UN slave trade resolution bolsters Namibian calls for colonial-era reparations
via The Namibian5 min read
A United Nations resolution, adopted on March 25 with 123 votes in favor, recognizes the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity. This resolution has strengthened calls in Namibia for justice regarding colonial-era genocide and reparations. Local experts, such as Kletus Likuwa, a senior researcher at the University of Namibia, highlight the significance of this vote for Namibia and Angola, particularly for communities along their border affected by slave trading between 1890 and 1920. Likuwa emphasizes that the UN General Assembly's decision signals a global desire for restorative justice for injustices against African countries, noting that the slave trade contributed to Africa's underdevelopment. He believes the vote should pressure countries like Germany to reconsider their response to demands from Namibians affected by the 1904 to 1908 genocide. Joshua Kaumbi, a legal adviser at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, states that the genocide against the Ovaherero and Nama was rooted in ideas established through the slave trade, which dehumanized Africans and laid the groundwork for enslavement, dispossession, and genocide. Although UN General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, Kaumbi hopes this vote will strengthen calls for apology, restitution, property return, and guarantees of non-repetition, potentially leading to a Namibian-sponsored resolution on genocide in the General Assembly.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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