- Irish Digicel owner demands UK pays reparations to Caribbean nations
ONE OF Ireland’s richest men is demanding slavery reparations from Britain.
Denis O’Brien, a billionaire businessman, founded Digicel, a leading telecommunications provider in 25 Caribbean and Central American countries.
O’Brien wants Britain and other European nations to compensate Caribbean nations for the transatlantic slave trade.
He told Sky News that reparations are the most pressing issue in the region and for the entire community.
This was a 300-year Holocaust. Millions died. No one has apologised to these nations, O’Brien added.
Apology
In July, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands formally repented for the Netherlands’ role in the slave trade, calling it a “crime against humanity”.
After the Dutch King’s apology, O’Brien said Britain and the EU must address slavery and reparations as other leaders apologise.
I think the British and EU cannot ignore this since the Dutch have apologised. They set aside $1 million. The first nation to apologise, he said.
Great Britain and other chattel slave trade countries didn’t apologise because they didn’t want accountability.
Digicel serves Jamaica, St. Lucia, Guyana, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, Haiti, and other Caribbean nations.
White O’Brien founded the company in 2001 and told the news station he feels “part of Caribbean”.
He stated: “My ancestors benefited neither economically nor from slavery. I feel Caribbean.
My Caribbean friendships are numerous. Why shouldn’t I start a reparatory justice campaign just because I’m white?
Plan for Restoration
Key campaigners have cited the 10-point Reparations Plan of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as a foundation for justice.
It comprises a formal apology, funds for repatriation to Africa, debt cancellation, education programmes, cultural heritage and artefact returns, and other projects and compensation.
Mr. O’Brien created the Repair Campaign, which describes itself as a Caribbean social movement for reparatory justice supervised by the CARICOM Reparation Commission.
Genocide, chattel servitude, and colonialism devastated Caribbean people and benefited colonisers financially.
We want to raise Caribbean reparations calls and create evidence-based Socioeconomic Reparatory Justice Plans.
Growing movement
Caribbean and African politicians continue to demand reparations and keep it on the global agenda.
Slavery reparations total $4.9tn (£3.9tn), according to Barbados’ prime minister this month. Ghana convened a four-day reparations conference in Accra in November.
Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo called for African nations to unite for slavery reparations at the event.
“No amount of money can repair the transatlantic slave trade and its effects. Akufo-Addo stated at the gathering with African leaders that the globe must address this issue.
The landmark Brattle Report reveals that Britain owes £18.6 trillion in reparations, amounting to five times its annual GDP.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR) held the UK’s first Reparations Conference in October, bringing together legislators, campaigners, communities, and other stakeholders to discuss African reparations.
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