Over the years, African leaders' calls for reparations have mostly emphasised financial compensation for colonial exploitation and slavery, which have left deep economic scars.

Leaders, including Ghana’s former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Kenya’s William Ruto, have emphasised financial compensation in reparations debates.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron has a different opinion. He believes reparations should not be limited to financial compensation alone, as the damage caused by slavery can never be compensated for with just a cheque.

He recommended that the truth be told about slavery, that artefacts and monuments taken away be returned, and that monuments and memorials be built to remember the victims.

“Reparations, because this is also what it comes down to when we speak of justice, can take different forms, as I mentioned several days ago and as John Dramani Mahama has underlined on several occasions.

History cannot be reduced to a simple accounting ledger. Making reparations is about placing importance on scientific and historical truth; building monuments, teaching, and researching. It means returning the works of art that were stolen during those periods,” he noted while speaking at the High-Level Consultative Conference on “Next Steps” under the United Nations Resolution on Enslaved Africans in Accra at the Kempinski Hotel on Thursday, June 18.

Macron noted that reparations also involve addressing unresolved historical grievances, citing ongoing engagements with Haiti as an example.

“Reparations also involve the ability to work out situations as we are currently doing with Haiti. It can be approached from multiple perspectives, but in no case should it be seen as an endpoint, a cheque written to bring the story to a close,” he said.

The French leader maintained that the legacy of slavery remains a living history that must continue to be acknowledged through remembrance, dialogue, and efforts to make amends.

“History will live on, and we must continue to bear its names, memories, and faces, and to make amends, make progress, and discuss the future,” he added.

Macron also reaffirmed France’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at advancing historical recognition and reparative justice.

“I would like to reiterate my commitment to stand with you. You can count on France,” he said.

This High-Level Consultative Conference on “Next Steps” under the United Nations Resolution on enslaved Africans was announced in a statement issued by the Government Communications Spokesperson and Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, following an apology by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for the Holy See’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, which took place between the late 15th century and the late 19th century.

In a speech delivered by Pope Leo XIV, he gave a historic apology for the Holy See’s role in the transatlantic slave trade on Monday, May 25, at the Vatican during the presentation of his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence”, describing the act as “a wound in Christian memory”.

“It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord. For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon”, the Pope said.

In reaction to the Pope’s apology, the government, in a statement on May 28, 2026, welcomed the apology, describing it as “an act of moral courage” and announced Ghana’s hosting of the High-Level Consultative Conference on Historical Justice, Remembrance, and the Legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade from June 17–19.

“The Government of the Republic of Ghana warmly welcomes the historic statement by His Holiness Pope Leo XI acknowledging and apologising for the role played by the Holy See in legitimising and sustaining the enslavement of Africans and the transatlantic slave trade.

“His Holiness Pope Leo XI’s apology is particularly significant and refreshing, as it demonstrates a willingness to confront difficult historical truths in the interest of justice, understanding and reconciliation, ” parts of the statement read.

It went on to highlight the hardships Africans were subjected to under the slave system and the indelible prints it has left on them until now. According to the government, the Pope’s acknowledgement of the sufferings of Africans during the slavery era helps expedite the healing and reconciliation process.

“For five centuries, millions of Africans and people of African descent endured unimaginable suffering and dehumanisation through systems of racialised chattel enslavement whose effects continue to shape societies and communities across the world today.”

“Honest recognition of this painful history remains an essential step toward healing, reconciliation and a more just future”, the government continued.