Latest news with #DickonMitchell
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Grenada government and opposition join forces to drop oath of allegiance to King Charles
The government and opposition in the Caribbean island of Grenada have joined forces to drop the oath of allegiance to the British crown amid growing calls to remove King Charles as the country's head of state. A statement from the government announcing the move said that in 'a commendable display of national unity' the country's parliament had agreed bills to amend the country's constitution. The change will remove the words 'His Majesty King Charles the Third, His Heirs and Successors' from the pledge of allegiance and replace them with 'Grenada'. In the statement, Grenada's prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, said: 'The unanimous support for this amendment demonstrates our shared commitment to national identity and constitutional progress and while we may differ on many issues, today we stand together in affirming that our allegiance belongs to Grenada and its people.' Later, he told local media: 'I don't think anyone in their right mind will expect me – or any future prime minister of Grenada – on taking the oath of office to serve them, that I should be swearing allegiance to King Charles, his heirs and successor.' He added: 'What is it about King Charles that is superior to me, that requires me not to swear allegiance to the people of Grenada but to him?' The prime minister added: 'Sovereign countries have excellent bilateral relations. That doesn't mean that you have to swear allegiance to the head of a state of another foreign country.' This only happened, he pointed out, because Grenada was a former British colony and not because it was voted on by Grenadians. The governor-general, Dame Cécile La Grenade, the Crown's representative in Grenada, assented to the two pieces of legislation to amend the oath, after they were approved in both the lower and upper Houses of Parliament. Grenada's tourism and culture minister, Adrian Thomas, said the move was a response to decades of calls from Grenadians to change the oath, setting it amid a broader trend to decolonise society, assert the country's independence and reform the constitution. He said: 'Although we still have many institutions, like the royal prison, the Royal Grenada Police Force, we are on the road to decolonising our society and apart from the oath of allegiance we will be doing much more in years to come.' On the streets of St George's, communications consultant Sherene Thomas-Isaac, said the change was 'long overdue'. 'We're independent. I think that's a mark of our sovereignty … We have to follow the true course of what independence means for our region,' she said. The change to the oath comes as the Grenada Reparations Commission vowed to step up the pursuit of an apology and reparations from the monarch and intensify calls for the removal of King Charles as the country's head of state, after new research revealed that George IV personally profited from slavery on the Caribbean island. Arley Gill, the head of the commission, thanked Francis Alexis, a former attorney general and government minister, for lobbying for the change, which he described as 'one small step in the further deconstruction of a new colonialism process'. Gill said: 'We need to strengthen the lobby in Grenada to get rid of the king as head of state. The royal family is not fit and proper to be the head of state of a country where they have directly profited from slavery. We need to move to republicanism immediately.'
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Grenada government and opposition join forces to drop oath of allegiance to King Charles
The government and opposition in the Caribbean island of Grenada have joined forces to drop the oath of allegiance to the British crown amid growing calls to remove King Charles as the country's head of state. A statement from the government announcing the move said that in 'a commendable display of national unity' the country's parliament had agreed bills to amend the country's constitution. The change will remove the words 'His Majesty King Charles the Third, His Heirs and Successors' from the pledge of allegiance and replace them with 'Grenada'. In the statement, Grenada's prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, said: 'The unanimous support for this amendment demonstrates our shared commitment to national identity and constitutional progress and while we may differ on many issues, today we stand together in affirming that our allegiance belongs to Grenada and its people.' Later, he told local media: 'I don't think anyone in their right mind will expect me – or any future prime minister of Grenada – on taking the oath of office to serve them, that I should be swearing allegiance to King Charles, his heirs and successor.' He added: 'What is it about King Charles that is superior to me, that requires me not to swear allegiance to the people of Grenada but to him?' The prime minister added: 'Sovereign countries have excellent bilateral relations. That doesn't mean that you have to swear allegiance to the head of a state of another foreign country.' This only happened, he pointed out, because Grenada was a former British colony and not because it was voted on by Grenadians. The move comes as the Grenada Reparations Commission vowed to step up the pursuit of an apology and reparations from the monarch and intensify calls for the removal of King Charles as the country's head of state, after new research revealed that George IV personally profited from slavery on the Caribbean island. Arley Gill, the head of the commission, thanked Francis Alexis, a former attorney general and government minister, for lobbying for the change, which he described as 'one small step in the further deconstruction of a new colonialism process'. Gill said: 'We need to strengthen the lobby in Grenada to get rid of the king as head of state. The royal family is not fit and proper to be the head of state of a country where they have directly profited from slavery. We need to move to republicanism immediately.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Now Grenada drops oath of allegiance to King Charles as Commonwealth countries continue push to remove British monarchy as head of state
