Highlights the enormous financial drain the continent has endured due to illicit financial flows, unfair debt obligations, and systemic exploitation. Over the past four decades, an estimated $1.6 trillion—a staggering sum—has been extracted from Africa, far exceeding the amount it received in aid or investment.

This figure combines capital flight—money illegally or secretly moved out of African economies through tax evasion, corruption, or profit shifting by multinational companies—and odious debt, where citizens are forced to repay loans that were misused by undemocratic or colonial regimes. The loss not only represents stolen wealth, but also lost opportunities for development, infrastructure, healthcare, and education.

Ultimately, this statement underscores the structural injustice in the global financial system, calling for stronger mechanisms of accountability, debt cancellation, and financial transparency to allow African nations to reclaim their wealth and secure their economic sovereignty.