BBC News: 

Saturday, 8 September, 2001, 07:27 GMT 08:27 UK 
Europe and Africa 'reach slavery deal'

 
European and African countries have reportedly reached a compromise over the vexed issue of slavery. 
European countries are to apologise for slavery as a "crime against humanity" says a South African official at the world racism conference in Durban. 

They will also offer a package of economic assistance to Africa, said South African minister Geraldine Frasier-Moleketi. 

EU spokesman Koen Vervaeke also said a deal had been reached, but declined to give details. 

'Fair resolution' 

On Friday another South African official said the form of words would not imply any legal liability for slavery, so those making the apology would not be liable to pay reparations. 

The United Nations conference continued into an unscheduled extra day on Saturday, to allow delegates to reach a final agreement. 

Ms Frasier-Moleketi called the resolution a "major" victory and a "fair resolution". 

A deal on the Middle East - which sparked a US-Israeli withdrawal on Monday - has yet to be reached. 

But Arab and Islamic countries are also reportedly close to accepting wording on the Middle East conflict that does not define Israel as a racist state. 

A week of talks in Durban - which were due to end on Friday afternoon - has been marked by bitter rows over African demands for reparations for slavery and disputes over whether Israel is an inherently racist state. 

Compromise 

The US and Europe had been refusing to apologise for the slave trade because they feared they would then become legally bound to pay huge sums in compensation to African countries. 



     

Meanwhile, it appears that Muslim states have dropped their efforts to have a hard-hitting resolution on the Middle East adopted that would be heavily critical of Israel. 

The US and Israel walked out of the conference earlier in the week in protest against Arab attempts to adopt a resolution equating Zionism - the political movement supporting the existence of a Jewish state - with racism. 

The chairman of the Islamic Conference Organisation (OIC) group, Munir Akram of Pakistan said: "We have wished to contribute to the success of the conference. That success may mean the full position of the OIC may not be reflected in the final results of the conference. But that is a sacrifice we will be making." 

Not taking sides 

The proposed draft is believed to call for recognition of the Palestinian people's plight, but has removed language that branded Israel a racist state. 

The draft text also tries to take into account the EU's refusal to allow the conference to take sides in the conflict. 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said on Friday the final declaration of the conference would be nothing "to get excited about". 

"The great achievement will be to get an agreement at all," she said. 

      

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