Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the town of Burj Qalawieh, south Lebanon.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The first ship of the Maghreb fleet delivering aid to break the siege on Gaza departs from the port of Gammarth in Tunisia.
Channel 12: Airspace closed at Ramon Airport due to fears of drone infiltration
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded over an aircraft infiltration in the Bir Ora area, and details are being examined
Drone infiltration sirens sound north of the Gulf of Aqaba
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out five extremely violent raids on the western areas of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out major bombings in the Gaza Strip, the most violent since October 7
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: The missile force carried out a major operation using the Palestine 2 ballistic hypersonic missile, hitting several targets in occupied Yafa.
Sirens sound in large areas of occupied Palestine after a missile launch from Yemen was detected
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 14 martyrs arrive at al-Shifa Hospital following Israeli massacre of al-Sultan Family north of Gaza.

St. Helena to repatriate 325 remains of enslaved people to Africa

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 6 Apr 2024 23:46
4 Min Read

The British overseas territory may face legal action over failure to fulfill the reburial plan after remains were discovered during the airport project.

  • x
  • Sandy Bay in St Helena. More than 25,000 Africans were removed from illegal Portuguese slave vessels and quarantined on the island during British abolition efforts. (AP)
    Sandy Bay in St. Helena (AP)

A British overseas territory is facing pressure to repatriate the remains of 325 formerly enslaved individuals to their ancestral lands in Africa or potentially encounter legal consequences.

The remains were unearthed in 2008 during the construction of an access road for a new airport on the remote South Atlantic Ocean island of St. Helena. They were held in storage for 14 years before being reburied.

Despite the approval of a master plan for a respectful reburial and commemoration, as well as the protection of the African burial ground in Rupert’s Valley, described as a significant reminder of the transatlantic slave trade, St. Helena's government, led by a UK Foreign Office appointee, has reportedly failed to fulfill its obligations.

Co-authors Annina van Neel and Peggy King Jorde point to the absence of a memorial at the reburial site and the lack of establishment of a national conservation area to safeguard the original burial ground.

Dive deeper

Van Neel, who served as the environment officer for the airport project when the remains were discovered, has partnered with the State of the African Diaspora (Soad) to facilitate the repatriation of the 325 individuals and to prevent further disturbance of the site.

The St. Helena case is just one of several accusations initiated this month by Soad, a group recognized by the African Union, seeking restitution from various countries, institutions, and individuals, including the UK.

Related News

US, China to resume talks in Madrid; tariffs, TikTok on agenda

China warns Philippines against provocations in South China Sea

St. Helena's £285 million airport - initially dubbed the "world's most useless airport" due to challenging landing conditions caused by high winds - was constructed with the aim of connecting one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands with the global community. 

The individuals buried on the island, including 3,000 children, were victims of the harrowing "middle passage". They were part of a group exceeding 25,000 Africans rescued from illegal Portuguese slave vessels and brought to St. Helena in the mid-19th century.

Despite being termed "liberated Africans", many of them were subsequently transported to the British West Indies to serve as indentured laborers for the crown. Those who remained on St. Helena endured overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions, engaged in menial jobs, and suffered from food shortages, ultimately leading to their demise.

Soad and the International Commission on Heritage and Culture (ICHC), acting on behalf of numerous states, nations, and indigenous territories, reference various international codes and conventions to support their claims. These include the UNESCO Convention on preventing the illicit import, export, and transfer of cultural property; the Unidroit Convention on stolen or illegally exported cultural objects; the museum code of ethics; and a 2019 European Parliament resolution aimed at identifying and recovering looted art.

Additional claims are expected to be submitted following the initial letters as part of what Soad and the ICHC describe as a "class diplomatic action."

The letters read, “We are calling on the western nations and related entities to restitute and return the stolen, looted, pillaged cultural goods, works of art and human remains which were taken unlawfully and return back to the rightful legal and lawful owners."

“We also make this call with respect to African and indigenous American Indian human remains which are unceremoniously laying in western burial grounds, such as on the Island of St Helena, as an example,” it added.

A spokesperson for the St. Helena government stated that they are reviewing the letter from Soad but emphasized that "significant progress" has been achieved in implementing the recommendations outlined in the master plan. They described the plan as an evolving document with multiple phases of implementation.

The spokesperson mentioned ongoing efforts to secure funding and construct a memorial and interpretation center in Rupert’s Valley. Furthermore, the spokesperson indicated that the burial sites have been officially recognized and assigned plot numbers in the Land Registry. 

"As parcelled land belonging to the crown estate, no development is permitted at these sites, avoiding any further disturbance,” the spokesperson added.

  • United States
  • St. Helena
  • Africa
  • enslaved people
  • Britian

Most Read

The damaged building in the Katara neighborhood, Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025 (Social media)

Hamas delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar

  • Politics
  • 9 Sep 2025
Israeli police and rescue teams respond at the scene of a shooting attack where several people killed and injured in Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 (AP)

Al-Quds shooting: 7 settlers killed, several critically injured

  • Politics
  • 8 Sep 2025
Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

Pro-'Israel' far-right Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Friday, September 27, 2024 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' stops unfunded diplomacy ahead of UN, October 7 memorial

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet releases flares over the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

OIC summit draft: Israeli attack on Qatar risks normalization

People shout slogans and hold Palestinian flags while protesting during the twenty-first stage of La Vuelta cycling race from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP)
Sports

Pro-Palestine protests force abrupt end to Vuelta a España finale

Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime faces growing isolation over Qatar strike: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS