Ghana’s sponsored UN resolution on slavery is historic and cherished, especially in Africa by Africans who are continuing to be affected by the brutal, violent legacy of transatlantic slavery, which began in the 15th century.
The historic resolution, defining this slavery as the “gravest crime against humanity”, was supported by several countries, especially from the Global South. If implemented, this resolution will ensure that it delivers justice to African communities who were kept back from development and civilisation by the atrocities of slavery, which benefited Western nations, especially the United States and European countries.
Africa needs inclusive justice for all past atrocities, which forced Africa into the margins of abject poverty, not just transatlantic slavery. There is absolutely no doubt that the legacy of transatlantic slavery continues to have a devastating impact on Africa and its people.
This is no justification, however, to overlook the terrible atrocities committed in the course of the Arab slave trade. Before transatlantic slavery, a brutal trade in slaves by Arab states was responsible for the enslaving of between 10 and 18 million Africans who were trafficked through the Sahara, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean into the Arab world of North Africa, the Middle East and West Asia.
In 2024, in Rahat, within the Bedouin community, I was astonished when I came across a black population who were not of Ethiopian descent. The Bedouin are an intrinsic part of the Negev desert, which is mostly populated by Arabs. They are known as Black Arabs. Besides the fact that they cannot trace their origins in Africa, they do know that their ancestors were violently abducted by Arabs in Zanzibar between the 19th and 20th centuries.
We can only hope that the UN resolution will have a positive impact on the lives of all Africans on the continent and elsewhere in the world.
Arab slavery
But there is a compelling need to broaden this resolution to include Arab slavery, rather than focusing exclusively on the transatlantic slave trade. Both systems of enslavement constitute grave human rights violations and should be addressed with equal seriousness and urgency. But ignoring Arab slavery risks sending a dangerous message that some of those who have committed historical injustices against Africa can evade accountability without consequence.
The call for reparations is, fundamentally, a call for accountability for the profound suffering inflicted on Africa over centuries. This is not a moment when anyone should be selective in pursuing justice. This initiative must also encompass the Arab world, whose role in the enslavement and exploitation of black people has left enduring scars that persist to this day.
Africa deserves justice, comprehensive and unqualified justice. Such justice should not be instrumentalised for polarising political agendas; rather, it should serve to level the ground, ensuring that all historical injustices are recognised with equal seriousness and moral clarity.
A central point in raising this issue is that forms of slavery still persist in parts of Africa and, to some extent, in the Middle East, where many of the victims continue to black, while some perpetrators are of Arab origin.
In Unbroken Chains: A 5,000 Year History of African Enslavement, Martin Plaut, a South Africa-born scholar and alumnus of the University of Cape Town, sheds light on both the historical and ongoing realities of African enslavement. He draws attention to contemporary atrocities still occurring in various parts of the continent, while noting the relative silence of institutions such as the African Union and the Arab League.
Particularly troubling
As Plaut observes: “Men, women and children are trafficked, sold, and inherited as property.” What is particularly troubling is the apparent inaction by African authorities in the face of these grave human rights violations.
Plaut’s argument is compelling in asserting that calls for reparations and accountability should not be selective. The same level of urgency and moral consistency applied to the transatlantic slave trade should also extend to the trans-Saharan slave trade. This requires difficult but necessary conversations about accountability, including how countries such as Egypt may be confronted regarding their historical roles in the enslavement of peoples from regions like Sudan and Ethiopia.
Ultimately, a balanced and honest reckoning requires acknowledging all actors, past and present, who have directly or indirectly benefited from systems of slavery across different periods.
Ghana received 123 votes in favour of its sponsored resolution, while three countries, Israel, Argentina and the US voted against and around 52 countries abstained.
Israel has raised concerns about characterising this historical injustice as the “gravest crime against humanity,” arguing that such framing risks creating a perceived hierarchy of global atrocities. This, in turn, could inadvertently diminish or downplay the severity of other horrific events experienced by different groups throughout history.
Just as black Africans endured brutal and inhumane enslavement at the hands of various groups, Jewish people were also subjected to state-sponsored persecution and pogroms, culminating in the Holocaust, a systematic mass extermination of people of Jewish descent.
Singular horror
In this context, Israel’s concerns carry weight: endorsing the resolution in its current form risks diminishing the gravity and singular horror of their own historical tragedy.
Yet, there is no denying that slavery profoundly disrupted African societies, dislocating communities and distorting developmental trajectories. Its long-term consequences remain deeply embedded, continuing to shape the socio-economic prospects of African people in an evolving global landscape.