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Sao Tome and Principe Joins Other African Nations in Pursuing Reparations From Former Oppressors

© AP Photo / ARMANDO FRANCAA rusting ship lies sunk in the bay of Sao Tome, the capital of Sao Tome & Principe, Nov. 9, 2006.
A rusting ship lies sunk in the bay of Sao Tome, the capital of Sao Tome & Principe, Nov. 9, 2006.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 03.05.2024
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Portugal's colonial presence in Africa, including Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique, was characterized by acts of brutality, confiscation of land, and the erosion of cultural heritage.
Sao Tome and Principe intends to seek reparations from Portugal for the detrimental effects created by colonialism, the country's education and cultural minister Isabel Abreu said on Thursday during an interview with Portugal's Lusa news agency.
He added that the matter was scheduled to be discussed during a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Abreu's statement comes after last Tuesday Portugal's president acknowledged his country's culpability for crimes done during the transatlantic slave trade and colonial era, and said there is a need of providing reparations.
However, later that week the country's government said in a statement to Lusa that it would like to "deepen mutual relations, respect for historical truth and increasingly intense and close cooperation, based on the reconciliation of brotherly peoples," but it had "no process or program of specific actions" for paying reparations.
Lisbon, Portugal - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 28.04.2024
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The move by Sao Tome reflects a broader trend in African countries fighting for their right to compensation for the damage inflicted on them by colonialists. For example, in 2021, Germany committed to pay 1.1 billion euros for the genocide it carried out in Namibia.
Likewise, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is a demand for compensation from Belgium for the crimes committed during the colonial period, according to media.
The increasing boldness of African countries indicates a changing dynamic in post-colonial relations, as they assertively seek recognition and compensation for historical injustices. Last November, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo urged African leaders to work together to seek compensation for the atrocities of transatlantic slavery and colonial-era harms.
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