Reality check: why talk of reparations is a nonstarter for Africa

On March 25, the UN General Assembly Hall erupted in applause. By a margin of 123 to three, the world body adopted a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity and, most significantly, calling for reparations. For the African Union, which has designated 2026–2036 as the “decade of reparations,” this was the diplomatic equivalent of a moon landing, a vindication of history that has been centuries in the making. But in 2026, this is a case of strategic misalignment. It was the right step. It is also, regrettably, on entirely the wrong foot.

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