Experts want African countries to be compensated by West for slavery

Experts want Western countries that were involved in the slave trade to pay reparations to African countries for the crimes of slavery and colonialism.

“Africa will never reconcile with the West on the issue of slavery until we receive an official apology from slave buying Western nations, and a fair compensation paid to Africa,” Mustafa Mheta, a senior research fellow and head of the Africa Desk at the Johannesburg-based Media Review Network think tank, told Anadolu Agency.

Experts made comments to the Turkish news agency during the anniversary of former US President Abraham Lincoln’s decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery on Jan. 1, 1863.

“Nations that perpetrated slavery, are still reaping the benefit of slavery to this day,” said Mheta, referring to wealthy nations where slaves worked on plantations, factories, and construction sites.

Millions were taken from the continent to work in the 17th to mid-19th centuries across four main routes: Indian Ocean ports, the Sahara, Red Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Many died while in transport to Europe and the US but their nations have never been compensated.

“To be honest, slavery was single-handedly the most damaging thing on Africans,” said Mheta. “There is nothing positive that came with it except the psychological damage that it did on the African mind.”

“The African was humiliated to the core. Slavery convinced the African that he was not worthy of anything and that he was not human enough like other races,” he said. “Up to this day, the African is still suffering from that. He has not recovered from it.”