FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas -- Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Fred Mitchell said that one of the issues which his Ministry has been charged to discuss during Diplomatic Week is a commitment to reparatory justice – the question of reparations for slavery, something CARICOM has been agitating for over time.
In an official meeting with Bahamian and foreign diplomats at the Grand Lucayan resort on Monday, November 4, 2024, as Diplomatic Week begins, Minister Mitchell pointed out that a concession was made by the British Government to begin those discussions, starting with the UK CARICOM Forum in March of next year, which will be followed up by a report on reparations and then a summit, which the Prime Minister hopes to hold in Nassau with all of the CARICOM Prime Ministers, along with the British Prime Minister to discuss the way forward following that report.
“This is not something that is being made up out of thin air,” Minister Mitchell told the Diplomats. “There were some 700,000 slaves in 1834 when they were so-called freed by the British; and the British Government spent at the time 40 percent of its annual budget to pay off the slave owners but paid the slaves nothing. In fact, they had to work for four more years to get themselves manumitted, without any compensation for their labor. And neither have their descendants.
“But the social consequences of slavery are still with us today. And a discussion has to be had on how a society upon which all that wealth was created on the basis of free labor will compensate the slaves and their descendants.”
Minister Mitchell noted that there’s been a lot of back and forth over the subject of repatriation, but said the Prime Minister is committed to the process of reparatory justice. “Just as he is also committed to the fight with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the dispute about compensation for services offered by the government to the city of Freeport based on the Hawksbill Creek Agreement,” Minister Mitchel added.
On behalf of the Prime Minister of the Bahamas and his Administration, Mr. Mitchell thanked the Bahamian Diplomats for their commitment and work in serving the interests of The Bahamas overseas. He acknowledged that the job is not an easy one that sometimes feels like a thankless task.
“We hope that you continue to put your shoulders to the wheel to make sure that the project Commonwealth of The Bahamas is a success,” said Minister Mitchell. “It is important to our citizens to make sure that we hold up the Bahamian Flag overseas.”
As a side noted, Minister Mitchell gave the Diplomats a “heads-up” about a copy of two new Bills which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present to them, with a view of creating a separate foreign service, that will be completely separated from the public service. Minister Mitchell said those Legislative Acts are in the final stages of approval.
Minister Mitchell encouraged the Diplomats to look at the proposed new Bills and make any comments which they feel may be necessary before the final stages.
“That should put the Ministry on a firmer footing as we move forward in the modern era,” added Minister Mitchell.
