A coalition of over 60 rights organisations has signed a letter addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron demanding reparations for Haiti, whose economy was burdened for decades by a 19th-century compensation debt to France.
The letter, dated Tuesday, accuses France of extracting wealth from Haiti under threat of invasion after the Caribbean nation declared independence in 1804. France forced Haiti to pay compensation for lost “property,” including enslaved people. The so-called “double debt,” compounded by interest, was paid over more than 100 years and is considered by many in Haiti as a ransom.
According to the letter, “The wealth extracted under this ransom set Haiti's GDP growth back by decades, and resulted in a cycle of foreign aid dependence and entrenched debt that persists to this day.”
Haiti currently has the lowest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the Americas and is grappling with widespread gang violence, economic instability, and a lack of strong international engagement.
French President Macron had previously acknowledged the shared “painful” past between the two countries and announced the formation of a Franco-Haitian commission of historians in April. However, he stopped short of mentioning reparations.
Haiti’s Minister of Culture and Communications, Patrick Delatour, said in May that the commission’s work would begin in July. He indicated that it would aim to lay the groundwork for potential reparations.
The appeal coincides with the 200th anniversary of Haiti’s agreement to begin paying the indemnity, which has drawn renewed scrutiny from historians and activists alike.
Signatories to the letter include diaspora and reparations advocacy groups based in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean. The demands range from direct financial compensation to the cancellation of remaining debt and support for development programmes in healthcare, education, and cultural heritage.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which has taken a lead in reparations advocacy, supports Haiti’s claim and is also working with African nations to pursue broader justice from former colonial powers over the legacy of slavery.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remai...
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow ear...
Indonesia deployed thousands of security personnel around parliament and other major cities on Thursday as students returned to the streets, one ye...
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Indonesia deployed thousands of security personnel around parliament and other major cities on Thursday as students returned to the streets, one year after nationwide anti-government protests left 10 people dead.
Thousands of Russians are hunting for apartments in Tbilisi and Yerevan - not because of a mobilisation order that's been signed, but because of one many fear is coming.
Poland has asked the European Commission to impose a €250 million ($291.3 million) fine on Meta, accusing the technology company of failing to adequately tackle fraudulent advertisements on its platforms.
Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander convicted of genocide for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, has died, according to a United Nations official.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment