AUC Chairperson Stresses Need to Jointly Demand that Former Colonials Acknowledge Historic Crimes

Addis Ababa, September 7, 2025 (ENA) --- African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, called on Africans and the Caribbean to jointly demand that former colonial powers acknowledge historic crimes, offer meaningful reparations, and dismantle structural and systemic injustice.

The remark was made at the second Africa-CARICOM Summit, a landmark event opened today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The summit brought together African nations, Caribbean states, and the global African diaspora to strengthen unity, deepen integration, and jointly pursue reparations and reparatory justice through a comprehensive transcontinental partnership framework, under the theme: “Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”

In a stirring address, an AU Commission Chairperson underscored the significance of the moment, describing the summit as a "watershed moment" and a "turning point" toward collective aspiration.

"Let us jointly demand that former colonial powers acknowledge historic crimes, offer meaningful reparations, and dismantle structural and systemic injustice," the Chairperson stated.

 

He emphasized that the struggle for reparatory justice is not merely about addressing past wrongs but about building a more just and equitable future.

"This summit is a watershed moment, and should be a turning point towards our collective aspiration," the commissioner said.

"Historians will certainly put on record that from Addis Ababa, Africa and the Caribbean renewed their covenant to honor our ancestors, to uplift our descendants and reclaim our shared destiny in freedom, justice, and unity."

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also affirmed the African Union’s firm stand in this regard.

“The African Union stands proudly and firmly with our Caribbean brothers and sisters in every step towards reparatory justice.”

 

African Union's 2025 theme is “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”

The AU's strong stance with its Caribbean counterparts marks a new chapter in the global reparations movement. For decades, CARICOM, through its Reparations Commission, has been at the forefront of the advocacy, leading the way with its Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice.

The AU's formal adoption of reparations as a flagship project and its direct partnership with CARICOM, signal a unified transcontinental effort to pursue justice on a global stage.