Man in his 80s becomes first in France to formally apologise for family’s slavery links

InternationalMan in his 80s becomes first in France to formally apologise for family's slavery linksBy Reuters -Apr 19, 2026A man in ​his 80s on Saturday issued what is believed to be the first formal ‌apology by someone in France for their family’s role in transatlantic slavery, saying he hoped others – including the government- would follow. Pierre Guillon de Prince’s ancestors, based in Nantes, France’s largest port for transatlantic slavery, were shipowners who transported ​around 4,500 enslaved Africans and owned plantations in the Caribbean. Guillon de Prince said other French ​families must confront their historical ties to slavery and the state should go ⁠beyond symbolic gestures to address the past, including through reparations. “Faced with the rise of racism in our ​society, I felt a responsibility not to let this past be erased,” the 86-year-old said, adding he ​wanted to pass the family history on to his grandchildren. He delivered the apology to a gathering in Nantes ahead of the inauguration of an 18-metre replica ship mast, alongside Dieudonné Boutrin, a descendant of enslaved people from the ​Caribbean island of Martinique. The two work together at Coque Nomade-Fraternité, an association dedicated to “breaking the silence” ​around slavery, and said the mast would serve as a “beacon of humanity”. “Many families of descendants of slave traders don’t ‌dare ⁠speak out for fear of reopening old wounds and anger,” said Boutrin, 61. “Pierre’s apology is a courageous act.” From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and forcibly transported, mostly on European ships. France trafficked an estimated 1.3 million people. Guillon de Prince’s move follows similar ​formal apologies – which include ​commitments to help repair ⁠the harm caused by ancestors – by some families in Britain and elsewhere. CALLS FOR REPARATIONS GROW France recognised transatlantic slavery as a crime against humanity in 2001 ​but, like most European...