Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs has expressed the need for the British colonists to return the loot taken away from African countries.
Akinyemi, during an interview on Monday, stated that King Charles III should take a view different from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II and address issues of slavery, loot and reparation.
Akinyemi said, “The key issue that will determine the British’s relationship with the rest of the world, with the commonwealth, has to do with the issue of what the British took away from Africa during the years of colonial rule.
“When Queen Elizabeth II died, Amapour, the CNN reporter made a comment and I think that comment would be put clearly on the table, she said, “I hope that King Charles III won’t adopt the policy of his mother in terms of returning the loot which the British took away from Africa, in terms of dealing with British historical links with slavery and in terms of reparation. These are the issues.
He added, “By next week we would have forgotten about the coronation, but these three issues will still be snaring us in the face. The reparation especially since the Germans have started it. It should even start with an apology being placed on the table by the British.
“An apology for what happened during the slavery and during colonial times. Then we talk about the issue of reparation and who should reparation be paid to? Is it to us in Africa or to the Africans in the Diaspora?
He added, “My suggestion will be to pay to Africans in the Diaspora. They suffered and we suffered as well but we were complicit in that slave trade and if our own punishment is going to be that we don’t get reparation or that the whole of the reparation goes to Africans in Diaspora, I am perfectly happy with it.”
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