose, strategic engagement, and sustained coordination to ensure Africa’s position is effectively articulated within the multilateral system.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Amr Aljowaily, Director of the Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO), explained that the meeting was convened in line with African Union Assembly Decision 884, which elevated reparations from a moral appeal to a structured continental programme of action. He noted that reparations have been designated as a flagship programme of the Union, with dedicated expert mechanisms established to drive implementation. Aljowaily stressed that the meeting represents a critical step in consolidating Africa’s institutional architecture on reparations, consistent with aspirations 3, 5, and 7 of Agenda 2063.
Advocate Kingston Magaya, Acting Chair of AULER, underscored the legal imperative of reparations, grounded in international law, justice, and human dignity. He pointed to the enduring social, economic, and cultural consequences of slavery and colonialism, and emphasized AULER’s role in providing legal guidance and strategies aligned with international norms.
Dr. Jane Mufamadi, Chair of AUCER, highlighted the Committee’s role in developing a common African position and coherent programme of action. She stressed the importance of inclusive engagement, knowledge-sharing, and strategic collaboration to ensure Africa’s reparations agenda responds to historical realities and contemporary challenges, while contributing to a unified continental voice in global forums.
The two-day meeting is expected to chart the next phase of Africa’s reparations efforts, guiding coordinated approaches to amplify the continent’s voice on issues of historical injustice at the global level.
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