Accra, Ghana / London, UK – Executive Chairman of the African Prosperity Network, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has publicly rebuked UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch for her “disappointing” remarks opposing reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.

The borderless Africa champion has urged Badenoch, who has strong Nigerian roots, to use her position and heritage to foster constructive dialogue rather than defensiveness.

Otchere-Darko’s strong comments follow Badenoch’s criticism of the UK’s decision to abstain from a United Nations General Assembly vote on Ghana’s resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity.”

The resolution passed on March 25, 2026, with 123 nations voting in favour, three against (the United States, Argentina, and Israel), and 52 abstaining — including the United Kingdom.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on March 26, Badenoch expressed displeasure at the UK’s abstention under the Labour government, writing:

“Russia, China and Iran vote with others to demand trillions in reparations from UK taxpayers…and the Labour government abstain! Britain led the fight to end slavery. Why didn’t Starmer’s representative vote against this? Ignorance…or cowardice? We shouldn’t be paying for a crime we helped eradicate and still fight today.”

Otchere-Darko responded the following day, expressing disappointment and providing historical context.

He acknowledged Britain’s role in the eventual abolition of slavery — driven in part by Tory evangelical William Wilberforce — but noted that the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was passed by a Whig government under Charles Grey, which compensated slave owners rather than the enslaved.

“Britain, which played a central role in the transatlantic slave trade, also saw the early campaign against it driven by Tory evangelicals like William Wilberforce in the early 1800s,” Otchere-Darko wrote. “But it took a Whig government… to pass the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, ending slavery across most of the Empire while compensating slave owners, NOT THE ENSLAVED.”

He argued that Badenoch’s stance fails to acknowledge the enduring legal and moral arguments for reparatory justice and urged her to leverage her background as a woman of 100% Black West African parentage to help shape a more progressive and honest response.

“Kemi has an opportunity, given her heritage and position, to move this conversation forward: not by merely amplifying defensiveness, but by helping shape a modern response rooted in honesty and partnership,” he said. “It is in the interest of Britain to invest in Africa’s economic transformation efforts and even if in ways that support British economic interest.”

Otchere-Darko concluded by warning that such positions could make the Conservative Party less attractive to Britain’s growing Black middle class.

The UN resolution, championed by Ghana and supported by the African Union and CARICOM, calls for global acknowledgment of the slave trade’s scale and lasting impact, as well as concrete steps toward reparatory justice, including education, memorials, and dialogue on compensation and restitution.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast – More than a century after it was seized by French colonial forces, the sacred Djidji Ayôkwé (Panther Lion) talking drum — a monumental cultural artefact of the Ebrié people — has been formally repatriated to Ivory Coast, marking a significant step in France’s ongoing restitution efforts for colonial-era objects.

The drum, over three metres long, weighing approximately 430 kg and carved from iroko wood, arrived at Abidjan International Airport on a specially chartered flight on March 15, 2026. It was received with traditional music, dance and a ceremonial welcome from Ebrié community leaders, local chiefs, and government officials. The artefact remained in its large wooden crate marked “fragile” during the airport ceremony.

Ivory Coast’s Minister of Culture, Françoise Remarck, described the moment as “historic” and one of “justice and remembrance.” She told the BBC: “We are living through a moment that finally marks the return of the Djidji Ayôkwé to its land of origin.”

Francis Tagro, Director of the Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan, said the drum would be placed “in a place of honour in the heart of the national museum,” where it is expected to inspire pride and cultural education among younger generations.

The Djidji Ayôkwé, traditionally used by the Ebrié (based in and around Abidjan) to warn of danger, mobilise communities for war, and summon people to ceremonies, was looted in 1916, taken to France in 1929, and displayed first at the Trocadéro Museum and later at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.

Its return was authorised by a special law passed by the French parliament on 20 February 2026. The drum is the first item on a list of 148 cultural objects Ivory Coast is seeking to repatriate from France and other countries.

France has accelerated restitution since President Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 pledge to return colonial-era artefacts. Previous returns include Abomey royal treasures to Benin and a historic sabre to Senegal.

On 29 January 2026, the French Senate adopted a framework law to streamline the removal of such objects from national collections; the bill is now before the National Assembly.

The handover is widely viewed as a milestone in addressing the legacy of colonial plunder and restoring cultural heritage to its rightful communities.

In a move that has plunged the island nation’s fragile political transition into fresh uncertainty, Madagascar’s military leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, has dismissed his prime minister and dissolved the entire Cabinet.

The decision comes barely five months after the government was sworn in following his seizure of power during last year’s youth-led uprising.

A statement from the presidency released late on Monday announced that, “in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, the government is suspended from its duties.” The statement confirmed that a new prime minister would be appointed “shortly,” but offered no timeline for the decision, nor any explanation for the abrupt dismissals.

The now-dissolved government, a hybrid cabinet of civilian ministers, military officials, and critics of the ousted former president, Andry Rajoelina, was only sworn in on October 28. It was led by Prime Minister Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, a private sector businessman appointed by Randrianirina after Rajoelina fled the country last October.

A Leader Who Rejects the ‘Coup’ Label

Colonel Randrianirina first rose to power on a wave of public fury. In September of last year, protests triggered by chronic water and power shortages snowballed into a mass movement against the Rajoelina administration, which was violently suppressed. As the government lost control, Randrianirina emerged as the leader of the new military junta.

He vehemently rejects the term “coup,” preferring the title “President of the Refoundation of the Republic.” He maintains that the Constitutional Court legitimately “transferred power” to him, and he has promised a two-year transition period.

“The main objectives of my term, which will last a maximum of two years, are to find concrete solutions for the people,” Randrianirina had declared upon announcing the initial government.

Despite this pledge, his timeline has been ambiguous. In February, he announced a programme for constitutional reform consultations through 2026, with a presidential election scheduled for the last quarter of 2027—a timeline that stretches his self-declared two-year mandate.

Balancing on the International Stage and at Home

The domestic political earthquake came just hours before the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) was scheduled to hold its fourth meeting on Madagascar since the political crisis began in October. The dissolution is likely to complicate the AU’s efforts to mediate a stable transition and could draw sharp criticism from the continental body.

The move also casts a shadow over Randrianirina’s recent high-profile diplomatic forays. In February, he sought to legitimize his leadership on the world stage, meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia and visiting Madagascar’s former colonial power, France, for talks with Emmanuel Macron. He hailed a “new era of cooperation” in Moscow and a “renewed” but “balanced” partnership with Paris—a significant gesture given that anti-French sentiment was a powerful current in the protests that toppled the previous government.

A History of Instability

Monday’s dissolution of the government injects a new dose of volatility into a nation with a long and troubled history of military interventions. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Madagascar has experienced three prior coups d’état—in 1972, 1975, and 2009.

With the cabinet now dissolved and no clear reason given, questions abound. Was this a power struggle within the junta? A move against perceived incompetence? Or a consolidation of power before the next phase of the transition? For now, Madagascar waits, its political future as opaque as the reasons for its latest governmental collapse.