France must pay billions of dollars in compensation: Haitian NGOs
A coalition of nongovernmental organizations said that France should repay billions of dollars to Haiti to cover a debt formerly enslaved people were forced to pay for recognizing the island’s independence
The Caribbean island became the first in the region to win its independence in 1804 after a revolt by enslaved people. But in a move many Haitians blame for two centuries of turmoil, France later imposed harsh reparations for lost income and that debt was only fully repaid in 1947.
The group of around 20 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) currently in Geneva for a U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) is seeking a new independent commission to oversee the restitution of the debt, which they call a ransom.
They say the money should go to public works in Haiti, where a transition council was installed this month to restore security after a period of devastating violence by armed groups.
“What’s important is that it’s time that France recognizes this and we move forward,” Monique Clesca, a Haitian civil society activist coordinating the efforts, told Reuters.
The French Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. France, whose development agency has given Haiti hundreds of millions of dollars, has previously referred to a “moral debt” owed to Haiti.
Historians dispute the amount paid to France, although the New York Times opens a new tab and estimates Haiti’s loss at $21 billion. The proposal’s backers say the amount is much higher.
“It’s $21 billion plus 200 years of interest that France has enjoyed, so we’re talking more like $150 billion, $200 billion or more,” said Jemima Pierre, professor of Global Race at the University of British Columbia.
Clesca hoped the recommendation and others would be part of the U.N. forum’s conclusions due Friday. Last year, the PFPAD suggested that a tribunal be formed to address reparations for slavery.
The campaign for paying reparations or making other amends for slavery has a long history and has been gaining momentum worldwide.
Source: Reuters