Grenada has dropped the oath of allegiance to King Charles III as Commonwealth countries continue to look at removing the British monarch as their sovereign. State officials on the island, commonly known as the 'Spice Isle', will no longer take the oath to the King or his successors and instead make it to Grenada itself. The change was brought in last Friday as Caribbean nations marked Emancipation Day, the anniversary of slavery being abolished in the British Empire in 1834. Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said in 2023 that he wanted the nation to become a republic and remove Britain's monarch as its head of state. The Constitution (Oath of Allegiance) (Amendment) (No. 1) Bill 2025 made the oath 'Grenada' instead of 'His Majesty King Charles the Third, His Heirs and Successors'. This applies to the Governor-General, members of Grenada's Houses of Parliament, ministers or parliamentary secretaries and any 'citizen by marriage' taking the oath. The new law also states: 'Where in any written law prescribing an oath there appear the words 'our Sovereign Lord the King', those words shall be deleted, and there shall be substituted therefor the words 'the people of Grenada'. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, there has been a growth in calls from activists in Caribbean countries for the King's removal as head of state. Grenadian-born academic Professor Gus John, a campaigner against social and racial inequality who moved Britain in 1964, is among those behind the campaign. He told The Voice: 'We have our national anthem, our beautiful flags. But when you dig deeper, what has that meant for the society? How economically independent are we and how much have we divested ourselves of colonialism? 'The problem is there is a lot of religion being taught in schools and the Roman Catholic Church still has too much of an influence over what goes on in schools. 'We have got to insist upon a distinction between religion and spirituality and go back to our roots and understand the importance of our ancestors and our ancestral traditions.' One senator in the Grenadian parliament said that 'to pledge allegiance to the British monarch is to continue the legacy of imperial subordination', according to the Antigua Observer. They added: 'By replacing the colonial oath with a pledge of allegiance to Grenada; it's one of the greatest ideals we can achieve as a nation.' Mr Mitchell, a lawyer and former teacher, became Prime Minister in June 2022 following a tight general election having become leader of his National Democratic Congress party in the previous October. At the time of the Queen's death, Mr Mitchell said in a tribute: 'I am sincerely saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 'As Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty's steady leadership helped to unite people and countries from around the globe in common cause, and for this, Queen Elizabeth II will always be remembered. We mourn her passing and will continue to honour her legacy.' But by May 2023, Mr Mitchell told S ky News he hoped the country would become a republic under his leadership, while acknowledging that the Grenadian population was divided on the issue. He said: 'If the public is convinced that it's the right thing to happen, then I think we will see energy being galvanised and I think we will see us moving in that direction.' Grenada, which includes the island of Grenada and two smaller islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, has an estimated population of about 125,000. The country marked 50 years of independence from Britain in February 2024. Other Caribbean nations have also been looking at removing Charles as head of state to cut colonial ties, including Jamaica which gained independence in 1962. Last December, the country's Prime Minister Andrew Holness presented a bill to remove the King as head of state. It would mean Charles's representative in Jamaica - the governor general - would be replaced by a president nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the opposition leader. If the two could not agree on a candidate, the opposition leader could recommend a name, and if that were not accepted, the prime minister could choose a nominee who would then be elected with a simple parliamentary majority. Advocates of the move claim the legacy of slavery and colonialism has resulted in or played a role in enduring inequities, amid growing calls for reparations to address past wrongs. Saint George's in Grenada, which marked 50 years of independence from Britain in 2024 These have been rejected by Britain, but the removal of the monarchy as head of state is viewed as an issue for local people and politicians to decide. Longstanding calls by some Jamaicans to abolish the monarchy picked up steam after Barbados, another former colony in the Caribbean, removed Queen Elizabeth II as head of state in 2021. Mr Holness told Prince William during a visit by the royal in 2022 that Jamaica wanted to be 'independent'. On a visit to the Bahamas during the same tour in 2022, William said he supported and respected any decision Caribbean nations make about their future. But in April 2022, the Grenada leg of a Caribbean tour by Prince Edward and Sophie was cancelled just one day before the week-long trip began. Buckingham Palace said the decision followed talks with the island's government and governor general. It followed William and Kate being criticised for elements of their own Caribbean tour earlier in the year, including a Land Rover trip that was criticised for its colonial appearance, and local children being greeted through a wire fence.
