Reparatory justice as a structural economic imperative for Africa

Cristina Duarte
THE pursuit of reparations has long animated African and global dialogues about justice.

Since 1963, when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) — the predecessor to the African Union (AU) — first took up this cause, efforts have been made to advocate for reparations for historical crimes committed against Africans and people of African descent.

These historical crimes included the trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid and systemic racial discrimination. Important initiatives have been supported by the AU, from seeking restitution for pillaged cultural artefacts to advancing formal reparation demands at the global level. Yet, for decades, the conversation has often been relegated to the background, as too often, it is viewed through a narrow financial accounting exercise — it must be deepened, expanded and, above all, demystified.

The true meaning of reparations in the 21st century cannot be confined to rectifying past wrongs merely through monetary terms. If reparations are framed solely as a historical debt to be paid, without addressing the structural injustices that have persisted and evolved, the conversation risks becoming hollow and ineffective. We cannot meaningfully mend the past without repairing the present dynamics of Africa’s position within international commerce and multilateralism — systems that continue to apply an extractive mindset to Africa’s people and resources.

Past wrongs vs present wrongs

Reparations are often discussed exclusively in terms of the past: slavery, colonial exploitation, violent occupation and cultural pillage.

These were monumental crimes, and the demand for justice for these wrongs is not negotiable. However, focusing solely on history without interrogating today’s systemic injustices misses a vital truth: the past wrongs were not buried; they were transformed into today’s economic and political systems.

The structures that enabled colonialism, enslavement and racial domination have morphed into new forms. Africa remains trapped in a global economic system characterised by the permanent extraction of value through the so-called “commodity trap”.

Ghana exported US$9,58 billion in gold in 2024, yet it only retained 14 percent of the value due to the nature of multinational agreements. The Democratic Republic of Congo produces over 70 percent of the world’s cobalt, yet only 1 percent is refined in the country before being exported. Zimbabwe was ranked as the third-largest producer of chromium in 2023, yet most of it was exported in raw form.

Collectively, West Africa produces 70 percent of the world’s cocoa beans, but contributes less than 1 percent of the global chocolate market. In Somalia, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by foreign fishing fleets costs the economy US$300 million a year.

This picture is not limited to raw commodities, but extends to financial resources as well.

In this system, Africa is a net creditor to the world, losing more than US$500 billion every year through illicit financial flows, unfair trade practices, and exploitative investment frameworks and debt servicing, while it is home to some of the world’s poorest populations.

This reality starkly reveals that today’s wrongs need to be placed in direct relation to yesterday’s crimes.

To seek reparations solely for the historical offences without confronting the ongoing structural injustices is to perform an incomplete act of justice.

Reparations: The 21st century imperative

The 21st century demands a bold redefinition of what reparations truly mean.

Reparations must not be seen merely as financial compensation for past events.

They must be understood as a call to transform the very rules of the game — the international trade, finance and governance systems that have perpetuated injustice for centuries.

Otherwise, a profound contradiction arises: reparations would be paid with Africa’s own stolen wealth. Thus, reparations must go far beyond any narrow accounting of damages.

Financial reparations are necessary, but not sufficient. They must be embedded in a comprehensive restructuring of the political, economic and social frameworks that sustain African underdevelopment and marginalisation. What, then, do true reparations look like in the 21st century?

It is a multi-dimensional project aimed at creating the conditions for dignity, autonomy and shared prosperity for Africans and people of African descent. It is not just a matter of financial transfers but of systemic transformation.

Justice for the past — through acknowledgment, apology, restitution and financial compensation where appropriate.

Justice for the present — through dismantling the economic structures that replicate colonial patterns of dependency and exploitation. Justice for the future — by securing Africa’s rightful place as a co-architect of global governance, development priorities and economic policy.

It is important to note that true reparations demand the following:

A re-configuration of global trade systems to end Africa’s dependence on raw commodity exports and build competitive, value-added economies

Transforming the international financial architecture that systematically disadvantages African nations, including ending the “African Premium” that artificially inflates borrowing costs for African nations.

The restitution of African sovereignty over its natural resources, human capital and policy choices, ensuring that countries have the fiscal space and direct their financial flows to drive their own development decisions.

The end of illicit financial flows and the repatriation of stolen assets by redirecting FDI (foreign direct investment) and ODA (official development assistance) to invest in strong institutions and country systems and above all, digital public infrastructure.

The political will to ensure that Africans and people of African descent have an equal say in shaping the global order by introducing critical reforms in multilateral institutions to ensure equal representation and decision-making.

Addressing historical injustices without uprooting these contemporary injustices would amount to an empty and meaningless conversation.

A call for courage and clarity

The AU’s 2025 theme provides a historic opportunity, but only if it is approached with uncompromising courage, clarity and a focus on both past and present wrongs.

We must demystify the conversation.

Reparations are not merely about the past; they are about the structures that continue to disadvantage Africa today.

The past has not ended, it has evolved.

And unless we repair today’s wrongs, there will be no true justice for yesterday’s crimes.

Africa must lead this conversation, not with a hand outstretched for compensation, but with a demand for systemic economic justice.

Reparations are not about charity; they are about fairness, restitution and the right to define a future unshackled from the legacies of exploitation. The world must be prepared not just to listen, but to act upon this bold and necessary call. — africarenewal.un.org

Cristina Duarte is Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General.