By Alieu Ceesay
The Banjul-based African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) launched a pivotal three-day continental dialogue at the Sir Dawda Jawara Kairaba Conference Centre in Bijilo. The dialogue aimed to forge actionable strategies for justice through reparations for Africans and people of African descent in the diaspora.
Held ahead of the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the forum convened human rights advocates, legal experts, and policymakers to address historical and ongoing injustices under the theme: “Reparations, justice through reparations for Africans and people in the diaspora.”
The dialogue seeks to develop practical proposals to guide African states in delivering reparations to victims of human rights abuses.
Mohamed Mabasa Fall, a prominent Senegalese Human rights defender and key speaker, emphasized the importance of the ideas generated by the number of participants. “It is not the quantity, it is not the number of participants, it is the ideas that will come out of this room,” Fall said.
He underscored the centrality of victims’ rights in the reparations discourse, noting the complexity of addressing deep-seated wounds. “Can the wounds with the reparations be cauterized? Can they be healed? The most serious wounds are not the physical wounds on the body; they are the internal wounds,” he said, referencing the profound pain of losing loved ones.
Fall called for thorough investigations, documentation, and reporting, particularly of atrocities like rape, to ensure accountability.
The convergence comes at a critical juncture, as the human rights landscape in Africa faces significant challenges.
Najib Moulay Lahsen, Chairperson of the Network of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in North Africa, painted a grim picture. “The situation of human rights in Africa is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Civic spaces are shrinking. Freedom of expression is under siege,” he said.
Lahsen urged participants to prioritize the plight of migrants and address the broader erosion of democratic freedoms across the continent. He highlighted recent political instability in countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea-Conakry, and Sudan as exacerbating human rights crises.
The Gambian government, a co-host of the event, reaffirmed its commitment to reparations as part of its transitional justice framework.
Husain Thomas, Solicitor General and Legal Secretary at the Ministry of Justice of The Gambia, highlighted the Victims Reparations Act of 2023, designed to compensate victims of human rights violations.
“One matter that has been of high priority to this government has been the issue of reparations for victims,” Thomas said, underscoring the legislation’s role in addressing past abuses.
The dialogue also spotlighted modern forms of exploitation, including child labor and forced labor, which persist despite the abolition of slavery in African nations. These practices, described as contemporary slavery, underscore the urgency of equitable reparations and systemic reforms to ensure fair treatment and compensation for affected communities.
Participants vowed to confront these sobering realities head-on, using the forum to craft strategies that balance accountability with healing. The discussions aim to produce a roadmap for African states to implement reparative justice, addressing both historical legacies of colonialism and slavery and ongoing violations. The emphasis on equity and victim-centered approaches signals a commitment to transformative change.
As the dialogue unfolds, its outcomes are expected to influence the deliberations of the African Commission’s 83rd session, providing a foundation for continental policies on reparations.
For advocates like Fall and Lahsen, the convergence is a call to action, urging African leaders to prioritize human rights and justice in an era of shrinking civic spaces and persistent inequities.
The event runs through April 30, 2025, with stakeholders hopeful that the ideas generated will catalyze meaningful progress toward reparative justice across Africa and its diaspora.
