UN chief urges global action on reparations for Africa colonial wounds

United Nations  Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent reparatory justice for Africa and its diaspora, citing centuries of unaddressed injustices from slavery, colonialism, and systemic racism.

In a statement on Friday following his remarks  at the Africa Dialogue Series in New York, Guterres emphasized that colonial-era structures continue to distort economies, fuel conflicts, and marginalize Africans today.

“We point to the poisoned legacies of enslavement and colonialism not to sow divisions but to heal them,” he declared.

Guterres acknowledged deep regret that nations—including his native Portugal—perpetrated these wrongs.

He stressed that independence alone failed to dismantle exploitative systems, leaving African countries with “economic models built to serve others.”

Racism and governance crises, he noted, remain direct consequences of this history.

The Secretary-General outlined a comprehensive justice framework requiring global partnerships.

Key demands include reforming international institutions like the UN Security Council—where Africa still lacks permanent representation—and tackling modern injustices: “Attempts to repair the past ring hollow unless they dismantle present-day racism, resource extraction, and governance imbalances.”

Financing reforms took centre stage. Guterres urged debt relief for African and Caribbean nations, condemning current burdens that “suffocate economies.”

He pushed for bolder lending by multilateral banks and tax reforms to curb illicit financial flows draining African resources.

The upcoming Sevilla Financing for Development Conference, he said, must deliver concrete commitments.

Guterres linked reparations to broader global stability. “In these turbulent times of trade barriers and aid cuts,” he asserted, “justice for Africans demands unwavering international cooperation.”

He pledged UN support for peace and development, framing reparations as the foundation for “equal partnerships where Africans shape their own future.”