The premiere of “Uprooted – Five Women Against a Colonial Crime” at Cinéma Vendôme in Brussels on 22 April 2026 drew a sold-out audience. This documentary retraces the legal and personal struggle of five Métis women: Marie-Josée Loshi, Noëlle Verbeken, Léa Tavares Mujinga, Simone Ngalula, and Monique Bitu Bingi. Belgian colonial rule forcibly separated these women from their mothers, leading to a historic 2024 ruling by the Brussels Court of Appeal. The court recognized the responsibility of the Belgian State for acts qualified as crimes against humanity.
The screening preceded a discussion moderated by Geneviève Kaninda (external link), our Policy and Advocacy Officer. The panel brought together three of the five Métis women alongside their legal representatives, Michele Hirsch and Jehosheba Bennett, and directors Quentin N. Noirfalisse and Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo. This exchange illuminated the key dimensions of a case that continues to set global precedents for restorative justice.
Jehosheba Bennett identified a sharp contradiction in the current legal landscape. The Belgian State chose to appeal the ruling before the Court of Cassation despite the 2019 official apology from then Prime Minister Charles Michel and the 2018 parliamentary resolution recognizing the fate of Métis children. Michele Hirsch emphasized that Belgium must adopt a formal legal framework on reparations to move beyond apologies and toward material justice.
Directors Quentin N. Noirfalisse and Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo shared their experience representing these histories on screen. The lack of sufficient archival material required the use of animation to visualize the emotional weight of these stories where physical evidence remains missing. Above all, the voices of Marie-Josée, Léa, and Noëlle remind us that five decades of silence have finally given way to a historic decision. This ruling brings essential recognition, reparation, and relief to the women and their families.
African Futures Lab remains committed to supporting these processes. We ensure that colonial crimes receive more than acknowledgment through our advocacy for justice, accountability, and effective reparative measures.