By Nelson Manneh
In a call that echoed across the halls of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, activists, civil society leaders, and human rights defenders gathered in Banjul this week to demand reparative justice for Africa — not only as compensation for historical atrocities, but as a transformative act of healing, dignity, and institutional reform.
The NGO Forum on the margins of the Commission’s 83rd Ordinary Session unfolded over three days under the theme “Justice Through Reparations for Africans and People in the Diaspora.” Organized by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), the event became a crucible for pressing discussions about colonial legacies, modern-day repression, and the continent’s unfinished struggle for justice.
“This forum is not about numbers, but about the strength of its ideas,” said Justice Solome Bossa, Chairperson of the ACDHRS Governing Council, whose message was delivered at the opening ceremony. “It is about elevating the voices of those long ignored.”
The gathering drew a diverse coalition of stakeholders — from grassroots organizers to continental human rights institutions — united by a shared conviction: that reparations must move beyond narrow definitions of financial restitution. They must, as many speakers emphasized, encompass truth, recognition, and the rebuilding of broken systems.
“Can the dignity of a person truly be measured in financial terms?” asked Hannah Forster, Executive Director of ACDHRS, who moderated the opening panel. “Reparations must reflect the restoration of justice, truth, and human worth.”
The forum arrived at a time of deepening political instability in parts of the continent. Ongoing conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and northern Mozambique — alongside the rise of authoritarianism and the repression of dissent — have cast a long shadow over Africa’s democratic aspirations.
Naji Moulay Lahsen of the NGO Forum Steering Committee warned of a deteriorating human rights climate. “We are witnessing the misuse of anti-terror laws to criminalize activism and muzzle dissent,” he said. “The civic space is shrinking — and with it, the oxygen of our democracies.”
Yet amid the challenges, the forum resonated with hope — bolstered by a rare alignment of continental will. The African Union has designated 2025 as The Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations — a symbolic gesture that participants urged governments to translate into meaningful policy.
“Reparations are not just about restitution,” said Gilbert Sibi-Hugo, Executive Director of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions. “They are about systemic transformation — healing societies and creating structures that uphold dignity.”
The forum also delved into the cultural and emotional weight of reparative justice, with speakers emphasizing that restoration must include recognition of the psychological and social scars of slavery, colonialism, and racial injustice — not only within Africa, but also across its vast Diaspora.
Jeggan Grey-Johnson of the Open Society Foundations framed the call for reparations within the context of rising global inequality and far-right populism. “This is a geopolitical moment,” he said. “We must anchor justice in African realities and push for a unified continental stance.”
Throughout the forum, participants held focused sessions on thematic priorities — from women’s rights and indigenous struggles to access to justice, freedom of expression, and accountability for state abuses. A strong emphasis was placed on safeguarding the work of human rights defenders who continue to face growing threats.
As the forum concluded on April 30, participants presented a comprehensive set of recommendations to the African Commission. These included enhancing cooperation between the Commission and civil society groups, reinforcing national accountability mechanisms, and mobilizing political will across African Union member states.
The mood at the closing session was resolute. “We are not begging for charity,” one activist declared. “We are demanding justice — rooted in memory, repair, and the right to a future built on truth.”
The Commission is expected to deliberate on the forum’s proposals during its ongoing session. For many who came to Banjul with hope and conviction, the work begins anew — in courtrooms, community halls, parliaments, and in the streets.
“It is time,” said Forster, “to write a new chapter in Africa’s pursuit of justice — one not shaped by what was taken, but by what must now be restored.”
