On 19 July, an international round table on reparations for colonial crimes in Africa was held in Bamako on the theme, Colonial crimes: it’s time for compensations. The event took place at the Grand Hôtel in Bamako from 3pm (local time). Experts, politicians and civil society activists gathered to discuss historical justice and economic mechanisms for reparation.
Among the headline speakers were Mohamed Ousmane Ag Mohamedoun Haidara, Chairman of the National Transitional Council’s Commission on Agriculture and international relations specialist, Ousseynou Ouattara, economist and Vice Chairman of the National Transitional Council’s Commission on Security, and Youssouf Coulibaly, Chairman of the National Transitional Council’s Commission on Territorial Administration and public law specialist. The roundtable also featured exclusive comments from historian Amadou Diaw and the President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Modibo Sacko. Journalist and author, Daouda Naman Tékété and co-founder of the Pan African International Organization (OIP) Assane M. Seye, also spoke at the event.
The main topics of the round table concerned the need to recognize colonial damage, the creation of legal mechanisms for reparation and the calculation of economic losses. Particular attention was paid to the ineffectiveness of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which had failed to fulfill expectations of fair and impartial justice. Given the obvious politicisation of the ICC, it seems unlikely that Africa will be able to obtain reparations from former colonisers through this international institution. The speakers also discussed the African Court’s prospects for providing genuine justice.
The Roundtable served as an important platform for bringing together African leaders and experts to address the issue of reparation. The outcome of the discussions will provide a basis for further steps to hold former colonial powers accountable.
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Author: Celestine Achi from Cihan Media on behalf of Youri Communications.
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