The Caribbean island state became the first in the region to win its independence in 1804 after a revolt by enslaved people. But in a move that 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 about 20 non-governmental organisations currently in Geneva for a UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) are seeking a new independent commission to oversee the restitution of the debt, which they refer to as a ransom.
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The amount paid to France is disputed by historians although the New York Times estimated Haiti’s loss at $21bn. The proposal’s backers say the amount is much higher.
“It’s $21bn plus 200 years of interest that France has enjoyed, so we’re talking more like $150bn, $200bn or more,” said Jemima Pierre, professor of global race at the University of British Columbia.
Clesca said she hoped the recommendation and others would be part of the UN forum’s conclusions due on Friday. Last year, the PFPAD suggested that a tribunal should be formed to address reparations for slavery.
There’s a question of who to give it to. But it is undeniable that the country with one of the lowest standards of living on earth, squarely in the path of major hurricanes, and prone to massive earthquakes, needs resources to rebuild with the kind of stable and resilient infrastructure that can endure these shocks.
Good luck doing rebuilding without a stable government.
Good luck having a stable government without any offices, roads, or reliable food supply.
Who is going to build all of those things? Who is going to organize them? Who is going to get the supplies? Who is going to ensure nothing gets stolen and no one gets hurt? Who is going to take care of any medical issues that turn up due to things like accidents?
How do you do all of that without a government?
France broke it, France needs to fix it.
See also: US Invasion of Iraq
That’s not an answer to how you do all of that without a government. You can’t just say “France has to do it” and walk away like that solves it all.
So what does “fixing” look like? Are you saying France should go in Haiti, and …start building infrastructure, creating and funding a civil service, create, support and uphold state institutions etc? Because, in that case, um, you just invented colonialism.
Like we do for other failed states, there is a UN-led reconstruction program, in this case funded by France.
Can you please give an example?