Why Commonwealth leaders wan ignore UK on slavery reparations for Samoa meeting

Commonwealth heads of goment dey prepare to ignore United Kingdom and agree to one plan wey go torchlight reparatory justice or compensation for di transatlantic slave trade, BBC don see.

Downing Street insist say di mata no dey di agenda of di summit of 56 Commonwealth kontris, wey go begin for di Pacific island kontri of Samoa on Friday.

But diplomatic sources say officials dey do negotiation on agreement to do more research before dem begin “meaningful conversation” about issue wey fit make UK owe billions of pounds for reparations.

Frederick Mitchell, foreign minister of Bahamas, tell BBC Radio 4 Today programme say: “Once you bring up di topic, e fit take some time for pipo to come around but dem go surely come around."

Di current text of di draft summit communique – wey BBC see – say: “Heads, noticing say pipo dey call for discussions on reparatory justice wit regard to di transatlantic slave trade of Africans and chattel enslavement… agree say time don reach to get meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation about how to create common future wey dey based on equity.”

E add say di heads of goment go play “active role to bring such inclusive conversations wey go address dis harms” and say dem agree “to prioritise and facilitate more and additional research on di transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel slavery wey go encourage and support tok tok plus give way forward”.

Diplomats don hammer out di text – wey fit change once Commonwealth leaders land – before di summit start.

British officials succeed in blocking one plan for one completely separate declaration on di mata.

Reparatory justice

Reparatory justice mean to correct historical injustice and all di negative effects wey dem bin cause.

Na all about recognising di harm wey happun and t find ways to meaningfully address dem.

Reparatory justice for slavery dey hapun in different ways, like financial reparations, debt relief, official apology, educational programmes, building museums, economic support, and public health assistance.

UK no want language about reparatory justice

UK bin no want any language for di communique about reparatory justice, but for now, e dey accept say e go include three full paragraphs wey go give detail of di Commonwealth position.

Officials from Caricom, the joinbodi wey dey represent Caribbean kontris, dey try to expand di issue so e go include not only di slave trade across di Atlantic but also di Pacific.

Di draft communique say majority of di members “share common historical experiences in relation to dis hateful trade, chattel enslavement, di drain and dispossession of indigenous pipo”.

E also refer directly to practice wey dem know as “blackbirding”, wia dem bin deceive some Pacific islanders or kidnap dem into slave or cheap labour for colonies throughout di region.

Diplomats say wetin dem dey expect now na say reparatory justice go be central focus of di agenda for di next Commonwealth summit wey go happun in two years time for di Caribbean, possibly Antigua and Barbuda.

For di run-up to dis year summit, call bin dey grow from Commonwealth leaders for UK to apologise and make reparations worth trillions of pounds for di kontri historic role in slave trade.

One report wey di University of West Indies bin publish last year - wey Patrick Robinson, one judge wey dey seat for International Court of Justice bin support – conclude say UK dey owe more dan £18tn in reparations for wetin im do for slavery for 14 Caribbean kontris.

Last weekend, prime minister of Bahamas, Philip Davis, use opportunity of visit from UK Foreign Office minister Baroness Chapman to tell her say di fight for reparations never over at all.

Bahamas foreign minister Frederick Mitchell tell BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "Di word na apologise, dat na di word."

Im say for di Commonwealth gathering, "na simple mata – e fit happun, one sentence, one line."

Wen BBC ask am how much reparations suppose amount to, Mitchell say e no just be mata of money but of “respect, acknowledging say di past na wrong wey dem need to correct”.

Im say member kontris "want make di conversation start" but "e be like say dem no even dey willing to have di conversation".

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy say UK don hear calls for slavery reparations "loud and clear" but say di prime minister dey "right" to "focus on di future".

One UK goment tok tok pesin say dem no go comment on di leak to BBC, but add: “Reparations no dey di agenda for di Commonwealth Heads of Goment meeting. Di goment position never change – we no dey pay reparations.

"We dey focus on using di summit for [di Commonwealth Heads of Goment Meeting] to discuss shared opportunities wey we fit unlock across di Commonwealth – including securing more economic growth.”

Di understanding be say di Downing Street position – say reparatory justice no dey agenda – while e dey technically correct, don provoke some Caribbean ministers wen e dey obvious say dem go discuss di issue for di summit.

BBC understand say di tenor and tone of language from UK goment don contribute to "irritate even more" some members wey bin fit dey expect UK to change im view and "suddenly begin to dish out plenty money".

Oga Starmer land Samoa late on Wednesday UK time, becoming di first sitting UK prime minister to visit any Pacific island nation.

Speaking to reporters as im wan travel, im say im bin want to discuss current challenges wit Commonwealth leaders, especially climate change, instead of issues of di past.

“Wetin dem dey most interested in na, we fit help dem work wit, for example, international financial institutions on di kain packages dem need right now in relation to di challenges wey dem dey face," im say.

"Dat na wia I go put my focus - rather dan wetin go end up becoming very, very long endless discussions about reparations on di past.

“Of course, slavery dey disgusting to everybody; di trade and di practice, e no get any question about dat. But I tink from my point of view… I go rather roll up my sleeves and work wit dem on current future-facing challenges dan spend plenty time on di past.”

King Charles don land Samoa for four-day visit on Wednesday and im go officially open di summit.

Wen im bin visit Kenya last year, di King express "greatest sorrow and regret" over di "wrongdoings" of di colonial era, but stop before apology comot from im mouth, wey for require di agreement of ministers.

All di three candidates wey dey hope to win election as di next secretary general of di Commonwealth dis weekend - Shirley Botchwey of Ghana, Joshua Setipa of Lesotho and Mamadou Tangara of Gambia – don make am clear say dem support reparatory justice.

British goment and im royal family, togeda wit oda European kontris, bin participate wella for di slave trade wey bin go on for centuries from 1500, wey force millions of Africans to work for plantations.

Britain also bin play big part in ending slave trade through Parliament wey pass law to abolish slavery for 1833.