Prime Minister Browne Calls for Deeper Africa-CARICOM Partnership and Renewed Action on Reparatory Justice

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda — September 7, 2026 — Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Right Honourable Gaston Browne, has called for a new era of practical cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, urging both regions to transform their shared history and ancestry into stronger economic, diplomatic, cultural and developmental partnerships.

The Prime Minister made the call in his message marking Africa-CARICOM Day 2026, observed today, September 7. The occasion is being commemorated in Antigua and Barbuda by the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Committee (ABRSC), joining the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the African Union, the African Diaspora and peoples across both regions.

Africa-CARICOM Day has particular significance for Antigua and Barbuda. During the historic inaugural Africa-CARICOM Summit on September 7, 2021, Prime Minister Browne, then Chairman of CARICOM, advocated for September 7 to be recognised annually as Africa-CARICOM Day.

In his 2026 message, Prime Minister Browne recalled that initiative and stressed that the observance must represent more than a celebration of historical ties.

“The relationship between Africa and the Caribbean must be more than a historical connection. It must become a strategic partnership for the future.”

He said the observance represents a declaration of the shared identity, interests and responsibility of African and Caribbean peoples to future generations.

Prime Minister Browne reflected on the common experiences of slavery, colonialism, exploitation and exclusion endured by African and Caribbean peoples, while pointing to the resilience and creativity that emerged from that painful history.

He called for solidarity to be converted into meaningful cooperation in trade, investment, technology, education, tourism, transportation, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

More in the ABS Evening News at 7.