Commonwealth agrees ‘time has come’ for talks on legacy of slavery – News

The Commonwealth’s 56 members agreed on Saturday that the “time has come” for talks about the legacy of the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade in a historic summit statement that raised the prospect of future reparations.

In Samoa, leaders from Britain and dozens of former colonies held lengthy and sometimes tense talks about one of the most sensitive aspects of their shared and troubled past.

In a joint statement, Commonwealth leaders noted calls for “restorative justice” for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade and the “lasting consequences” of indigenous dispossession, indentured servitude and colonialism.

“The time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation about forging a common future based on equality,” said a joint Samoa Communique.

Countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific want Britain – and other colonial powers – to atone for slavery and other ills of colonization and begin talks about compensation.

Many are still poorer than their former colonial masters and still scarred by the brutal trade that removed an estimated 10 to 15 million enslaved people from Africa over four centuries.

While Britain has expressed broad regret over slavery, London has resisted the idea of ​​financial reparations, which could come with a hefty price tag.

During the summit, London sought to avoid making explicit commitments while maintaining some semblance of Commonwealth unity.

“I have to be very clear about this: in the two days we have been here, none of the discussions have been about money,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said after the meeting.

“Our position is very, very clear on this,” he said, stressing that the talks had been “very positive.”

The meeting’s conclusion was delayed for hours as leaders and officials tried to reach a compromise.

The final text may be vaguer and more legalistic than some former colonies wanted.

At the summit, Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis told AFP it was time for “a real dialogue on how we address these historic abuses”.

“The horrors of slavery have left a deep generational wound in our communities, and the fight for justice and restorative justice is far from over.”

But one expert said the summit could be considered historic.

“The commitment to restorative justice conversations opens the door for dialogue,” said Kingsley Abbott of the University of London’s Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

“The Commonwealth,” he said, “must see this as an opportunity to lead a potentially historic process and do so with vision and courage.”

For Britain – which is still defending its place in the world post-empire and leaving the European Union – the summit was a balancing act with high stakes.

Starmer is under political pressure at home, and King Charles III, whose family profited from the slave trade for centuries, has faced calls to apologize personally.

Britain’s royal family, attending its first summit as monarch and head of the Commonwealth, stopped short with an apology on Friday and asked delegates to “reject the language of division.”

“Listening to people across the Commonwealth has helped me understand how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate,” he said.