Kemi Badenoch says African nations should also apologise for the slave trade

Summary

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X that Britain should be "honest about the whole history" of slavery. She asked whether, if Caribbean countries seek a formal apology from Britain for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, they would also ask the descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who captured, sold and profited from the trade. The Guardian reports that her remarks come amid mounting pressure on the monarchy and politicians to apologise and offer reparations to affected Caribbean nations, and that reparations were reportedly kept off the formal agenda of the Commonwealth summit attended by King Charles and the UK prime minister. The Guardian describes the argument as whataboutery, but notes it touches on an enduring tension in some Black communities about African involvement in capturing and enslaving people, and says it will speak to two historians to sort fact from fiction.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   4 Nov 2026, 14:01 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Kemi Badenoch has argued African nations should apologise for the transatlantic slave trade, calling it whataboutery and promising to speak to two historians to sort fact from fiction.