Slavery finally recognized as a system, not just a tragedy – Tanzanian politician

The move restores dignity but lack of reparations commitments risks limiting real progress, Madaraka Nyerere has said

African nations should view the latest UN resolution on slavery as a platform for tangible change rather than symbolic recognition alone, Tanzanian politician Madaraka Nyerere has said. 

Speaking to RT, the chairman of Culture and Development East Africa and son of Tanzania’s founding president, Julius Nyerere, said the UN recognition “restores dignity,” but warned that the lack of firm commitments to reparations “highlights the limits of global consensus.”

“This resolution matters because it finally recognizes slavery as a system, not just a historical tragedy whose effects still shape inequality today,” Nyerere stressed.

Addressing the stance of the UK – which abstained from the UN vote – Nyerere said acknowledging historical harm is only a “necessary first step” and warned that recognition without meaningful adjustment risks remaining symbolic.

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He argued that the issue should not center on assigning blame but on determining a fair and practical response, including investments in education, technology, research partnerships, and economic opportunities that can correct longstanding imbalances.

Last week, the UN General Assembly adopted a Ghana-sponsored resolution recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity.” The measure secured support from 123 countries, including Russia and China, while the US, Israel, and Argentina voted against it, and 52 nations – among them the UK and EU members – abstained. 

Nyerere’s remarks came after UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the outcome on X, saying Russia, China, and Iran had joined others in pushing for “trillions in reparations from UK taxpayers,” while the Labour government chose to abstain. She also posed a question over why Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s representative did not oppose the resolution, asking whether this reflected “ignorance… or cowardice,” and insisted that Britain should not “be paying for a crime we helped eradicate and still fight today.”

READ MORE: West trying ‘to wash its hands’ of slavery legacy – South African politician

Echoing this broader debate, Southern Africa Times CEO Farai Ian Muvuti told RT that Western countries’ reluctance to support the resolution may stem from fears over legal precedent and economic implications, but warned that abstaining “loses the particular opportunity for dialogue” and undermines a collective effort to address structural inequalities that persist today.