The African Union (AU) has officially designated slavery and colonialism as acts of genocide and crimes against the people of Africa. The declaration was adopted on February 16, 2026, during the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held over two days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
As part of the resolution, the Union also proclaimed November 30 as “African Day of Tribute to African Martyrs and Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Colonization, and Apartheid.”
This declaration is an offshoot of the “Algiers Declaration”, made at the end of the International Conference on Colonial Crimes in Africa, held on November 30 and December 1, 2025, in Algiers, Algeria.
During the opening of the Algiers Declaration in November 2025, Algeria’s Foreign Minister, Ahmad Attaf, stated “ Africa is entitled to demand the official and explicit recognition of the crimes committed against its people during the colonial period, an indispensable first step toward addressing the consequences of that era for which African countries and peoples continue to pay a heavy price in terms of exclusion, marginalisation and backwardness.’’
Although still a declaration without formal legal documentation, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama echoes the same sentiment at the 39th Ordinary session, saying, “The move is to pursue truth, recognition, and justice for our ancestors and generations yet unborn.”
Background and Context
The transatlantic slave trade and colonial rule left deep scars on Africa, scars that continue to shape the continent’s social, economic, and even political realities. Between 1450 and 1850, it is estimated that more than 12 million Africans were forcibly removed from their homelands and transported across the Atlantic to the Americas. Millions more perished in transit or in slave raids that devastated entire communities.
Then colonialism followed, and it entrenched systems of exploitation and racial hierarchy, stripping African nations of sovereignty and resources.
Over the years, the AU and its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), have consistently condemned slavery and colonialism.
In 1993, the OAU held the first Pan-African conference on reparations in Abuja, Nigeria.
The body argued the case of African reparations by observing that other groups, like Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust, received around $60 billion in compensation. In comparison, the Japanese-American victims of the American internment during the Second World War had received about $1.2 million.
The Abuja meeting also called for the return of looted artefacts and cultural heritage, insisting that Western countries that had benefited from centuries of free slave labour and colonial exploitation must repair the damage.
But in the 2000s, some former colonial powers, including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, began a gradual process of returning artefacts.
The conversation around reparations continued in 1999, and an international conference on reconciliation was held in Cotonou, Benin, which saw participants, including Africans, those of African descent, and Europeans, attempt to confront historical injustices. That same year, another international conference was held in Missouri, United States.
The AU’s latest resolution builds on these efforts, transforming remembrance into formal recognition and setting a continental precedent for pursuing reparatory justice.
Inside the AU Resolution: What It Means for Africa
The AU’s declaration marks a decisive step in how Africa defines its history, justice, and identity on its own terms. By officially categorizing slavery and colonialism as crimes against humanity and acts of genocide, the AU has reframed centuries of suffering as intentional, systematic crimes.
For Africa, this recognition carries three major implications: legal, moral, and unifying.
Legally, it lays the groundwork for a continental position on reparations and justice. This is necessary because the UN Charter prohibits the forcible seizure of territory, yet there is no reference to colonialism.
Though not yet binding under international law, the declaration provides a platform for African states to collectively engage with the United Nations and other global bodies to demand acknowledgment, apology, and compensation from former colonial powers.
It also opens a pathway for African scholars and legal experts to develop frameworks that could support future reparatory claims.
Morally, the resolution restores dignity to the millions who suffered under slavery and colonialism, and to their descendants whose lives and identities were shaped by that trauma. It is a reminder that Africa will no longer allow others to define its narrative or determine the value of its people.
Symbolically, it also unites the continent around shared memory and purpose. The recognition serves as a collective statement that Africa’s past injustices have not been forgotten and that the pursuit of healing and justice is a continental responsibility. President John Mahama of Ghana believes that the justice sought will not be handed to Africans, but rather achieved through unity and determination.
The decision also reflects a shift in Africa’s global posture, from appealing for sympathy to asserting agency.
Ghana, Algeria, and Africa’s United Push
The AU’s latest declaration did not emerge overnight. It is the result of years of diplomacy, advocacy, and political persistence by different bodies and nations.
Ghana has played a key role in advancing the reparations campaign. In addition to its advocacy role, it has consistently positioned itself as a leading voice and gateway for reconnection with the African diaspora, most notably through its “Year of Return” (2019) and “Beyond the Return” initiatives. These national programs helped reignite global conversations about Africa’s historical injustices and the moral imperative for reparations.
President John Dramani Mahama, the AU Champion for Reparations, reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to presenting Africa’s case to the United Nations General Assembly on March 25, 2026.
Speaking at the 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, he reported that processes to table the resolution, refined to read, ‘Declaration of the Trafficking in Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity’, are underway.
He further said that extensive discussions were held to strengthen the resolution with bodies such as ECOWAS, UNESCO, CARICOM, and diasporans.
Another country, Algeria, has also been at the forefront of this cause with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hosting the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa in Algiers from November 30 to December 1, 2025.
It was at that conference that President Tebboune proposed November 30 as “ African Day of Tribute to the Martyrs and Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Colonization, and Apartheid.”
President Tebboune, while addressing a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the 39th AU Assembly on 15 February 2026, said “ Based on its bitter national experience, which spanned more than 132 years of exceptionally brutal settler colonialism, Algeria hereby expresses its full readiness to make available its documents, material evidence, and the authenticated historical testimonies in its possession, to relevant African legal bodies.’’
