Commonwealth summit

Ex-colonies want reparations from the British

British King Charles and Samoan Prime Minister Afioga Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa.

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

On the fringes of the summit with King Charles III, some British Commonwealth governments debated possible reparation payments by the mother country to its former colonies.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that reparations for the time of slavery, for example, were not on the agenda of the Commonwealth summit in Samoa. Previously, politicians from Caribbean and African states had called for a debate on the topic.

It initially remained unclear whether the topic of reparations would appear in the text of the final communiqué of the meeting in Samoa. According to the PA news agency, Great Britain had declared its willingness to do so, but without wanting to make a commitment to actual payments.

Listening to people across the Commonwealth, I understand how the most painful aspects of our past still resonate.

König Charles III.

Bild: APA Pool/Jane Barlow / POOL / AFP

"Must acknowledge shared history"
 Starmer made the point in a speech to Commonwealth Heads of Government: "We must acknowledge our shared history, even when it is hard." King Charles III, who is also the head of state of several Commonwealth states, had previously expressed similar sentiments. "Listening to people across the Commonwealth, I understand how the most painful aspects of our past still resonate," he emphasized. "It is therefore vital that we understand our history so that we can make the right decisions in the future when inequality prevails."

Charles also warned of the effects of climate change. Everything possible must be done to reduce emissions, the monarch said in his opening speech to representatives of the 56 member countries. These include nations in Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Dance interlude during the ceremony

(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Fiona GOODALL)

Samoa is also doomed
"This year alone, we have seen terrible storms in the Caribbean, devastating floods in East Africa and catastrophic forest fires in Canada," Charles emphasized. He called for decisive action to halt the global rise in temperature and strengthen resilience to its effects.

The issue has long been close to the King's heart - and it is one of the main items on the agenda of the two-day summit. Many islands in the Pacific in particular, including Samoa, are doomed due to rising sea levels. "Climate change is the greatest threat to the survival and security of our Pacific peoples," warned Samoa's head of government Fiame Naomi Mata'afa.

Scandal in Australia: "Not our king"
 In Australia, where Charles and his wife Camilla began their trip at the end of last week, there was a scandal in parliament. An indigenous senator verbally attacked the king and shouted loudly into the chamber: "You are not my king, you are not our king! Give us back our land!" During the trip, Charles also met with representatives of the indigenous people and listened to their stories.

This is the first long-distance trip for Charles since he made his cancer public a few months ago. According to the British media, he has interrupted his treatment for the visit.