African countries under the African Union (AU) are intensifying their push for justice over colonial crimes committed against them, as Algeria prepares to host the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa this coming weekend.
The meeting, set for the capital Algiers, will strengthen the AU’s unified, continent-wide policy on reparations, representing the demands of all 55 member states. It also aligns with the AU’s Theme of the Year 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”
In February 2025, AU member states adopted Assembly Decision 903(XXXVIII) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, endorsing the offer by the President of the People’s Republic of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to convene the conference in Algiers to advance the collective search for justice.
On November 30 and December 1, 2025, President Tebboune will open the doors to hundreds of government ministers, policymakers, and historians from across Africa and the Caribbean—home to millions of people of African descent.
“The meeting aims to formulate a unified African position on seeking justice and reparations for colonial-era injustices,” a statement from the Algerian government said.
This initiative is rooted in Algeria's historic legacy as a nation that suffered heavily under colonialism and remains deeply committed to defending the dignity, memory, and rights of African peoples.
Algeria experienced severe and prolonged colonial oppression under French rule from 1830 to 1962—132 years marked by systemic violence, economic exploitation, and cultural erasure. Archives show that the occupation inflicted immense suffering and left a profound and lasting impact on the nation.
“Under the leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria is working to strengthen collective reflection and action aimed at criminalizing colonialism, slavery, racial segregation, and apartheid as crimes against humanity, in line with the relevant recommendations of the African Union,” an Algerian government document states.
Like other African nations that endured similar struggles, Algeria remains steadfast in its commitment to defending the dignity, memory, and fundamental rights of African peoples.
The conference deliberations will address the human, cultural, economic, environmental, and legal dimensions of colonial crimes.
They will focus on intergenerational trauma, the spoliation and destruction of African cultural heritage, resource exploitation and inequitable economic models inherited from colonialism, environmental impacts—including nuclear testing conducted on African populations—and legal pathways for strengthening the criminalization of colonialism and establishing a permanent African mechanism for reparations and restitution.
As host and initiator, Algeria aims to contribute to strengthening Africa's framework for historical justice by providing a high-level platform to advance international recognition of colonial crimes and promote concrete mechanisms for reparative action.
One of the key expected outcomes is the adoption of the “Algiers Declaration,” intended to serve as a continental reference for the codification of colonial crimes, recognition of their impacts, and development of an African strategy for justice and reparations. This declaration will be submitted to the African Union Summit of February 2026 for consideration and endorsement.
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