posted 16th February 2025
The Hypocrisy of African Leaders in the Reparation Debate
Yesterday, the 38th African Union (AU) Summit in Ethiopia became a battleground of rhetoric as African Heads of State and Government loudly clamored for reparations. The demand for reparations is not new, but the sincerity of those making it remains highly questionable. These so-called leaders, many of whom have clung to power for decades beyond their original mandates, have presided over the suffering of their own people while amassing personal fortunes abroad.
The irony is glaring. The AU headquarters, the very venue of their grand declarations, was built by China. More than half of these leaders govern nations plagued by internal conflicts fueled by injustice, nepotism, greed, and outright wickedness. While they demand reparations from former colonial powers, they continue to exploit their own citizens, turning Africa into a willing tool for external manipulation and exploitation.
Yes, Africa deserves reparations—but not in the way these leaders frame it. The greatest reparation Africans need is the return of the billions looted and stashed in foreign banks by their own leaders. These leaders do not seek justice for their people; rather, they see reparations as another avenue to line their already overflowing pockets. Their fight is not from the heart but from an insatiable hunger for wealth, making their demands dishonest, insincere, and reprehensible.
African people, not their self-serving leaders, must take up the fight for reparations. The reality is that most African nations today are effectively leaderless, as their so-called rulers have become rudderless. The Ethiopian president rightly stated that reparations are not about charity, but given the conduct of African leadership, it is clear that for them, it is about personal enrichment rather than justice.
The post-colonial history of African leadership is a tale of internal deprivation, corruption, kleptocracy, black-on-black violence, and impudence. Many of the leaders calling for reparations do not even reside in Africa. The Cameroonian president lives permanently in Switzerland, while Nigeria’s President Tinubu arrived at the AU Summit straight from a holiday in France. It is estimated that nearly 80% of the wealth of African leaders is stored in foreign bank accounts, further draining the continent of its resources.
If African leaders were truly committed to reparations, they would start by repatriating their own stolen wealth, investing in their countries, and ensuring justice for their people. Until then, their cries for reparations will remain nothing more than hollow, self-serving rhetoric, devoid of any genuine desire to uplift the African continent.
