African nations called for justice and accountability for colonial era crimes through reparations. Algeria proposed a legal framework to hold former occupiers accountable while France offered symbolic acts that focus on reconciliation. Britain paid almost 20 million dollars in compensation to more than 5,000 Kenyans abused by the colonial administration. Germany agreed to provide Namibia 1.1 billion dollars in development aid over 30 years.
The discussion examined the ongoing costs of colonialism across the continent and asked which African countries should receive reparations and whether the harms of the colonial era can be measured.
The panel featured Abdelkader Abderrahmane independent researcher and co author of The Politics of Algeria, Liliane Umubyeyi, PhD, Co Founder and Executive Director of African Futures Lab (external link) and Nicolas Normand former French ambassador to Mali the Republic of Congo Congo Brazzaville and Senegal.
The interview was hosted by Bernard Smith on Al Jazeera.