Slavery reparations are just, but who exactly owes whom?

"The contemporary framing of the reparations debate is seductive in its simplicity: Europeans arrived in Africa, Africans were enslaved, Europeans grew rich, and Africans became impoverished. This narrative carries moral force, but it risks flattening the complex history of European engagement with the continent."

"While European actors undeniably drove the demand for enslaved labour, African political and economic elites were not passive victims. They played a significant role in capturing, transporting and selling enslaved people to European traders."

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, calling for reparations. While 123 countries supported it, some opposed or abstained. The African Union urged member states to seek reparations through apologies, artifact returns, and financial compensation. However, the question of who should pay reparations remains complex, as African elites also played roles in the slave trade. This complicates the narrative that solely blames Europe for Africa's impoverishment, highlighting a more intricate historical relationship.

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