To show its solidarity and the belief in this cause, on December 24, 2025, the Algerian Parliament unanimously passed a law criminalizing French colonialism in Algeria, a move directly aligned with what President Tebboune describes as “legal accountability.”
Together, Ghana and Algeria’s advocacy stirred broader continental consensus. Countries like Togo, Senegal, and South Africa also expressed support, recognizing that Africa’s strength lies in speaking with one voice.
The AU’s unified stance now sets the stage for coordinated diplomacy and a collective African front at the United Nations and other global forums.
The Day of Remembrance
Beyond the declaration, the AU’s decision to establish November 30 as a “Day of Remembrance” carries immense cultural and educational weight.
Officially titled the “African Day of Tribute to African Martyrs and Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Colonization, and Apartheid,” the day is envisioned as a continental moment of reflection, education, and renewal.
The observance seeks to honour the memory of millions of Africans who were enslaved, displaced, or killed under colonial rule, while also recognizing those who resisted oppression in various forms, from freedom fighters and liberation leaders.
Each member state is expected to commemorate the day in ways that reflect its own historical experiences. Some may host national ceremonies, public lectures, social awareness and school events, while others may emphasize cultural exhibitions, storytelling sessions, and community dialogues that connect past struggles to present realities.
In this sense, the observance will not only focus on looking back, but also reclaiming identity and inspiring the next generation to continue Africa’s quest for justice and dignity. For younger generations, November 30 presents a chance to reconnect with history beyond textbooks, to understand how colonial exploitation and the slave trade shaped the modern African condition.
The AU hopes this annual commemoration will be integrated into educational curricula, ensuring that remembrance becomes part of Africa’s collective learning rather than merely ceremonial rhetoric.
Teaching the Younger Generation
The Algiers Declaration makes clear that the AU recognizes the central role of education in preserving Africa’s history and shaping its collective future.
It calls for a comprehensive reform of the continent’s education systems to integrate pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial history, ensuring that young Africans develop an informed understanding of their heritage and the struggles that shaped it.
The Declaration further urges that curricula be enhanced to reflect historical truth, honour African resistance, and promote Pan-African consciousness as a cornerstone of learning.
Beyond the classroom, the AU proposes establishing an African Program for the Transmission of Memory to preserve and share Africa’s collective experiences.
This includes promoting African languages, encouraging cultural and artistic productions rooted in African memory, and expanding educational and media content that celebrates resilience, creativity, and freedom movements across the continent.
Global Ripples: Reparations and Recognition
Africa’s bold declaration is expected to echo far beyond the continent. By classifying slavery and colonialism as crimes against humanity and acts of genocide, the AU has reignited a global conversation about historical accountability, one that challenges the moral conscience of the international community.
The AU’s move aligns closely with the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) reparations campaign, which has long sought acknowledgment and compensation from European nations for the transatlantic slave trade and centuries of exploitation.
Both regions, bound by shared histories of displacement and resistance, are now amplifying one another’s voices on the global stage. In 2023, CARICOM and the AU formed a partnership to amplify this call.
This convergence could strengthen efforts at the United Nations and other multilateral forums, where the question of reparations has often been met with hesitation or silence. The AU’s unified stance adds political legitimacy and urgency to these discussions, making it harder for former colonial powers to dismiss them as isolated national concerns.
Reactions from Europe are expected to vary. While some countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, have begun acknowledging their colonial pasts through the return of stolen artifacts, others remain reluctant to engage in conversations about financial reparations or formal accountability.
King Charles III, during a visit to Kenya in 2023, acknowledged Britain’s “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence” committed against Kenyans during their fight for independence, but did not issue an apology despite human rights groups demanding one.
Similarly, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, has acknowledged the crime against Algerians in the name of colonialism, but he has not publicly apologized for colonial abuses in Algeria. In 2023, Macron reportedly said ‘’It’s not up to me to ask forgiveness, that’s not what this is about, that word will break all of our ties’’ He said in an interview for Le Point Magazine.
Still, the AU’s resolution places moral pressure on these governments to move beyond symbolic gestures toward tangible restitution.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
While the AU’s declaration is historic, translating it into tangible outcomes will require strong political will, coordinated action, and sustained advocacy across the continent.
One major challenge lies in the lack of binding legal mechanisms. As of now, the declaration remains a political statement rather than an enforceable treaty. For reparations or accountability claims to gain traction, African states will need to align their national laws and policies with the AU’s position. This process demands unity, technical expertise, and strong diplomatic engagement at the United Nations and other global platforms.
Funding and institutional capacity also pose significant hurdles. Implementing programs such as the African Program for the Transmission of Memory, developing education reforms, or organizing annual remembrance events will require resources that many nations struggle to allocate amid competing economic priorities.
The AU will need to mobilize partnerships with international organizations, philanthropic institutions, and the African diaspora to sustain these initiatives.
Moreover, achieving consensus among Africa’s 55 member states will not be easy. Differences in political stability, national interests, and relationships with former colonial powers could slow progress.
Some governments may be cautious about pursuing reparations too aggressively, fearing diplomatic friction or economic backlash.
Despite these obstacles, Africa’s unified voice marks a new phase in the continent’s long journey toward justice.
Moving Forward
The AU’s decision has already begun reshaping public discourse, reminding the world that historical accountability is inseparable from global inequality.
With this declaration, the challenge now is not whether the world will listen, but whether Africa can sustain the momentum, ensuring that this declaration becomes more than a symbol, but a workable framework for justice, education, and remembrance across generations.
