Former Managing News Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has said calls for reparations must be viewed beyond financial compensation, stressing the need to restore Africa’s dignity and historical identity.

Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV Ghana on Tuesday, 1 April 2026, Pratt said the ongoing discourse on reparations centres on correcting deep-rooted historical injustices against the continent.

According to him, the issue goes beyond monetary value and touches on the broader question of African identity and respect.

“The conversation is about the restoration of African dignity,” he said.

Pratt cited historical accounts of African resistance leaders who were killed during the transatlantic slave trade, noting that some of their remains were taken to Europe and displayed.

He argued that such acts were part of efforts to dehumanise Africans and distort historical narratives.

“These were African heroes who resisted slavery. They were not accomplices,” he stated.

Pratt also referenced the exploitation of the Congo under King Leopold II, describing it as one of the most extreme examples of colonial abuse.

He questioned narratives that suggest any level of African complicity, pointing to forced labour and harsh punishments imposed on Congolese people during the period.

“Every Congolese was required to meet rubber quotas under brutal conditions,” he said.

Pratt maintained that meaningful reparations should address both material losses and the restoration of cultural and spiritual heritage.

“No amount of money can fully compensate for the injustices. It is about resetting the global order and acknowledging the historical wrongs done to Africa,” he added.

Reparations are for dignity, not money – Kwesi Pratt Jnr

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