✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers – December 2025 – In a display of unity and historical resolve, African states have rallied behind Algeria as continental efforts evolve from merely acknowledging colonial atrocities to formally codifying them as crimes against humanity. The international conference, initiated by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, marks a watershed moment in Africa’s collective pursuit of justice, dignity, and historical redress.
Opening Sunday’s session on behalf of African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye—representing the Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security—paid tribute to President Tebboune for convening a gathering of such strategic and moral weight. “It is an honour for the Commission to deliver this message,” he declared, affirming Algeria’s central role in steering a continental agenda rooted in justice and memory.
Adeoye stressed that the conference embodies Africa’s unwavering opposition to the injustices endured by its peoples and showcases their indispensable role in the liberation of the continent. It is, he said, a testament to a sustained commitment to justice and dignity, principles that remain at the core of the African Union’s vision. He recalled that the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government had placed justice at the heart of the continental agenda, and that the 2025 theme—Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations—finds particular resonance in this moment.
Describing the conference as a “strategic step” in implementing AU decisions, Adeoye emphasized that the gathering should serve to consolidate Africa’s unified stance on colonial crimes and reparatory justice. He underscored that the Constitutive Act of the African Union enshrines sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence as essential principles, while calling for unity, solidarity, and cooperation across the continent—a moral and political framework that this conference seeks to deepen.
At the heart of the discussions lies an undeniable historical truth: colonialism constituted systemic violence, exploitation, and the erasure of African values and identity. These acts, Adeoye insisted, must be recognized and codified as crimes against humanity. Politically, Africa demands international acknowledgment that the transatlantic slave trade, deportation, and colonization were crimes of the highest order—and in many instances, acts of genocide. “These crimes continue to have consequences today,” he noted, reinforcing the urgency of action.
On the legal front, Adeoye stressed the imperative of moving from recognition to codification, arguing that Africa must pursue a consolidated legal strategy before the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and other regional human rights bodies. At the centre of this agenda are the peoples, survivors, communities, and generations still living with the scars of colonial domination.
The ambassador highlighted the immense human and psychosocial toll of colonialism—mass atrocities, deportations, cultural suppression, and intergenerational trauma—which have shaped Africa’s long struggle for freedom. He praised the establishment of an African Day of Remembrance to honour the victims of slavery, colonization, and apartheid, stating that the AU Commission stands ready to integrate this day into the continental calendar. Cultural restitution, the protection of heritage, and the return of looted artifacts remain key priorities for the Union, he added.
Adeoye also stressed the importance of structural reparations within global governance, arguing that Africa’s persistent underrepresentation in institutions such as the UN Security Council is “no longer tolerable.” The continent’s push for reparatory justice is now intertwined with broader demands for equity, representation, and global reform.
He further noted that Africans must confront not only the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade but also the racial hierarchies inherited from colonial rule. The conference, he said, draws inspiration from the Addis Ababa Declaration on the Transcontinental Partnership for Reparative Justice, aiming to reinforce Africa–Caribbean legal strategies, advocacy platforms, and cultural cooperation in pursuit of global reparative justice.
Before concluding, Ambassador Adeoye urged the strengthening of continental unity and encouraged Africa’s youth to transform ongoing initiatives into concrete action—for Africans across the continent and in the diaspora. He reaffirmed the African Union’s readiness to guide the continent toward a new chapter of transformation, one that corrects historical wrongs and reclaims Africa’s rightful place in global governance.
“We express our gratitude to the Algerian government, the Algerian people, and the diaspora for their presence and commitment,” he concluded, sealing a moment of profound continental solidarity behind Algeria’s leadership in the fight for historical justice.
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