AU CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT
Togo welcomes the adoption on this 16 February 2025 by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, at its 38th Ordinary Session, of the Decision on the “Classification of Slavery, Deportation and Colonisation as Crimes against Humanity and GENOCIDE against the Peoples of Africa“.
This historic Decision, taken on the initiative of Togo under the leadership of H.E. M. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Republic of Togo, marks a milestone in the quest of the African peoples and people of African descent for the just recognition and reparation of the crimes of slavery, deportation and colonisation.
The history of Africa and its peoples over the last five (05) centuries has been marked
by a series of injustices and events that are as tragic as they are unacceptable. The gravity of these historical injustices, which were criminal acts that were well thought out, planned and methodically executed, perpetrated against the peoples of Africa and people of African descent, led Togo to submit to the decision-making bodies of the African Union the request that led to this Decision, which responds to the most pressing aspirations of the peoples of Africa, Afro-descendants, diaspora organisations and African civil society for justice and reparation.
The adoption of this Decision, which is in line with the African Union’s theme for 2025 “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”, ‘, is a decisive step in this quest for historical justice and a stepping stone towards reparations for the peoples of Africa and Afro-descendants.
The Decision on the classification of slavery, deportation and colonisation as crimes against humanity and GENOCIDE against the peoples of Africa allows Africa to put its own words on its sufferings throughout History, to work towards a better knowledge of the painful periods of the continent’s history by the younger generations, to begin the work of healing the deep scars left in African societies, to send a strong message to the international community about the thirst and expectations for recognition and reparation of the historical injustices suffered by its peoples, to take the lead on the issues of reparation and restitution so as not to allow others to dictate the terms of the debate, to deny legitimacy to any rhetoric that seeks to justify slavery and colonisation, to have a precise and appropriate language in its
struggle for reparation and restitution on the international stage, and to protect present and future generations of Africans and Afro-descendants from the risk of a resurgence of slavery and colonisation.
In its Decision, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government invited Member States, regional organisations and organisations of African civil society and the Diaspora to take various initiatives to ensure that new generations have a better understanding of the crimes and deliberately concealed sequences of the history of slavery and colonisation.
The Togolese Government wishes to thank the new Chairperson-in-Office of the African Union, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the Commission for their historic sense of responsibility in adopting this Decision.
For its part, Togo, which has been mandated by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government to take the lead in monitoring the implementation and impacts of the Decision, undertakes to carry out this mandate responsibly, in cooperation with the AU Commission and all Member States, Diaspora organisations, Afro-descendants and international organisations.
For Togo, the Decision on the classification of slavery, deportation and colonisation as crimes against humanity and GENOCIDE against the peoples of Africa is a crucial step, a landmark victory in Africa’s quest for self-determination and control over its own destiny. This Decision will make the issue of historical justice and reparations one of the key themes of the 9th Pan-African Congress to be held in Lomé, Togo, this year 2025.
Addis Ababa, 16 February 2025