By Catarina Demony
Feb 20 (Reuters) - Former colonial powers must apologise and pay compensation for their historic role in the enslavement of Africans, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Mitchell addressed von der Leyen late on Wednesday at the 48th heads of government meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Barbados, which the European leader attended for the first time.
"I don't mean to be impolite," Mitchell said, looking at von der Leyen. "But I will say it to you: the issue of reparations... is an issue we will take up with you."
Mitchell added: "We owe it to ourselves and future generations of humanity to ensure (slavery) is accepted as a crime against humanity, and that appropriate apology and compensation is paid, and that the international community accepts this should never happen again."
Von der Leyen replied to Mitchell without referring to reparations, saying "slavery is a crime against humanity... and the dignity and universal rights of every single human being is untouchable and must be defended by all means."
From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported by mostly European merchants and sold into slavery.
Calls for reparations for slavery and colonialism are long-standing but have been gaining momentum worldwide, particularly among CARICOM and the African Union (AU).
CARICOM has its own reparation plan, which, among other demands, calls for technology transfers and investments to tackle health crises and illiteracy. The AU is developing its own plan.
In 2023, the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) agreed to include in their summit's final statement a paragraph that acknowledged the "untold suffering" slavery inflicted on millions.
In the statement, adopted by leaders of both sides, the CELAC referred to CARICOM's reparations plan.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony in London; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
