AT THE RENDEZVOUS ON THE TABLE OF DISCUSSIONS OF THE COLONIAL REPARATIONS

Every morning, I read the news before getting up. The New Times is one of the papers I read regularly. While checking the news, I came across information about the African Society of International Law (AfSIL)’s 15th Annual Conference. After finding out how to attend, I was all set to take part in discussions at a continental conference bringing together legal experts, judges, scholars and policymakers from Africa and beyond to examine whether and how former colonial powers should provide reparations for injustices committed during colonial rule.

Discussions covered topics such as the architecture of reparations, fiscal and structural reparations, and transitional justice, among others.

Africa has been for the longest time possible a discussion point of the slavery and colonialism due to the fact that African were among the many victims of these atrocities. Earlier this year  the discussions were about the actual representation of the actual map of Africa. At its 39th Ordinary Session, the Assembly of the African Union (AU), adopted a landmark decision to correct Africa’s misrepresentation in global cartography, geospatial systems, media, and educational curricula. What the AU did was  challenging long standing distortions rooted in colonial cartography.

Back to the conference, in the conference different researchers presented their proposals focused on the annual theme “Africa and the Challenge of Reparation in International Law.”  One of them caught my attention. It is entitled “The Wonders of Wakanda: Reparations that Build, Not Just Pay” the author MS. ELIZA ROBERTS. In her paper she argues that’’ as Africans we have not fully learned from our ancestors' mistakes. It asks what resources Africa and the diaspora truly hold, who controls the value those resources produce, and what they are being used to build right now. ‘’ This point of view is so timely at the point where it resonates with what is currently in the DRCongo where the natural resources are controlled by foreign powers at the cost of lives of the locals. She closed by asking ‘’what it means to know our Judas and keep our seat at the table. And finally  ‘’what we are currently asking for, where that ask still misses the mark, and what it would need to include if its purpose is lasting capacity rather than a one-time transfer.’’

After showing us who is the real beneficiary of our natural resources, who are actually the countries developing the latest technologies and AI models which are running on the natural resources on Africa, she then named who is the real Judas. The story of Judas shows that Jesus knew who would betray him but treated him as others. The story paints a picture of how we should not be negligent of the enemy but be aware of who he is and know how to deal with him. The author suggests that we do what Jesus did, which is " knowing exactly who is sitting there, refuse to be surprised, and keep our attention on the mission. ‘’

The article keeps the pattern of showing how the interest always goes to the foreigners, where major tech projects are led by big tech corporations in their own interest while using Africa’s natural resources.

The author keeps arguing that the enemy is not race but greed. Since the Berlin Conference, the mission is still the same: getting more natural resources for the benefit of the West at the expense of African lives.

The topic of reparations should go hand in hand with acknowledgement of the reason in the first place: why do we need it?  

It wouldn’t be fair to talk about attending a conference where research work was presented without talking about one of them. The one I picked got my full attention, and I had a personal conversation with the author. All can not be put in writing; either me or her the topic of reparation should not stop in scholarly work and conferences; it should be a day-to-day normal conversation.

In break time, it was a good chance to engage with panellists and ask deep and personal questions, like the one with Dr Idris Fofana on the use of storytelling in scholarly work, and another conversation with Professor Phil Clark on drawing from historical practices to find solutions to present-day problems, where we discussed the importance of Umuganda, Gacaca and Ubudehe. 

I look back at the conference and what I’m left with is a package of inspirations, intellectual challenge and a hope that greatness is achievable.