Antigua PM calls for stronger Africa-Caribbean ties

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Monday called for a new era of cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, urging both regions to turn their shared history and ancestry into stronger economic, diplomatic and developmental partnerships.

Browne made the call in a message marking Africa-Caricom Day 2026, which is being commemorated by the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Committee (ABRSC), the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the African Union (AU) and the wider African diaspora.

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

He said the observance should represent more than a celebration of historical ties, describing it as a declaration of the shared identity, interests and responsibility of African and Caribbean peoples to future generations.

Reflecting on the shared experiences of slavery, colonialism, exploitation and exclusion, Browne said the two regions should convert their longstanding solidarity into practical cooperation in areas including trade, investment, technology, education, tourism, transportation and culture.

The prime minister identified improved connectivity as critical to strengthening Africa-Caribbean relations, pointing to the partnership involving Air Peace and LIAT Air as an example of efforts to bridge the geographical distance between the regions.

“Our people must be able to travel, conduct business, exchange ideas, invest and build relationships with greater ease,” Browne said.

He also highlighted Antigua and Barbuda’s engagement with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), saying it provides an avenue for expanding access to capital, increasing trade and investment, supporting entrepreneurship and creating economic opportunities.

However, Browne said closer ties should extend beyond economics.

“Africa is not simply a market for the Caribbean, and the Caribbean is not simply a market for Africa. We are family,” he said.

Reparatory justice also featured prominently in Browne’s message, with the prime minister saying the movement is not about reversing history but confronting its continuing consequences and addressing inequalities created by slavery and colonialism.

He reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to Caricom’s reparations agenda and pointed to the Third Caricom Regional Conference on Reparations, scheduled for Sept. 17-19 in Bridgetown, Barbados, as another opportunity to advance the movement.

Browne also renewed his call for the establishment of a Caricom-Africa Joint Commission to provide a permanent institutional mechanism for advancing the regions’ common interests.

He identified four priority areas for further action: reparatory justice, expanded trade and investment, stronger air, maritime and digital connectivity, and greater cultural and educational cooperation.

The prime minister also called for increased cooperation in mass media, information sharing, education and public diplomacy, saying Africans and Caribbean people should have greater opportunities to learn about and understand each other.

He encouraged schools, universities, cultural institutions, media organizations and community groups to serve as bridges between Africa and the Caribbean.

Browne also backed the ABRSC’s call for governments, regional institutions, civil society organizations and citizens across Africa and the Caribbean to deepen cooperation and transform ancestral ties into greater economic opportunities, cultural renewal and collective advancement.

“Let us build bridges across the Atlantic. Let us strengthen the bonds between our peoples. Let us turn our shared history into shared opportunity,” Browne said.