Accra: Professor Nene Lomotey-Kuditchar, Vice President of the Association of African Political Scientists, has advised that Africa should not be preoccupied with material gains in the demand for reparation concerning the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The focus, he said, ought to be on regaining dignity, recognition, and respect for Africans among the comity of nations.
According to Ghana News Agency, Professor Lomotey-Kuditchar emphasized the importance of not reducing the discussion to material benefits. He noted that while there may be economic advantages, the primary objective should be reclaiming self-respect and reconstructing the identity of Africans globally. The professor stressed the need to be proud of African history and to strive for a future that reflects the continent's true essence.
This perspective was shared during an interview at the African Diaspora Town Hall Meeting in Accra, hosted by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana. The event was held under the auspices of the Decade of Our Repatriation (DOOR), The Black Agenda, and the African American Association of Ghana. It brought together a diverse group of human and civil rights activists, political scientists, historians, genealogists, and representatives from the Diasporan community in Ghana to engage in discussions on citizenship, governance, investment, and the UN resolution on the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The event followed the recent adoption of a United Nations resolution formally recognizing the trafficking and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as a grave crime against humanity. Debates continue on the appropriate form of compensation for the atrocities committed during the 16th to 19th centuries, which saw over 12 million Africans sold into bondage.
Prof Lomotey-Kuditchar described the slave trade as one of the worst forms of inhumane treatment in history. He highlighted the lasting impact on the psyche and self-esteem of Africans, stating that African dignity remains "dented." He praised the one-hundred and twenty-three countries that supported the UN resolution, noting that studies have shown the devastating effects of slavery on humanity.
In the June 2022 edition of 'The Journal of Economic History,' recent econometric research findings detailed how the slave trade underdeveloped Africa. Nathan Nunn's influential 2008 article provided anthropological data on African slave exports, revealing long-term legacies such as lower national incomes, greater ethnic diversity, more polygyny, heightened conflict, underdeveloped access to credit, greater political corruption, and less local schooling.