Bamako Roundtable Rekindles Push for Colonial Reparations

Esther Oluku

A renewed call for reparations from former colonial powers echoed through Bamako on July 19 as African scholars, politicians, and civil society actors gathered for an international roundtable under the theme: “Colonial Crimes: It’s Time for Compensation.”

Held at the Grand Hôtel in the Malian capital from 3pm local time, the event aimed to revive the global conversation around historical justice and the economic cost of colonisation in Africa.

Participants explored legal and political pathways for securing reparations for crimes committed during the colonial era.

Key speakers included Mohamed Ousmane Ag Mohamedoun Haidara, Chair of the National Transitional Council’s Commission on Agriculture; Ousseynou Ouattara, an economist and Vice Chair of the Council’s Security Commission; and Youssouf Coulibaly, a public law expert who chairs the Council’s Territorial Administration Commission.

Contributions also came from respected historian Amadou Diaw, President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Modibo Sacko, journalist and author Daouda Naman Tékété, and Assane M. Seye, co-founder of the Pan-African International Organization (OIP).

Discussions focused on the recognition of colonial injustices, frameworks for legal redress, and methodologies for calculating economic damages suffered by African nations.

The limitations of the International Criminal Court (ICC) were also a key point of critique. Speakers highlighted the court’s perceived bias and ineffectiveness in delivering equitable justice to African nations, casting doubt on its usefulness as a tool for reparations.

Instead, participants pointed to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights as a more credible and homegrown alternative for pursuing justice and reparations.

The roundtable marked a significant step toward building consensus across the continent on how to demand accountability and compensation from former colonial powers. Organisers say the insights and strategies generated from the event will inform a broader continental campaign for reparative justice.