Mainstreaming reparations in African regionalism from the Organisation of African Unity to the African Union

Bibliographic Data

ID21390584
AuthorsOheneba A Boateng (0000-0001-7092-5824, Clark University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Pages1-19
Publication date2026-06-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Round Table (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0035-8533 • E-ISSN: 1465-4008
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00358533.2026.2684545
OpenAlexW7165566345
LanguageEN
References cited16

This paper examines the conditions under which reparations have become a key issue in African regionalism. It argues that African regionalism has historically attempted to make reparations a mainstream issue, but this process has been expedited over the past decade and especially in the last five years with the start of a reparations agenda that is simultaneously liberal, radical, decolonial, and Pan-African. This rapid development benefitted from four main factors: a permissive international environment, leadership champions, CSO advocacy, and receptive institutional reforms. The paper concludes that how the AU’s reparations campaign evolves depends on the stability of these factors

Civil society · European union · Mainstream · Mainstreaming · Permissive · Regionalism (politics) · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · Global Political and Social Dynamics · Political Conflict and Governance

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