Russia offers support to Africa in calculating slavery reparations

Russia has pledged to assist African countries in determining the scale of reparations owed for colonial-era and slavery-related injustices.

The commitment was made on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, by Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, during a press briefing on “The Responsibility of Western Metropolises for the Consequences of Colonisation: History and Modernity,” according to the African Initiative media agency.

Her remarks come amid growing international momentum for reparatory justice, following the United Nations General Assembly’s approval of a Ghana-sponsored motion recognising the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as the gravest crime against humanity, which secured backing from 123 nations. The motion was tabled by former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama.

Madam Abramova explained that Russia intends to collaborate with African experts to develop a robust, evidence-based case for reparations using modern analytical tools.

“We aim to unite the efforts of Russian scholars – mathematicians, programmers, historians, and economists – with African researchers in order to jointly substantiate the scale of these reparations and move forward with legal claims on various international platforms,” she said.

She stressed that African countries must accurately quantify the damage caused by colonialism to strengthen their claims for compensation, noting that this effort will combine modern scientific methods with extensive colonial-era archives preserved across the continent.

Abramova clarified that Russia is offering support but is not the originator of the reparations agenda, emphasizing that African challenges should primarily be addressed by Africans themselves.

She also highlighted the role of John Dramani Mahama, who chairs the African Union’s reparations committee, describing him as both a political leader and a scholar advancing the discourse.

“In addition to being an outstanding political figure, John Mahama is also a scholar. He actively promotes the reparations agenda, which is increasingly evolving from a historical and political discourse into a concrete, practical agenda,” Abramova added.

Historians estimate that between the 15th and 19th centuries, approximately 12.5 million Africans were forcibly removed and sold into slavery, primarily through European-controlled transatlantic networks.

The reparations debate has gained renewed global attention, with suggestions ranging from financial compensation and the return of cultural artefacts to land restitution and formal acknowledgment of historical injustices.

Despite the renewed focus, the issue remains contested, with critics arguing that contemporary states and institutions should not be held accountable for actions committed centuries ago.