Stop in Samoa, with demands for “reparation” and demands for an apology for slavery: another headache in the tour of King Charles III and Camilla

King Charles endured a downpour and the traditional exotic ceremonies of the island of Samoa to try to consolidate as head of state an imperial institution that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, wanted to defend until her death. Leaders of the 56 Commonwealth countries met with him and British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer to begin a new phase, which includes reparations and apologies for the slavery that Great Britain practiced in its colonies.

A topic that Starmer preferred to forget to talk about the future but which is dominating the summit of this remote island. Today, it risks dividing the Summit, which is essential for the ailing British sovereign to successfully conclude his tour, without risking the unity of the institution.

All three candidates vying to become the next secretary general of the 56-nation group, led by the king, have supported financial reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism.

Speaking to reporters on his flight to Samoa, when asked about the repairs, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: He was focused “on the future, not the past.”

Starmer said he wants to “look forward” and not talk about reparations for slavery, in Black History Month. Upon landing he encountered protests not unlike those experienced by the Princes of Wales during their Caribbean tour. In the rainy streets of Samoa, ordinary people, holding a sign, asked: “Reparations and Apologies.”

The prime minister says they won’t pay

Downing St said no repairs would be paid fordespite the requests of David Lammy, Foreign Secretary, before entering the government.

Lisa Nandy, culture secretary, told LBC: “The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear about this: we have no intention of paying compensation. Of course, we are respectful and will participate in the discussions. Not just on our terms, but also on the terms proposed from other countries”.

Commonwealth leaders have told Keir Starmer he will have to come to the table to discuss reparations faced with the “harmful” effects of slavery.

According to the BBC, Commonwealth nations are seeking an agreement that could start talks on the issue, via a declaration.

Frederick Mitchell, the Bahamian foreign minister, told Britain’s Today program that Starmer should take part in a discussion “must have a history” regarding repairs.

“There seems to be a reluctance to even start the conversation,” he said.

Many UK institutions have already admitted apologies. The British government has not yet done so.

“But right now we need to discuss the history of all this and the harmful effects of what happened after the abolition of slavery, which continue to influence our societies today,” he clarified.

Mitchell said he expects discussions on the wording of the statement to continue late into the night and that leaders may need to be involved to work out the details. He indicated that there was some opposition to including a statement on restorative justice in the declaration. Even if countries like his, he said, thought that this wording was “harmless” and that there really should be an “apology and commitment to making amends.”

He also predicted that, in time, Starmer would change his mind on the issue. “It’s only a matter of time before he changes his position. “I’m sure of it,” Mitchell said.

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said he wants “restorative justice” mentioned in the statement and will seek to have a “frank” conversation with Sir Keir.

“It’s not just excuses”he told Politico.

“It’s not about money. It’s about appreciating, accepting and understanding what our ancestors experienced, which left a mark on our race, culturally, mentally and physically.”

The crisis of the draft declaration

“Heads of Government, taking note of calls to discuss restorative justice concerning the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel slavery agreed that the time has come for meaningful, truthful and respectful dialogue to forge a common future based on equity,” the draft statement reads.

The risk is that the Commonwealth will divide on the issue and weaken the king as head of state. It will be a challenge to Starmer’s position. Those leaders will approve reparations plans for past slavery. Others prefer there to be a statement separate from the official statement of the Summit, which is the most important part of Charles III’s first trip as sovereign. That declaration would not have been signed by Britain.

The truth is that something began at the summit that was not the British government’s intention: serious conversations about reparations for slavery.

This would force the kingdom to pay billions of pounds in reparations, which is what a country is required to compensate for damage done to another country or its population.

In addition to payments, restorative justice could include debt forgiveness, official apologies, educational programs, economic support, healthcare and the construction of memorial museums.

They added that reparations were not a priority for the entire Commonwealth and that issues such as climate change and the oceans remained priorities.

In an interview on the Today program this morning, when asked whether the time had come for the UK to consider reparations, Lisa Nandy, the culture minister, replied: “The Prime Minister has been clear, I think he’s right focus on the future. There are very serious challenges facing countries like the Bahamas. They are facing a triple crisis due to climate change. They are some of the countries most affected in the world by climate change. A historic debt in terrible conditions and growing poverty problems. We have to help them out of this situation, he said.

The British government has downplayed the extent of the demands. His refusal risks a difficult tour for King Charles, who seeks to consolidate his role as head of state in the Commonwealth and a new spirit for it to continue, without being accused of being the latest imperial tool. India and South Africa are not participating in the Samoa Summit. I am at the BRICS meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Downing St assures that repairs “are not the order of the day nor are apologies”. They prefer “to work with those countries to help them in their ties with international or financial institutions and not pay compensation, even symbolic.”

But at least four Labor MPs are criticizing Starmer “to change course”. They consider his position “a disenchantment” and accuse him of “old colonial attitudes”.

The Green Party says the UK must commit to paying reparations for slavery.

On a remote Pacific island, where presidents stay on a cruise ship because there are no hotels, a series of crises has begun for the British Crown and its government.