African nations wrestle with colonial past after Queen’s death

Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister of Ghana, visits Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne at Balmoral Castle in 1959.

AFRICAN LEADERS have sparked debate over the colonial legacy of the British Empire following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The longest-reigning monarch saw heightened calls from across Africa as well as the Caribbean for an apology for the slave trade, colonial theft and for reparations to be paid in the year where she marked 70 years on the throne.

Her death at the age of 96 saw mourning and a flood of tributes from leaders across former British colonies and its residents, but it also reignited complicated reactions for a continent that is still dealing with the effects of the Empire. 

Douglas Mahiya, spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, said he saw “very little or no reason” to mourn the Queen’s passing while the country is grappling with sanctions imposed by the West. 

He said: “We would like to remind the British, and the incoming King of the British, that it is not necessary for them to continue using weapon of mass destruction, sanctions, against Zimbabwe because it is evil for any nation to think that any other human being black, green or white does not deserve to develop socially and economically and politically.”

The Economic Freedom Fighters party, a pan-Africanist group founded by former members of the African National Congress, also slammed the colonial legacy of the British monarch over the continent. 

“We do not mourn the death of [Queen] Elizabeth because to us her death is a reminder of a very tragic period in this country and Africa’s history,” the statement read. “During her 70-year reign as Queen, she never once acknowledged the atrocities that her family inflicted on native people that Britain invaded across the world.”

Queen Elizabeth II, who was just 25-years-old when she took to the throne, was head of the Commonwealth where 20 African nations still currently reside. Togo and Gabon, both former French colonies, were the latest to join the longstanding club.

Douglas Coltart, a resident in Harare, Zimbabwe, praised her leadership over the Commonwealth as “commendable,” but went on to tell AfricaNews that “she was head of state of government that did preside over colonialism and atrocities during that time. We have to acknowledge and be aware of that.”

Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Add, announced that flags will be flown at half-mast in honour of the late monarch, praising the “friendliness, elegance, style and sheer joy” she brought to her duties around the world. 

However, in August this year he led calls for reparations to be paid for the horrors of the trans-Atalntic slave trade for which the British royal family played a key role.

Speaking at the Reparations and Racial Healing Summit, he said: “It is time for Africa, 20 million of whose sons and daughters had their freedoms curtailed and sold into slavery, also to receive reparations.

“Reparations for Africa and the African diaspora are long overdue. Predictably, the question of reparation becomes a debate only when it comes to Africa and Africans. We believe the calls for reparations for Africa are just.”

In Kenya, government officials flocked to sign a book of condolences upon the monarch’s passing. Raychelle Omamo, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for Foreign Affairs, said Queen Elizabeth’s leadership was one of “dignity and with grace.”

“The loss of the Queen is a loss not only to the United Kingdom, but it is also a loss to the Commonwealth, and to the world. She had a long life of service and duty; she was an example for the world about how to lead with dignity and with grace,” she remarked.

Uhuru Kenyatta, the outgoing Kenyan president and whose own father led the east-African country to independence against British colonialism, praised the monarch alongside his successor, William Ruto. 

They described her as “a towering icon of selfless service to humanity” and “a leading figure, not only in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth but in the world.”

Mukoma Wa Ngugi, the son of Kenya’s world renowned writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o, was just one of many who questioned the monarch’s legacy in Africa in a new era for the British monarchy. 

He said: “If the queen had apologised for slavery, colonialism and neocolonialism and urged the crown to offer reparations for the millions of lives taken in her/their names, then perhaps I would do the human thing and feel bad. As a Kenyan, I feel nothing. This theatre is absurd.”

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1 Comment

  1. | Alpha Delta

    Such an inspiring woman who led the UK and Commonwealth right up to her dying day. She will be sadly missed by many hundreds of millions of people around the world.

    It’s great to see how the Commonwealth has evolved and matured since it’s establishment. So many new countries applying to join.

    Of course, any country which doesn’t like it should be free to leave. I just hope that their people will think very carefully about what type of president they would like instead.

    Reply

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