GUYANA IS demanding reparations from those who “profited” from the enslavement of African people.
President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali said his government remain committed to fighting for reparations from those who were “complicit in” and “profited from” slavery.
The president’s remarks come as the landmark Brattle Report found that Britain owes a staggering £18.9 trillion in reparations for its role in slavery.
Mr Ali said: “My government remains committed to the struggle for reparations for the crime of African enslavement.
“We demand that those who were complicit in and who profited from the trade in captive Africans and African enslavement pay just reparations.”
The president noted that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been a major player in demanding reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans.
“Within the region, there has been a concerted effort to seek both the acknowledgement of and redress for the injustices inflicted as a result of the slave trade and slavery,” he said.
‘Crime against humanity’
Last month, at a two-day meeting with leaders of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Brussels, the EU described slavery as a “crime against humanity”.
Mr Ali described the summit as a significant step forward and noted that Africans who were enslaved in Guyana laid foundations for the country’s freedom.
“It is that freedom and African achievement which we celebrate today, Emancipation Day. As we do so, let us never forget that this freedom was attained at a high price,” Mr Ali said.
He added that African enslavement represents, “one of the darkest chapters in human history and a permanent stain on our civilisation.”
In 2022, Sky News reported that Guyana’s president demanded a ‘meaningful apology’ from Britain for its role in the transatlantic slave trade after meeting then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
During his Emancipation Day message Mr Ali, also paid tribute to African-Guyanese contributions to the country.
He also added his government will be emphasising the building of “One Guyana”, which is an inclusive nation.
On Emancipation Day in London, hundreds of people marched through London demanding reparations for slavery.
The annual Afrikan Emancipation Day Reparations Day March, was held on August 1, in Brixton, south London, and is now in its tenth year.
This year’s event included a march through Brixton from Windrush Square and a three minute silence in remembrance of African ancestors who died during slavery.