Lawsuits seek reparations from Britain, France, Netherlands for their roles in Atlantic slave trade
Fourteen Caribbean nations are suing the governments of the United
Kingdom, France and the Netherlands for reparations over what the
plaintiffs say is the lingering legacy of the Atlantic slave trade.
In a speech Friday at United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister
of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves said the European
nations must pay for their deeds.
“The awful legacy of these crimes against humanity – a legacy which
exists today in our Caribbean – ought to be repaired for the
developmental benefit of our Caribbean societies and all our peoples,”
Gonsalves said. “The European nations must partner in a focused,
especial way with us to execute this repairing.”
The lawsuits – which are likely to amount to a lengthy battle – are
being brought by The Caribbean Community, or Caricom, a regional
organization that focuses mostly on issues such as economic integration.
They will be brought to the U.N.'s International Court of Justice,
based in The Hague in the Netherlands. It is not immediately clear when
court proceedings will begin.
The countries will focus on Britain for its role in slavery in the
English-speaking Caribbean, France for slavery in Haiti and the
Netherlands for Suriname, a Caricom member and former Dutch colony on
the northeastern edge of South America.
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