By Hannah Dadzie
The African Union (AU) says Africa has moved decisively from declarations to concrete action on reparatory justice, as the continent intensifies efforts to secure justice for Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
Addressing the Accra Diaspora Summit on behalf of AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssef, the AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, praised the Government and people of Ghana for convening the summit at what he described as a “historic moment” for Africa and its global diaspora.
Dr Chambas singled out Ghana’s President for his custodianship of the African Union’s agenda on justice and reparations, noting that the 2025 AU theme — Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations — has gone beyond symbolism to become operational and institutional.
According to him, guided by key Assembly decisions, the AU has established firm foundations for a continent-wide reparatory justice framework anchored in law, policy, culture, and development. He revealed that the AU has set up an Assembly-mandated Committee of Experts on Reparations and a reference group of legal experts, both of which have begun work to move the reparations agenda from advocacy to implementation.
Dr Chambas said Africa’s call for justice has also gained significant traction globally, with the AU actively shaping international discourse through engagements at the United Nations, Africa Day commemorations, and other multilateral platforms, focusing on racial justice, historical accountability, and inequality.
He further highlighted strengthened collaboration between Africa and the diaspora, pointing to renewed AU–Caribbean partnerships and the adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration on Transcontinental Partnership for Reparatory Justice at the second African-Caribbean Summit held earlier this year.
The ninth Pan-African Conference and the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa were also cited as key milestones in advancing the agenda.
To ensure system-wide coordination, Dr Chambas said the AU has introduced mechanisms to align member states, regional economic communities, and AU institutions, making reparatory justice a cross-cutting continental priority rather than a stand-alone theme.
He disclosed that reparations linked to transatlantic enslavement, colonialism, and apartheid are being designated as a flagship AU issue, to be fully embedded in the Union’s strategic planning and budgetary processes, in line with Agenda 2063.
Describing the Accra Diaspora Summit as a “critical building block” in a broader continental and global process, Dr Chambas said its focus on historical truth, healing, economic justice, youth, innovation, and the digital economy closely aligns with the AU’s vision of transformative, rather than transactional, reparations. He encouraged participants to approach the summit with ambition and purpose, stressing that Africa is now organizing for justice through institutional reform, strategic partnerships, and coordinated advocacy.
On behalf of the AU Commission Chairperson, Dr Chambas commended Ghana for its leadership and reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to strengthening Africa–Diaspora unity and advancing reparatory justice for present and future generations.
