Wole Soyinka's UN Address on Reparations for Africa (March 25, 2025)
by Elizabeth Ouma
When it comes to African Scholars and those who define themselves as humanists, I will never fail to admire Wole Soyinka. His intellectual contributions have made Africa proud. On the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Soyinka gave a moving keynote speech at the UN General Assembly. Reflections on "Reparations for Africa" under the overarching topic of "Acknowledge the Past" have been included in a number of reports. The speech, "Build a Future of Dignity and Justice," addressed the inexplicable atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade while connecting them to current injustices. Based on his lifetime support of African dignity and human rights, Soyinka called for a change from passive remembrance to active, healing action. Based on the speech, I have highlighted the three most significant points below:
Reparations Defy Quantification—Embrace Symbolic and Gestural Justice
Soyinka argued that the "crimes of the transatlantic slave trade" are too vast for monetary valuation, stating, "It is impossible to quantify reparations for such a global atrocity." Instead, he advocated for non-financial forms of repair, like cultural restitution and global education, to honor victims and dismantle denial. This reframes reparations not as a transaction but as an ethical imperative for humanity's collective conscience.
The "Heritage Voyage of Return" as a Living Monument for Reconnection
A centerpiece of his address, Soyinka proposed this innovative initiative—a mobile, transatlantic "voyage" tracing slave trade routes from West African ports to the Americas and back. It would function as a traveling exhibition ship or convoy, showcasing repatriated African artifacts, documentaries, music, installations, and diaspora narratives to foster healing and cultural exchange. Inspired by abolitionist legacies and Pan-African movements, it transforms remembrance into an active pilgrimage, promoting "volition" (human agency) denied by slavery and countering modern migration crises through voluntary reconnection.
Slavery's Persistence Demands a Holistic, Egalitarian Global Response
Soyinka warned that slavery endures in "modern-day" guises—human trafficking, kidnappings (e.g., Nigeria's Chibok girls), and exploitative labor in places like Libya—often masked by religion, economics, or geopolitics. He called for an "egalitarian attitude" transcending individual, communal, or national boundaries, urging the UN and world leaders to evolve static memorials (like the Ark of Return) into "living, evolving spaces" that propel justice. This ties historical atonement to present-day eradication, emphasizing collective action over isolated efforts.
My Thoughts and Reflection
Soyinka's address strikes me as a masterclass in intellectual and emotional alchemy: turning the leaden weight of history into gold through creative, forward-looking propositions. I deeply resonate with his rejection of quantifiable reparations; in an era of economic debates that often reduce profound traumas to balance sheets, his pivot to symbolism feels profoundly humanizing. It echoes thinkers like Ta-Nehisi Coates, who in The Case for Reparations argued for repair beyond dollars, but Soyinka infuses it with African oral traditions and communal ritual, making it uniquely vibrant. The "Heritage Voyage" idea exhilarates me—imagine a floating FESTAC (Festival of Arts and Culture), alive with African drums, lost Africans in the diaspora, and DNA-linked family reunions. It's not just reparative; it's regenerative, potentially sparking economic booms in heritage tourism while chipping away at xenophobia. Yet, I wonder about implementation: Who funds the voyage amid global austerity? Could it risk commodifying pain if not stewarded inclusively?