The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda has insisted that Britain pay slavery reparations to its former colonies. This is after Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, arrived on island for the Platinum Jubilee tour.
Gaston Browne, the leader of the nation, told the couple at his office in St. John’s, the capital city, that the country intends to remove the Queen as its head of state “at some point” but not anytime soon.
“Your Excellencies, I understand that both of you have been to Antigua and Barbuda on several occasions. I hope that you take the time to enjoy our hospitality,” he said.
“As you know, we have the long, historical tradition as a colony of the UK and we continue to have the Queen as our head of state, even though I should say here, we aspire at some point to become a republic – but that is not currently on the cards so the queen will remain the head of state for some time to follow.
“We have been championing a number of issues within the international community, even though we are one of the smallest states globally; issues to include reparations, climate change ”.
Even though Mr Browne does not expect the issue of slavery reparations to be fully addressed and resolved during the Wessexes visit, he hopes that the couple will be aware of the urgency of the issue.
While responding, the Earl of Wessex did not address the issue of slavery reparations, telling the audience that he “did not take notes” during Mr Browne’s speech, so he will not be able to address all points raised. The prince did, however, commend Antigua and Barbuda for its successful Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
A full day of engagements is planned for Edward and Sophie during their visit on Monday, including a visit to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to meet former West Indies cricketers.
Prior to their Caribbean tour, the country’s Reparations Support Commission penned an open letter to the couple saying: “For us, they are the source of genocide and of continuing deep international injury, injustice and racism.
“We hope you will respect us by not repeating the mantra. We are not simpletons.”
