By EDITOR
Leader of the United Kingdom (UK) Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has condemned the British government for refraining from a United Nations vote on slavery reparations, questioning the decision and warning against any move that could see UK taxpayers bear the cost.
Reacting to the development, Badenoch wrote, “Russia, China and Iran vote with others to demand trillions in reparations from UK taxpayers…and the Labour government abstain!”
She added, “Britain led the fight to end slavery. Why didn’t Starmer’s representative vote against this? Ignorance…or cowardice?”
“We shouldn’t be paying for a crime we helped eradicate and still fight today,” she said.
The controversy comes after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark motion, backed by 123 countries, calling for reparations over the transatlantic slave trade and describing it as one of the gravest crimes against humanity.
Earlier, it was reported that Ghana secured a major diplomatic breakthrough with the adoption of the motion, which is being seen as a significant step toward global acknowledgment of historical injustices against Africans.
The resolution urges countries to engage in structured dialogue and take concrete steps to address the enduring social, economic and cultural consequences of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Several African nations, including Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Liberia, Kenya and Congo, supported the motion. Other countries such as Azerbaijan, Belarus and India also voted in favour.
However, the United States, Argentina and Israel voted against the resolution, while 52 countries—including major European powers like France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary and Cyprus—abstained.
During deliberations, a United States representative described the African Union-backed framework as “highly problematic,” despite acknowledging the historical injustices of slavery.
“While we recognise the wrongs of the past, we are unclear on who the beneficiaries of reparatory justice would be, and therefore cannot support the resolution at this time,” the US representative said.
The motion, titled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity,” is part of a broader campaign under the African Union’s Decade of Action on Reparations and African Heritage (2026–2036).
It marks one of the most comprehensive efforts by the United Nations to formally address the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, even as Badenoch’s reaction highlights deep divisions among global leaders over the issue of reparations.
…Source: SaharaReporters