Zawya
30-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
A Living Legacy: Flamboyant Tree Planted in Grenada to Honour Outgoing Afreximbank President Benedict Oramah
On the second day of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025), a symbolic tree-planting ceremony was held in Grenada to honour Professor Benedict Oramah, outgoing President of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ( for his enduring contributions to Africa-Caribbean relations. The Flamboyant tree, native to Madagascar but widely rooted across the Caribbean, was chosen for its beauty and symbolic resonance. Known for its brilliant red blooms, it is seen as a representation of vitality, peace, and the promise of growth, which echoes the very principles that have defined Oramah's leadership. Grenada's Prime Minister, Hon. Dickon Mitchell led the tribute, praising Oramah's transformational impact across the region. 'This symbolic but substantive planting of a Flamboyant tree, a tree which originates from Madagascar but has found its way to the Caribbean and adorns the landscape wherever you go, and when it blooms its beautiful red flowers inspire beauty, tranquility, and peace in all of us, is reflective of the significant role that you have played in ensuring that Global Africa can rise, can blossom, can bloom and can stand as a testament and a legacy for future generations,' Prime Minister Mitchell said. In response, President Oramah expressed his deep gratitude to Grenada and the wider Caribbean community: 'As an agricultural economist, I know the value of a plant. In the food life cycle, it is the plant that stands as an anchor. As I join the Honourable Prime Minister in planting this tree, I am reminded that I have found a very deep anchor in Grenada and the CARICOM.' Reflecting on the symbolism, he continued: 'A person who plants a tree must tend the tree, a person who plants a tree must come and harvest the tree, a person who plants the tree must always make sure that the tree lasts and lasts… That is why I regard this as that anchor that will bring me here and keep me here.' 'Africa is the cradle of civilisation. Africa has given the world life, and to use this tree planting to honour me means that you value the work we are doing to give life to people. I would like to reassure you that I will do whatever I can, until I'm not able to do anything, to keep us marching on-- something I believe we are all committed to.' The tree planting took place as ACTIF2025 enters its second day, bringing together high-level government officials, business leaders, and civil society from Africa and the Caribbean to deepen economic and cultural integration under the theme: 'Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa-Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank. Media Contact: Vincent Musumba Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations) Email: press@ Follow us on: X: Facebook: LinkedIn: Instagram: About Afreximbank: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa's trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank's total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody's (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, "the Group"). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
Zawya
22-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Afreximbank Announces 2025 AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum to Accelerate Trade, Investment and Economic Growth
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ( in partnership with the Government of Grenada, is pleased to announce that the fourth edition of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025) will be held in St. George's, Grenada, from 28 to 29 July 2025 under the theme: 'Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa-Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty.' The ACTIF2025 is Afreximbank's flagship initiative to drive commercial, economic and cultural ties between Africa and the Caribbean. ACTIF will build on the momentum of the previous three Forums and further promote trade and investment potential between the two regions. The International Trade Centre (ITC) estimates that AfriCaribbean trade could reach USD$1.8 billion by 2028. This growth is possible due to the crucial role of public and private partners and channelling investment into multiple sectors, including minerals and metals, processed foods, and transportation. Connecting opportunity with capital and market information can positively impact the economies of Africa and the CARICOM region. The Prime Minister of Grenada, H.E. Dickon Mitchell, said: 'ACTIF is a clarion call for unity, enterprise and a reimagined global role for our people. 'United in spirit in the pursuit of economic prosperity and mutual respect — the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum brings our shared vision for African-Caribbean unity to life through economic transformation, trade expansion and investment cooperation.' Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, said: 'In today's turbulent global economic environment, it is more urgent than ever for Africa and the Caribbean to strengthen their economic ties. Despite deep historical and cultural bonds, our regions continue to trade less than 1% of their exports with each other — a stark reminder of untapped potential. ACTIF was established to change that. 'Through strategic partnerships, enhanced logistics, and greater access to capital, we are laying the foundations for a resilient transatlantic economic corridor that can drive inclusive growth, job creation, and sustainable development on both sides. ACTIF2025 is not merely a forum for business — it is a platform for rewriting the future of Afri-Caribbean economic relations, grounded in solidarity, shared values, and a common vision of prosperity.' He further noted that the groundbreaking of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in Bridgetown, Barbados, on 27 March marked a significant milestone in the Bank's long-term commitment to the region. 'The AATC will be a gateway for Africa-Caribbean trade and investment,' he said, 'offering a home for African businesses in the Caribbean and opening doors for Caribbean entrepreneurs to Africa. I urge all ACTIF stakeholders to seize this moment to transform vision into action.' ACTIF2025 is expected to welcome about a thousand delegates, including Heads of State, senior government officials, private sector leaders, development finance institutions, and Diaspora investors from across Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. Stakeholders across public and private sectors, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), multilateral institutions, investors and entrepreneurs, are invited to register and attend so that they can explore trade, investment and networking opportunities, obtain information about doing business in the Caribbean and Africa and contribute to building a resilient and prosperous Africa-Caribbean trade corridor. The Forum will spotlight key sectors such as agribusiness, energy, infrastructure development, logistics, creative industries, tourism, health, manufacturing, and financial services, promoting regional value chains and facilitating trade and investment to unlock these opportunities. The 2024 edition of ACTIF, held under the auspices of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, The Honourable Philip Davis, was a resounding success. It resulted in over 15 deals and Memoranda of Understanding signed valued at over US$4 billion. ACTIF2025 in Grenada will build on this success to achieve greater commercial and economic linkages through deeper AfriCaribbean collaboration and actionable results. Participants can look forward to business to business (B2B) and Business to Government (B2G) meetings, policy dialogues, sector-focused panels, investment showcases, gain access to financing facilities, high-level panel discussions, exhibitions, business network session, and explore trade and investment opportunities. To register and learn more, please visit: Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank. Media Contact: Vincent Musumba Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations) Email: press@ About the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF): The Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) is a premier platform aimed at fostering trade, investment, and cultural exchange between Africa and the Caribbean. Held in collaboration with regional bodies such as the Caribbean Community, The African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area, ACTIF has facilitated dialogue, partnerships, and actionable frameworks that have bolstered commercial and investment ties between the two regions. Largely catalysed by the first-ever Heads of State and Government Summit of the Caribbean Community and Africa held on 7 September 2021, the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) is a key strategic initiative towards institutionalising the engagement between both regions' private and public sectors to advance trade and investment relations. The inaugural edition of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum was held in Bridgetown, Barbados, from 1 - 3 September 2022, the second edition was held in Georgetown, Guyana, from 30 – 31 October 2023, and the third edition was held jointly with the 31 st Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Nassau, The Bahamas, from 12 – 14 June 2024. About Afreximbank: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa's trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank's total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody's (Baa1), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, "the Group"). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
