The second Africa and African Diaspora Conference, themed "The Return to Africa," opened this week in Boksburg, South Africa. The gathering brings together African leaders, scholars, faith leaders, and activists from the continent, the Caribbean, Latin America, and beyond. The conference aims to produce a declaration and action plans on reparatory justice, racism, climate justice, and economic cooperation. Co-convenor Reverend Frank Chikane stated that the conference is needed to unite Africans and people of African descent scattered by colonialism and slavery.
The conference comes at a time when momentum for reparations is growing. In September, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a declaration, led by Ghana and backed by the African Union, branding the trafficking and chattel enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity. However, the conference's credibility has been questioned due to the host country's treatment of African migrants. South Africa has seen a surge in violent attacks against migrants, with at least nine migrants drowning off Tunisia in a recent shipwreck.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, who delivered the official opening address, called for Pan-Africanism and self-determination. He warned that Africa's struggle for true self-determination is far from over and that debt and global inequalities still weigh heavily on the continent. Lamola also urged Africans to guard the principles of Pan-Africanism jealously. However, he also acknowledged the domestic reckoning, calling on law enforcement agencies to protect migrants from elsewhere in Africa who live in South Africa.
Lamola's message was two-sided, emphasizing the need to protect migrants while also calling for a continent-wide dialogue on the root causes of anti-migrant sentiment. He urged the African Union to revive and implement the resolutions of the 2015 Johannesburg migration conference. The minister stressed that irregular migration must be dealt with lawfully. This message comes as Pretoria faces criticism for its handling of migration.
Conference patron Thabo Mbeki has spent years insisting that South Africa's liberation was a continental project. He has argued that the anti-apartheid struggle was never fought by South Africans alone and that African migrants in South Africa have a right to be there. Mbeki's remarks come as South Africa continues to grapple with xenophobic tensions. In his Africa Day lecture in May, Mbeki reminded South Africans that the continent had sheltered, funded, and stood behind the liberation movement.
The conference's credibility gap has been acknowledged by its organizers. Reverend Chikane acknowledged that some delegates had voiced concern about coming to a country where migrants are being attacked. He assured them that they would be safe and that the authorities were dealing with the matter. The conference's success will be judged by its ability to deliver concrete action plans and a declaration that addresses the concerns of Africans and people of African descent.
The outcome of the conference will be closely watched, particularly in light of recent breakthroughs on reparations and racial justice. The conference's framing suggests that it is a counter-offensive against right-wing, imperialist, and colonial forces. As Mbeki warned five years ago, Africans and the diaspora are not winning the battle against underdevelopment, poverty, and racism. The question now is whether the intervening years have changed that verdict.
Key points
- The conference aims to produce a declaration and action plans on reparatory justice, racism, climate justice, and economic cooperation.
- South Africa's treatment of African migrants has become a contentious issue, with the country's own liberation project being questioned.
- The conference's credibility has been questioned due to the host country's handling of migration and xenophobic tensions.
