AU recognition of the 400th Anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Item proposed by the Republic of Kenya

Abstract

The Transatlantic Slave Trade will be 400 years old in 2019. It is noted that this important year of commemoration follows a venerable tradition of the African Union Summit and Commission making strong declarations in remembrance of this uniquely damaging chapter of African history, and, simultaneously, embracing the resulting diaspora of African peoples. Maintaining this tradition of memory and connection, in marking the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade, dovetails well with the theme of the upcoming Summit: ‘Refugees, Returnees and IDPs in Africa: Towards durable solutions to forced displacement.’ After all, the kidnapping and forceful transport of Africans, by their millions, out of the continent and to the Americas, and elsewhere, remains the single largest, and longest lasting, chapters of forced migration in human history. Commemorating this anniversary will at a minimum serve to remind Africans of the historical experience of the African diaspora which continues to shape even contemporary African migration, conflict and economies.