By Nicodemus Ikonko
African leaders have been challenged to act with vision to promote a new dispensation that values sovereignty, good governance, and the mobilisation of domestic resources for sustainable development and dignity.
The President of the Republic of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, issued this call on February 3, 2025, at the opening of the Judicial Year of the Arusha-based African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR).
Reparations: The Only Way to Redress Past Pains
“As a continent, Africa needs to embark on a second decolonisation—a mental decolonisation that frees its society from dependence on neocolonial narratives,” he explained.
The President commended the Pan-African Court for its thoughtful choice of this year’s theme, “Advancing Justice Through Reparations.”
Reparation includes material compensation and encompasses fundamental pillars such as health, education, and culture—essential for healing the wounds of the past and creating shared prosperity.
“With a deep sense of respect and historical responsibility, I stand before you to reflect on the conflicts in Africa and the pressing needs for reparations,” he said.
The President of AfCHPR, Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud, stated:
“The scars of history—slavery, colonialism, apartheid, systemic racism, and economic exploitation—remain painfully visible across our continent.”
She explained that the court had deliberately and timely selected the theme.
She further stated that reparations sought to heal the deep wounds of the past while providing guarantees that such atrocities shall never happen again.
According to her, reparations are a critical vehicle for achieving justice, addressing not only individual harm but also the pervasively collective and systematic injustices that have plagued African societies for centuries.
In his goodwill statement, Honourable Chief Justice Bheki M.C. Maphalala of the Kingdom of Eswatini expressed support for the AfCHPR, saying:
“As national judiciaries, we join hands with all participants to contribute to the discourse on our shared responsibility to advance justice through reparations and to be a beacon of hope for all those seeking redress.”
Additionally, the Chairperson of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), Dr. Joseph Whittal, said:
“As we move forward, reparations must rectify past injustices and build a future grounded in equity, dignity, and shared humanity.”
Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, remarked:
“Let us embrace our role as the architects of this new era—an era where justice, equity, and racial healing are not just aspirations but concrete and actionable realities.”
Long ignored, Africa’s demand for reparations appears to have taken on new impetus, heard not only from political calls but also from the continent’s judicial corridors as the only way for redress and addressing past injustices—a message that some don’t quite want heard.
