By Mafa Kwanisai Mafa
THE Holocaust, a catastrophic event that led to the extermination of six million Jews by the Nazis during the Second World War, is widely recognised and remembered.
Germany has paid reparations to Jewish survivors while some institutions, like the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, serve as permanent reminders of this atrocity.
On the other hand, the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation, which resulted in the deaths and dehumanisation of millions of Africans over centuries, have yet to receive comparable recognition, restitution and/or reparations. This disparity reveals a profound double standard rooted in Western racism and selective justice.
Transatlantic slave trade vs the Holocaust
The transatlantic slave trade, spanning over 400 years, forcibly uprooted an estimated 12-15 million Africans from their homelands. These individuals were subjected to brutal conditions, packed like cargo into slave ships where mortality rates ranged from 15-20 percent.
Upon arrival, survivors faced a lifetime of forced labour, physical abuse and psychological torment.
Entire generations were lost, and African societies were destabilised, leading to long-term economic and social disempowerment.
In comparison, the Holocaust spanned only a few years, from 1941 to 1945. While it was an unprecedented act of genocide, the scale of death and suffering in the slave trade surpasses it in duration and cumulative impact. The millions of Africans who perished during enslavement, combined with those who suffered under colonial exploitation, remain largely unaccounted for in the global discourse on reparations and historical justice.
Recognition and restitution
Germany’s post-Second World War reparations to Jewish holocaust survivors set a precedent for restitution. Beginning with the Luxembourg Agreement in 1952, Germany committed to paying US$845 million to Israel and individual survivors. Over the years, this figure has grown to more than US$80 billion.
Additionally, the Nuremberg Trials held Nazi leaders accountable for crimes against humanity, and Mossad was sanctioned to hunt down war criminals such as Adolf Eichmann, who was captured and brought to trial in 1961.
In contrast, the transatlantic slave trade has not seen similar accountability or reparations.
Western nations, including Britain, France, Portugal and the US, which profited immensely from slavery, have evaded responsibility.
In 1833, Britain allocated £20 million to compensate slave owners for the loss of their ‘property’ when slavery was abolished, while the enslaved received nothing!
Similarly, France demanded Haiti, a former colony, pay reparations for its independence in 1825, a debt that crippled the Haitian economy for generations.
The duplicity of Western powers
Western nations have demonstrated a selective approach to historical justice, prioritising the Holocaust while marginalising the suffering of Africans. This duplicity stems from a deep-seated racial hierarchy that regards African lives as less valuable. The UN officially recognises the Holocaust with annual commemorations, yet discussions on slavery and colonialism are often relegated to academic circles or dismissed as irrelevant.
In 2001, the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, declared the transatlantic slave trade a crime against humanity. However, major Western powers, like the US and the UK, refused to endorse reparations. Their refusal underscores a reluctance to confront the enduring economic and social inequalities rooted in slavery and colonialism.
Justifications and racism in Holocaust prioritisation
Jewish scholars and Israeli institutions have successfully positioned the Holocaust as a singular event of unparalleled suffering, often overshadowing other genocides and atrocities. The narrative of exceptionalism is reinforced through museums, educational programmes and political advocacy, which ensure that the Holocaust remains central to collective global memory.
This prioritisation is supported by Western governments, many of which have strategic political and economic ties to Israel.
Critics argue that this focus on Jewish suffering, while justifiable in its own right, marginalises and overshadows the suffering of other groups, particularly Africans.
The notion of Jewish exceptionalism often implies a hierarchy of victimhood, where the Holocaust becomes the benchmark for measuring atrocity. This perspective ignores the systemic dehumanisation and exploitation of Africans, perpetuating a racialised global order that privileges European experiences over African ones.
Magnifying the cruelty of the slave trade and colonialism
The brutality of the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation rivals, if not surpasses, the horrors of the Holocaust in many aspects. Enslaved Africans were subjected to physical torture, such as branding, whipping and mutilation. Families were torn apart, while enslaved women were frequently subjected to sexual violence. Colonial powers further exploited African labour and resources, leaving a legacy of underdevelopment and poverty.
King Leopold II’s regime, in the Congo Free State (1885-1908), provides a stark example of colonial brutality. Under Leopold’s rule, an estimated 10 million Congolese died due to forced labour, famine and disease. Similarly, during the Herero and Namaqua genocide (1904-1908) in present-day Namibia, German forces systematically exterminated approximately 80 percent of the Herero population and 50 percent of the Namaqua. These atrocities, however, have not received the same global acknowledgment as the holocaust.
Racism and the legacy of selective justice
The disparity in how Western nations address the Holocaust and the transatlantic slave trade reflects a broader pattern of systemic racism. While Jewish suffering is universally acknowledged and commemorated, African suffering remains marginalised. This neglect perpetuates racial inequalities and hinders efforts to achieve historical justice.
Even today, discussions of reparations for slavery and colonialism are met with resistance.
Critics argue that such reparations are impractical or unnecessary, ignoring the lasting economic disparities between Africa and the West. According to a 2019 report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Africa loses approximately US$88,6 billion
annually due to illicit financial flows, much of which stems from exploitative colonial-era trade practices. These losses highlight the ongoing economic impact of slavery and colonialism, yet Western nations refuse to address their complicity.
Solutions and the way forward
To address this historical injustice, several measures should be taken — Western nations must formally acknowledge their role in the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation. Public apologies, similar to Germany’s acknowledgment of the Holocaust, would mark an important step towards reconciliation.
Financial and institutional reparations are necessary to address the economic and social disparities caused by slavery and colonialism. These could include direct payments to descendants of enslaved people, investments in African infrastructure, and the cancellation of illegitimate debts.
Just as Holocaust museums preserve the memory of Jewish suffering, memorials and museums dedicated to the transatlantic slave trade and colonial atrocities should be established worldwide.
Educational curricula must also include comprehensive histories of slavery and colonialism.
International courts should hold former colonial powers accountable for crimes against humanity committed during the slave trade and colonial period. This would set a precedent for justice and deterrence against future atrocities.
The Holocaust and the transatlantic slave trade represent two of humanity’s darkest chapters, yet the responses to these atrocities reveal a profound double standard. While the suffering of Jews is rightly commemorated and compensated, the suffering of Africans remains overlooked.
This selective justice reflects the enduring racism and hypocrisy of Western nations, which continue to benefit from the exploitation of African people and resources.
Addressing this injustice requires not only financial reparations but also a fundamental shift in how the world remembers and values African lives. Only through genuine acknowledgment, restitution and education can we begin to dismantle the legacies of slavery and colonialism and move toward a more equitable global order.