President João Lourenço Urges Reparative Justice, Stronger Africa-Caribbean Integration

Addis Ababa, September 7, 2025 (ENA) -- African and Caribbean community  must unite in a new transcontinental alliance to pursue justice, emphasizing reparations, economic cooperation, and institutional reform, according to Angola’s President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.

During the Second Africa-Caribbean Summit in Addis Ababa, he emphasized that this partnership is essential for pursuing justice, particularly on issues of reparations, economic cooperation, and institutional reform.

Lourenço hailed the summit as a crucial step toward reclaiming dignity and advancing solidarity between peoples connected by a "common history and blood ties."

He stressed that the goal is to "transform the scars of the past into bridges of solidarity, cooperation, and justice."

To achieve this, the president urged member states to move beyond declarations and implement actionable strategies.

He specifically highlighted the need to institutionalize cooperation mechanisms like the Afro-Caribbean Reparative Justice Mechanism and the Global Reparations Fund.

Lourenço praised recent economic collaborations, including the opening of the AfreximBank office in the Caribbean and the continuation of the Afro-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forums.

He also referenced the Memorandum of Understanding signed in September 2024 as a framework for deeper cooperation in trade, education, culture, and scientific exchange.

To enhance connectivity, he proposed a Multilateral Air Services Agreement, visa-free travel, and the establishment of direct flights between the two regions.

He also called for a Joint Communication and Media Platform and an Africa-CARICOM Public-Private Partnership to mobilize resources.

For long-term collaboration, Lourenço suggested creating Permanent Technical Subcommittees of experts to focus on strategic sectors such as vaccine production, agriculture, and digital technology.

He also underscored the importance of youth, recommending an AU-CARICOM Youth Council to ensure younger generations shape the future of the partnership.

Addressing global challenges, Lourenço criticized the growing ineffectiveness of international institutions in the face of climate change, food insecurity, and economic instability.

The president also called for urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council to make it more representative and effective.

Finally, he expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, condemning what he called a "veritable genocide" and affirming support for an independent State of Palestine.

Lourenço concluded by describing the summit as a "decisive milestone" for Africans and Afro-descendants worldwide to achieve prosperity, justice, and dignity.