"A legal framework, he added, would ensure restitution is seen as neither a gift nor a favour. Africa is entitled to demand the official and explicit recognition of the crimes committed against its peoples during the colonial period, an indispensable first step toward addressing the consequences of that era, for which African countries and peoples continue to pay a heavy price in terms of exclusion, marginalisation and backwardness, Attaf said."
"The United Nations Charter prohibits the seizure of territory by force but does not explicitly reference colonialism. That absence was central to the African Union's February summit, where leaders discussed a proposal to develop a unified position on reparations and formally define colonisation as a crime against humanity. The economic cost of colonialism in Africa is believed to be staggering, with some estimates in the trillions."
A conference in Algiers brought diplomats and leaders to advance an African Union resolution calling for recognition, criminalisation and reparations for colonial-era crimes. Algeria's experience under French rule highlights the need to seek compensation and reclaim stolen property. A legal framework would ensure restitution is treated as a right rather than a gift or favour. The United Nations Charter prohibits seizure of territory by force but does not explicitly reference colonialism, prompting calls to define colonisation as a crime against humanity. The economic cost of colonialism is estimated in the trillions, with extraction of resources and brutal methods impoverishing local populations. Demands for return of looted artefacts from European museums have intensified.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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