‘Such huge consequences’: pressure mounts on France to act on enslavement reparatory justice
A new memorial called the Mast of Fraternity and Memory has been unveiled in Nantes, France, symbolizing a shift in confronting the nation's role in the transatlantic slave trade. Descendants of enslaved people and activists are urging President Emmanuel Macron to establish a formal framework for reparatory justice before his term ends. France faces growing domestic and international pressure to address historical injustices, especially after abstaining from a recent UN vote recognizing the slave trade as a crime against humanity.
- ▪The Mast of Fraternity and Memory, an 18-meter wooden structure in Nantes, was created by descendants of enslaved people and built by local students.
- ▪Dieudonné Boutrin, a descendant of enslaved Africans from Benin, leads the organization La Coque Nomade Fraternité and spearheaded the mast's creation.
- ▪France abstained from a March UN vote that labeled the transatlantic slave trade as the 'gravest crime against humanity' and called for reparations.
- ▪From the 16th to 19th centuries, France was the third-largest European nation involved in trafficking enslaved people, responsible for about 13% of those taken from Africa.
- ▪France recognized the slave trade as a crime against humanity in 2001 through a law championed by MP Christiane Taubira.
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Dieudonné Boutrin, left, with Jean-Marc Ayrault, centre, and Georges-Emmanuel Germany, the Benin ambassador, at the inauguration of the Mast of Fraternity and Memory in Nantes, France.View image in fullscreenDieudonné Boutrin, left, with Jean-Marc Ayrault, centre, and Georges-Emmanuel Germany, the Benin ambassador, at the inauguration of the Mast of Fraternity and Memory in Nantes, France.Cotton Capital: ongoing seriesFrance‘Such huge consequences’: pressure mounts on France to act on enslavement reparatory justice As a Mast of Fraternity and Memory is unveiled in Nantes, calls are growing for Macron to announce framework for discussionsAngelique Chrisafis in Nantes; photography by Thomas LouapreSat 2 May 2026 04.00 EDTShareIn the French port city of Nantes, once France’s largest…
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