1 October 2025
By Enya Echeng, Hanna Tadesse, and Bwambale Asiimwe Micheal from the African Youth for Transitional Justice Platform (AY4TJ)
In Africa, conversations on transitional justice (TJ) and reparations often look backwards. They speak of addressing past atrocities, healing old wounds, and compensating those who suffered gross human rights violations. While these are vital, a striking omission persists: the meaningful inclusion of Africa’s youth. This absence is not only a moral failing, but it is a structural flaw that undermines the legitimacy and effectiveness of reparations processes.
In this new policy brief, “No justice without us: Why youth inclusion matters in reparations”, we outline how reparations on the continent must evolve. Reparations should not be seen as short-term compensation but as transformative processes capable of reshaping societies. For youth who make up more than 60% of Africa’s population, reparations must also be about building futures, not simply repairing pasts.
Across focus groups held in multiple African regions, young people consistently voiced frustration at their exclusion from reparations debates. They reported being treated as “beneficiaries” at best, rather than as stakeholders with agency, ideas, and rights. They reminded us that reparations must be forward-looking, addressing structural and intergenerational harms; from land dispossession to education deficits, and climate injustice to systemic inequality.
“We are carrying wounds that are not from our own time, but they decide the kind of life we live. Reparations must see us as people inheriting both the harm and the right to repair.” – Focus group discussion participant
The African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) provides a strong foundation. It acknowledges reparations as a pillar of TJ and stresses that they must restore dignity, rebuild trust, and address socio-economic injustice. However, practice continues to lag behind principle. National processes often focus narrowly on financial compensation while neglecting psychosocial support, cultural recognition, and youth-specific measures such as scholarships, livelihood programmes, or climate adaptation projects.
This matters because young people are not only the heirs of unresolved legacies but also the shapers of tomorrow. Reparations that fail to consider their needs risk perpetuating cycles of injustice. By contrast, reparations that include youth perspectives can unlock new possibilities: memorialisation projects that resonate with young audiences, educational initiatives that prepare them for leadership, and community programmes that promote intergenerational dialogue.
Our recommendations
Our brief calls on the African Union, national governments, and development partners to act decisively. Youth must be integrated into the design, implementation, and monitoring of reparations. Survivor- and youth-led organisations should be supported with resources and political space to influence decision-making. Reparations programmes must broaden their scope beyond transactional pay-outs to encompass transformative measures that address structural injustices, including those traced back to colonial abuses.
“The [inclusion] of young people has to be deliberate… Whatever happens after this transitional justice process, who gets to inherit it? It’s the young people.” —Young focus group participant from Gambia
The message is clear: there can be no justice without us. Africa’s young people are not passive recipients of reparations but active architects of reconciliation and social repair. By centring youth inclusion, reparations can move from being a backwards-looking exercise to a forward-looking investment in a just, peaceful, and resilient continent.
As Africa continues to lead the way in innovative TJ, let us remember that reparations are not just about repairing yesterday’s harm. They are about reimagining tomorrow and a more just future that belongs to the youth.
This brief is the first in a five-part youth-led series, ‘Legacy’, exploring the linkages between historical injustices, their enduring impacts in different African contexts, and the insufficiency of efforts to address these atrocities. Find out more.