A UN resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as one of the gravest crimes against humanity has reignited debates on reparations, responsibility and historical memory. Reactions were mixed in Ghana, where the bill originated, while France's decision to abstain has sparked criticism from its own lawmakers.
Issued on: 05/04/2026 - RFI
A display at the Caribbean Centre of Expression and Memory of Slavery and the Slave Trade, in Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, in May 2015. © Nicolas Derne / AFP
Despite opposition from the United States and widespread abstentions, the United Nations last week adopted a resolution recognising the transatlantic trade and enslavement of Africans as the "most serious crimes against humanity".
While some see the vote as a symbolic step towards justice, others question its tangible impact, both in West Africa and across the wider African diaspora.
The resolution singled out transatlantic slavery's duration and brutality – as well as present-day consequences including "the persistence of racial discrimination and neo-colonialism".
It did not mention other slave routes in Africa, including across the Sahara Desert or Indian Ocean.
The text did not explicitly demand reparations, though it "encourages member states to support initiatives aimed at reparatory justice".
The head of African Union, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, said the resolution "marks an important step toward truth, justice, and healing, and reinforces the urgent need to address the enduring legacy of slavery".
Despite opposition from the United States and widespread abstentions, the United Nations last week adopted a resolution recognising the transatlantic trade and enslavement of Africans as the "most serious crimes against humanity".
While some see the vote as a symbolic step towards justice, others question its tangible impact, both in West Africa and across the wider African diaspora.
The resolution singled out transatlantic slavery's duration and brutality – as well as present-day consequences including "the persistence of racial discrimination and neo-colonialism".
It did not mention other slave routes in Africa, including across the Sahara Desert or Indian Ocean.
The text did not explicitly demand reparations, though it "encourages member states to support initiatives aimed at reparatory justice".
The head of African Union, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, said the resolution "marks an important step toward truth, justice, and healing, and reinforces the urgent need to address the enduring legacy of slavery".
Mixed reactions
West and central Africa were devastated by the transatlantic slave trade, which from the 16th to 19th century saw more than 15 million men, women and children shipped to the Americas to work in brutal – often deadly – conditions.
Ghanaian President John Mahama spearheaded the push for UN recognition. In the streets of Ghana's capital, Accra, the vote was met with a mixture of joy and scepticism.
"It's not just a historic moment for us as a country, but it also validates the suffering of our ancestors and opens the door for justice," student Abigail Selikem Teye told French news agency AFP.
Farmer Baba Amanba told RFI that he "doesn't feel very connected" with the debate. "I don’t think these reparations will have any positive impact on the lives of ordinary Africans."
Richard Kofi Boahen, a civil servant, called for other injustices to be addressed. "During the slave trade, we were looted — our artefacts, our symbols, everything that represented Africa," he said.
"Even today, some countries like Britain speak of ‘loaning’ what they took from us. That is unfair. These items should be returned."
French objections
Despite being non-binding, the vote at the UN's General Assembly headquarters in New York was contentious.
Supported by the African Union, it was adopted by 123 votes. The United States, Israel and Argentina opposed the measure, while 52 countries abstained.
Critics including France objected to the resolution's language, saying it appeared to rank crimes against humanity.
While acknowledging the wrongs of slavery, the resolution "risks pitting historical tragedies against each other that should not be compared, except at the expense of the memory of the victims", said French representative Sylvain Fournel.
For Ghanian journalism student Aduanaba Okyere, the choice to abstain is "surprising".
"You don’t know whether they support the motion or oppose it. But not voting at all – they owe their citizens an explanation," he said.
West and central Africa were devastated by the transatlantic slave trade, which from the 16th to 19th century saw more than 15 million men, women and children shipped to the Americas to work in brutal – often deadly – conditions.
Ghanaian President John Mahama spearheaded the push for UN recognition. In the streets of Ghana's capital, Accra, the vote was met with a mixture of joy and scepticism.
"It's not just a historic moment for us as a country, but it also validates the suffering of our ancestors and opens the door for justice," student Abigail Selikem Teye told French news agency AFP.
Farmer Baba Amanba told RFI that he "doesn't feel very connected" with the debate. "I don’t think these reparations will have any positive impact on the lives of ordinary Africans."
Richard Kofi Boahen, a civil servant, called for other injustices to be addressed. "During the slave trade, we were looted — our artefacts, our symbols, everything that represented Africa," he said.
"Even today, some countries like Britain speak of ‘loaning’ what they took from us. That is unfair. These items should be returned."
French objections
Despite being non-binding, the vote at the UN's General Assembly headquarters in New York was contentious.
Supported by the African Union, it was adopted by 123 votes. The United States, Israel and Argentina opposed the measure, while 52 countries abstained.
Critics including France objected to the resolution's language, saying it appeared to rank crimes against humanity.
While acknowledging the wrongs of slavery, the resolution "risks pitting historical tragedies against each other that should not be compared, except at the expense of the memory of the victims", said French representative Sylvain Fournel.
For Ghanian journalism student Aduanaba Okyere, the choice to abstain is "surprising".
"You don’t know whether they support the motion or oppose it. But not voting at all – they owe their citizens an explanation," he said.
France’s abstention has drawn particular criticism from elected officials in its overseas territories, especially in the Caribbean, where the legacy of slavery remains deeply embedded.
Several lawmakers accused Paris of failing to fully acknowledge the historical weight of slavery and its lasting consequences.
France has sent "a deeply incomprehensible signal", Béatrice Bellay, a Socialist MP for Martinique, said in a statement, pointing out the contradiction in the fact that France was the first country to pass legislation recognising slavery as a crime against humanity in 2001.
'A step backward'
Christian Baptiste, a member of parliament affiliated with the Socialist Party in Guadeloupe, described the French position as a "step backward".
The text does not create a binding legal obligation but constitutes "a major political and memorial act" which will allow "an international dialogue on [the] lasting consequences" of slavery, he said.
In an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, Guadeloupean senator and former minister for overseas territories Victorin Lurel called France's abstention "a moral, historical, diplomatic and political failing". He argued it tarnished France's image and undermined efforts at reconciliation between Western countries and their former colonies.
MP Jean-Victor Castor from the Movement for Decolonisation and Social Emancipation of French Guiana also condemned the French position, adding that slavery's consequences "still shape current inequalities".
Some argue that Africa itself bears part of the responsibility for the slave trade, given the role played by certain African rulers and traders at the time.
President Mahama has pushed back against such arguments, emphasising the scale and brutality of the transatlantic slave trade and comparing it to other atrocities such as the Holocaust.
This report includes reporting by RFI's Christina Okello and correspondent Michael Sarpong Mfum in Ghana.
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