Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives, has questioned the United Kingdom’s decision to abstain from the landmark United Nations resolution declaring slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as one of the greatest injustices against humanity.
The resolution was adopted with 123 votes in favour and
three against – the United States, Israel and Argentina.
The UK was among 52 countries which abstained from voting.
While abstention is a public signal of neutrality, its
ambiguous intent can also make it a distinct form of political expression.
Ghanaian President John Mahama, who led the resolution, said
it was necessary because the consequences of slavery, including racial
disparities, still persist.
Historians estimate that between 10 and 15 million Africans
were forcibly transported across the Atlantic between 1500 and 1900.
British ships are reported to have ferried at least 3
million Africans from the continent.
West African nations, including Senegal, Benin, Ghana, and
Nigeria—where Badenoch hails from—suffered the heaviest losses.
The UN resolution, passed on Wednesday, urges member states
to consider apologising for the transatlantic slave trade and contributing to
an unspecified reparations fund.
However, Badenoch criticised the UK for not rejecting the
vote in an X post on Thursday.
“Russia, China and Iran vote with others to demand trillions
in reparations from UK taxpayers…and the Labour government abstain!” she said.
“Britain led the fight to end slavery. Why didn’t Starmer’s
representative vote against this? Ignorance…or cowardice?
“We shouldn’t be paying for a crime we helped eradicate and
still fight today.”
These are not the first remarks by Badenoch to court
controversy on slavery, a topic many Africans, including the continental bloc,
have persistently sought acknowledgement on.
In 2024, the politician was criticised for a speech in which
she contested the claims that Britain’s industrial and commercial wealth were
built on slavery and colonialism.
She has also called reparations demands a “scam” pushed by
nations that also participated in slave trading.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com