The six-day conference, dealing with controversial issues of reparation for slavery and racism against Africans and African descendants, ran into a major problem at its first working session on Wednesday over the expulsion of whites and other non-black people, among them citizens of the Caribbean.

The local organisers and sponsors of the "African and African Descendants World Conference Against Racism", which has attracted over 300 delegates and observers from Africa, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Latin America, have admitted to being "shocked and embarassed".

The unexpected development followed the ceremonial opening the previous night at the Sherbourne Conference Centre with a gala event highlighting the cultures of Africa and the African Diaspora.

With merely a dozen whites and other non-Africans seated among the estimated 300 delegates and observers of African or African descent, the 60-strong black delegation from Britain strenuously objected to the presence of "non-Blacks".

They made it clear that having participation by Whites and Asians or other non-Africans was contrary to their understanding from the organisers of the structure of conference to discuss issues of reparation for slavery and the racism against Africans and their descendants.

Sensing a threat to the future of the conference, scheduled to end on Sunday (October 6), chairman of the central organising committee, Dr Jewel Crawford, chose to put the issue to a vote.

To her surprise, and that of the militant Barbadian Director of the Commission for Pan African Affairs of Barbados, David Comissioning, the overwhelming majority agreed with the sentiment of the Black delegates primarily from Britain and the United States of America to expel non-Africans and non-African descendants.

Among those who had to leave, a few tearfully, were interpreters, a white journalist of the "Barbados Advocate" (Karen Dear), a white American freelance journalist from New York (Bill Farrington), and Martin Pile`, the Luxembourg-born white wife of a black Barbadian who has been living in Barbados for the past 21 years.

Pile's daughter, Shamkoe Pile`, walked out of the conference with her mother, although told she could remain because she was black. The outraged Shamkoe was to subsequently condemn the vote and the insensitivity and disrespect shown to her mother, "from whom I came" but could not participate in the proceedings.

The "Daily Nation", which questioned in its reporting on the racism row if there was a "rebirth of apartheid in Barbados", quoted the late American civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King, in criticising the "timid souls" for genuflecting to the minority "radical voices" at the conference to exclude the non-Africans and their descendants.

Editorially declaring that Wednesday's dramatic development now "cast a pall over the international conference", the 'Nation' noted that "the radicalism and intolerance of those who brought the (expulsion) motion, have opened embarassing divisions at the meeting".

Prior to the exclusion vote, Doudou Diene, the United Nations Special Rapporteur at the 2001 "Conference on "Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Relate Intolerance", strongly condemned the move as being contrary to the declared objectives of both the conference in Durban and his understanding of the current event in Barbados.

To approve such a motion, Dienne warned, could reverse the gains made at the UN-sponsored conference at Durban. His voice, like that of other moderates and liberal elements who spoke out, were drowned by the radical segment determined to have their way.

Yesterday, with late registration still taking place, the local Commission on Pan African Affairs was anxiously moving to prevent any further embarassing developments, including arrangements already concluded for participation of school children of diversed ethnic origin in a special session focused on youth.

In response to questions about the expected delegation from Cuba, which has a tradition of sending delegates of both black and white Cubans to Caribbean and other international conferences, Comissioning told the 'Chronicle' that he was "moving to avoid any more such difficulties".

In her opening address at the conference, Minister of Home Affairs and Attorney General Mia Mottley spoke of the role race played historically in the shaping of Caribbean societies.

"The laws, the way in which we move, the way in which we produce, the way in which you saw yourself, everything flowed from the perspective of race.There was", she argued, "one clear definition and that was that whiteness equalled excellence".