African youth issue Legon Declaration demanding debt cancellation and reparations

More than 200 young delegates from Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and other African countries have adopted a declaration demanding debt cancellation, reparations and an end to what they call neo-colonial exploitation.

The Legon Declaration was issued at the close of an International Youth Forum in Accra, organised by the Pan-African Progressive Front at the University of Ghana. Meeting under the theme "Reclaiming Africa's Wealth, Resisting Neo-colonial Bondage," participants committed themselves to building a united youth movement, supporting the Sahel states and opposing the CFA franc.

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What we demand is not compensation. What we demand is equal rights

The declaration also calls for a full audit of Africa's sovereign debt and the cancellation of debts linked to colonial-era exploitation. It includes a proposed micro-lawsuits mechanism. The forum's organisers described the initiative as part of a broader movement among young people opposing French imperialism and seeking greater control over the continent's resources.

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The struggle is not about age. The struggle is about ending exploitation and oppression

Veteran Pan-Africanist and journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr told the gathering that reparations should mean more than financial payments or the return of artefacts. "What we demand is not compensation. What we demand is equal rights," he said, arguing that the wider goal should be to reset the global system and create an international order that treats people equally regardless of race or geography.

Pratt urged African countries to take control of resources including gold, bauxite, diamonds and lithium, warning that they cannot be recovered once extracted. He also rejected framing social struggles as conflicts between generations. "The struggle is not about age. The struggle is about ending exploitation and oppression," he said. He told the delegates they had gathered to fight for what belonged to them and would win.

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We have gathered here today not to complain. We have gathered here today not to beg, not to plead. We have gathered here today to fight, to struggle for what belongs to us. And we owe nobody an apology. We are here to fight and we will win