Why Rishi Sunak reject calls to apologise for African slavery and pay compensation

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak don dismiss one call for di goment to apologise and pay reparations for di UK historic role for slavery.

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy ask if im go make one "full and meaningful apology" and "commit to reparatory justice".

Di PM tok say"no", add say im dey "try to unpick our history no be di right way forward".

Di UK goment never formally apologise for im role for di trade.

Laura Trevelyan, former BBC journalist and reparations campaigner, say she welcome Oga Sunak "commitment to understanding Britain history and not run away from am".

Di Atlantic slave trade see millions of Africans enslaved and dem force dem to work, especially on plantations for di Caribbean and Americas, for centuries from about 1500.

Di British goment and di monarchy be prominent participants for di trade, alongside oda European kontris.

Britain also get a key role in ending di trade through Parliament passage of one law to abolish slavery for 1833.

Dis year, Caribbean leaders, activists and di descendants of slave owners don put di UK goment under ogbonge pressure to engage wit di reparations movement.

Reparations na compensation wey dem dey give for something wey dem dey see as wrong or unfair, and fit take di many forms.

Tony Blair don previously express "deep sorrow" for slavery wen im be prime minister for 2006, but reparations campaigners bin criticize am say e no continue.

For 2007, dem ask am why im previously stop short of apologising for di role of UK for di trade during one news conference wit Ghana then-President John Kufuor.

"Well actually I don tok am: We dey sorry. And I say am again now," Oga Blair tok.

Di challenges of reparation

Ms Ribeiro-Addy bring up di UK historic role for slavery during one session of Prime Minister Questions for di House of Commons.

She say during im last appearance for PMQs, di late Labour MP Bernie Grant bin "ask for an apology to di pipo of African descent, living and dead, for our kontri role for slavery and colonialism".

Ms Ribeiro-Addy ask Oga Sunak if "im go do wetin Bernie Grant ask all those years ago".

"No, Oga Speaker," Oga Sunak tok. "Wetin I think our focus suppose be now na, of course, understanding our history and all im parts, not running away from am, but right now making sure we get a society wey dey inclusive and tolerant of pipo from all backgrounds.

"Dat na something wey we on dis side of di House dey committed to do and we go continue to deliver. But trying to unpick our history no be di right way forward and no be something wey we go focus our energies on."

Dis week, di descendants of some of di UK wealthiest slave owners launch one activist movement, dey ask di goment to apologise for slavery and offer reparative justice.

One of di group founder na former TV presenter Laura Trevelyan, wey recently quit di BBC to become full-time slavery reparations campaigner.

Ms Trevelyan, wey don apologise for her ancestors' slave owning past for Grenada, say slavery na “ brutal part of Britain history wey don leave a painful legacy for di Caribbean and for Britain".