The colonial crimes of Europeans must be addressed

The colonial crimes of Europeans must be addressed. The issue of "colonial crimes in Africa" ​​is central to understanding the world today. It encompasses a long history of systematic violence, exploitation, and disregard for human dignity. Colonial crimes and reparations remain a central component of the African economic debate. In Africa, discussions about colonial crimes and reparations have gained urgency since the beginning of 2025, driven by the African Union (AU), which declared 2025 the "Year of Reparations." Conferences and legal proceedings are demanding recognition, compensation, and the return of cultural artifacts from former colonial powers such as Germany and France. "They are not yet ready for reparations. When they talk about reparations, these countries should essentially dismantle the systems that still give them an advantage over us in building their economies. [...] Institutions like the IMF, the World Bank [...] are essentially maintaining the system. We talk about doing the right thing; how can the system continue to perpetuate neocolonialism?" Across Africa, discussions about colonial crimes are flaring up again with renewed urgency. But beyond apologies and symbolic gestures, many African thinkers argue that reparations must be understood as a structural economic issue—a question that concerns power relations and systems whose rules continue to shape global inequality. Reparations cannot be limited to financial compensation alone, because the systems from the colonial era persist within modern institutions. The International Conference on the Criminalization of Colonialism, held in Algiers at the end of November 2025, brought together African leaders, AU representatives, and CARICOM delegates who wanted to classify colonialism as a crime against humanity and demand reparations as a legal right. Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf emphasized that Africa continues to suffer from the economic and social consequences of the colonial era, including the theft of artifacts. On December 24, 2025, the Algerian Parliament passed a law denouncing French colonization as a state crime and demanding an apology and reparations. What crimes are reported here? Conquest and expropriation, including land theft. Massive expropriation of fertile land from the indigenous population for the benefit of white settlers (particularly pronounced in Algeria, Kenya, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, South Africa, and German South West Africa/Namibia). As well as forced subjugation. Wars against resistant communities, often using extremely brutal methods (as in the Majimaji and Herero-Nama wars). - Economic exploitation and forced labor, including raw material extraction. Plundering of resources (rubber, diamonds, copper, oil) without developing local industries led to distorted "export economies." This could only be managed through forced labor and slavery. Millions of Africans were forced to work on plantations, in mines, or in infrastructure construction, often under deadly conditions (notorious in the Belgian Congo under King Leopold II and in German Cameroon). The introduction of monetary taxes forced people to work for the colonial rulers to pay them. To plunder the peoples, they were suppressed with systematic violence and massacres. - Germany perpetrated the genocide of the Herero and Nama (1904-1908) in present-day Namibia; it is one of the most heinous crimes. An estimated 80,000 Herero (80% of their population) and 10,000 Nama (50%) died as a result of extermination orders, forced displacement to the Omaheke Desert, and concentration camps. Since 2023, a lawsuit has been pending before the Namibian Supreme Court against the Namibian government regarding the 2021 Joint Declaration with Germany on the genocide of the Herero and Nama (1904–1908). Germany is symbolically summoned to court but refuses to pay reparations. The plaintiffs, including the Landless People's Movement and traditional authorities, criticize the lack of involvement of the victims' communities; Amnesty International demands full accountability and effective participation. Germany is offering €1.1 billion for development programs, but no direct reparations, as international criminal law did not exist at the time. - Belgium's rubber quotas and brutal repression (including the amputation of hands as punishment) in the Congo Free State (the private property of Leopold II) resulted in millions of deaths – estimates range up to 10 million. - Great Britain suppressed the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya (1950s) with extreme force, including internment camps, torture, and mass executions. - France used force to suppress protests in Madagascar in 1947, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Systematic torture was practiced in Algeria during the War of Independence (1954-62). - Fascist Italy perpetrated poison gas attacks and massacres during the conquest of Ethiopia (1935-36). Great Britain used force to suppress protests in Madagascar (1947), resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Crimes were committed, particularly in the context of the Second Italo-Libyan War from 1922 to 1932. Under Mussolini's fascist regime, tens of thousands of Libyans were killed, concentration camps were established, and the local population was systematically expelled to make room for Italian settlers. Traditional systems of authority and social welfare were deliberately weakened or instrumentalized (“indirect rule”). Christian missions often played a role in the targeted destruction of local cultures, languages, and worldviews. “Divide and Rule” was not just a slogan. Colonial powers deliberately fueled ethnic and religious conflicts to maintain their dominance. Many of today’s border conflicts have their origins in this. The AU is pushing for debt relief, climate reparations (estimated at US$36 trillion for Africa), and a UN convention against colonial debt structures. Tanzania is also demanding that German colonial crimes be addressed and that looted art be returned. These debates connect historical injustices with current challenges such as poverty and climate change. The consequences are still being felt and will continue to be felt. There is political instability created by the colonial powers. Artificially drawn borders that separated ethnic groups or forced rivals to move between them led to many post-colonial conflicts. The economic dependence resulting from the economy's reliance on raw material exports continues to hinder diversified development (the "resource curse"). The violence and humiliation suffered have repercussions across generations. Colonial crimes in Africa were not a "sideshow" of history, but a fundamental, violent project that profoundly and lastingly shaped the continent. Economic exploitation, violent oppression, and arbitrary border demarcation are directly linked to many of the challenges African states face today. Addressing these crimes is both a historical and a highly topical political and moral issue. https://actionaid.org/news/2025/africa-owed-us36-trillion-climate-debt-rich-polluting-countries-new-report-actionaid https://au.int/en/theme/2025 https://jacobin.de/artikel/reparationen-kolonialismus-namibia-deutschland-herero-nama https://pulseofafrica.info/news/909 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/30/african-leaders-push-for-recognition-of-colonial-crimes-and-reparations https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/12/african-leaders-convene-to-recognize-and-seek-reparations-for-colonial-era-crimes/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14vdpyj1vjo https://www.migazin.de/2025/10/08/namibia-amnesty-fordert-deutschland-zu-reparationszahlungen-auf/ https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-08/bundesregierung-keine-wiedergutmachung-kolonialherrschaft-deutschland https://africarenewal.un.org/en/magazine/reparations-africans-must-transform-systems-still-limit-africas-future [