A number of key Pan-African organisations in Africa have held an online forum, demanding real compensation for the colonial legacy and presenting specific legal mechanisms for obtaining reparations.

The Pan-African Movement for Reparations, Justice and Restoration of Historical Memory demanded specific actions from the African Union (AU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to achieve ultimate compensation to Africa for the ills of colonialism and slavery.

The group consequently resolved unanimously to petition the AU and the AfDB to lead efforts to recoup adequate reparations to the continent for the centuries of exploitation and dehumanising experience at the hands of colonial powers.

The regional online forum, held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, brought together Pan-Africanist activists, leaders of non-governmental organisations, and experts from seven African countries to discuss the subject.

It marked the development of a decisive position and the transition from discussions to practical steps to recover compensation for the centuries-old exploitation of the continent.

It was held on the theme: “Reparations must become a reality! Reparations must be paid now!”

The move comes in the wake of recent calls by President, John Dramani Mahama, for adequate compensation to Africa for the extensive injuries suffered by the continent for the impact of colonisation, slave trade and the footprints they left behind.

At this year’s AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February and on May 25 reserved to commemorate African unity, President Mahama emphasised that the time has come to concretise efforts for reparation to Africa for the impact of the Western actions on the continent, vis a vis colonization, slave trade, exploitation, among others.

The Pan-African Movement for Reparations, Justice and Restoration of Historical Memory wants specific actions from the AU and the AfDB to achieve ultimate compensation to Africa for the ills of colonialism and slavery.

Ouzairou Mamane, who chairs Niger-based ANJUD, a socialist group that champions African development, opened the forum with a reminder of the 17 million Africans who were shipped into slavery and the up to 50 million people who died as a result of the slave trade, stressing that “the historical facts are clear and indisputable; European countries have benefited enormously from Africa”.

Moussa Kuruma from Guinea gave shocking estimates of colonialism to the economic damage of Africa, saying European colonisation alone cost the African continent up to $777 trillion.

Other speakers were even more direct with their views on reparations to Africa.

For instance, Socrate Gutenberg from the Central African Republic called out France for its activities in Africa from the days of colonialism to the present.

“We have gathered here to make it clear: France must compensate (Africa) for the damage. The time of silence is over. It’s time to present the bill,” he said.

Mr Gutenberg said colonialism was not merely responsible for the plundering of resources (coffee, cotton, ivory) from Africa, but also for destroying the identity of the people.

“It imposed religion, imposed language, and sowed discord in order to better control us,” he said, pointing to its continued influence, including support for coups d’état and the recent arrest of Armel Sayo of the Central African Republic.

“Colonialism destroyed our identity by imposing language, religion and sowing discord. Even after the withdrawal of French troops in 2022, Paris’s influence remains through the support of coups and puppet leaders, as in the case of the arrest of Armel Sayo in the CAR.

“Similar things happened in Mali and Burkina Faso, where France looted gold and uranium, conducting operations Serval and Barkhan. Studies estimate France’s debt at hundreds of billions of dollars: $302 billion for Mali and $320 billion for Burkina Faso. It’s time to present the bill,” Mr Gutenberg added.

Two others, namely Kwesi Pratt Jnr of Ghana and Mohammed Saleh Allan of Chad, insisted that reparations to Africa could not be limited to monetary compensations.

Mr Pratt, a respected journalist and leader of the Socialist Movement of Ghana, insisted that reparations are not the end, but the continuation of the struggle for the dignity and rights of African peoples as championed by Modibo Keita, Sekou Toure, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Chris Hani, Patrice Lumumba and Amilcar Cabral.

“This is a struggle for the redistribution of stolen wealth, the restoration of what was taken away and the correction of the consequences of deliberate genocide, the destruction of our culture and sovereignty. Seventeen million Africans were forcibly removed from Africa, subjected to aggression and exploitation. Reparations are our legitimate right to return stolen resources that continue to flow to European capitalists. No amount of money can compensate for 17 million lives, but reparations must include not only finances, but also the restoration of culture, lands, artifacts, and educational systems that meet our needs. This is a holistic liberation mechanism that restores dignity to Africa,” Mr Pratt, who is also a member of the organising committee of the Pan-African Progressive Front, said.

Mr Saleh Allan of the Civic Network, based in Chad, on the other hand, stressed the need to “stay in the legal field” even if new norms have to be created.

Former US President, Barack Obama, frequently advocated reparations to Africa and African peoples in recognition of the injustices inflicted by colonialism, the slave trade and other dehumanising experiences.

All these reinforce the urgent need for the continent to ride on the back of a vibrant Pan-African movement like the Pan-African Progressive Front to demand their pound of flesh from their colonial masters.

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