British Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has sparked fresh debate over demands for slavery reparations, arguing that African rulers and merchants who participated in the transatlantic slave trade should also be held accountable for their historical roles.
Badenoch, who was born in Nigeria, questioned why Britain should be expected to issue further apologies or pay financial compensation for slavery without similar demands being directed at African kingdoms and traditional rulers who captured, sold and profited from enslaved Africans.
Her comments came amid renewed calls for Britain to formally apologise and consider reparatory justice for its historical involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
The Conservative leader argued that slavery was not exclusively a European enterprise, insisting that African intermediaries and rulers also played significant roles in the capture and sale of Africans to European slave traders.
She maintained that present-day British taxpayers should not be made financially responsible for historical events that took place generations before they were born.
Badenoch also questioned the justification for reparations and debt cancellation demands from Caribbean countries, suggesting that the historical involvement of African kingdoms should equally form part of the conversation.
The politician further recalled that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had previously expressed sorrow and regret over Britain’s role in the slave trade, questioning the need for another formal apology.
Her position has brought renewed attention to the contentious debate over slavery, historical responsibility and reparatory justice.
Although African rulers and merchants participated in the slave trade, Britain and other European powers played central roles in organising, financing and expanding the transatlantic system, which forcibly transported millions of Africans across the Atlantic.
