Algeria is set to host a significant international conference next week, focusing on the enduring impact of colonial crimes in Africa. The event, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, marks a pivotal moment in the continent’s ongoing pursuit of historical justice.
The conference stems from a decision made at the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit last February, endorsing an initiative spearheaded by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. This initiative aims to commemorate and implement the African Union’s 2025 theme: ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations’.
This undertaking underscores Algeria’s historical commitment to defending the dignity, memory, and rights of African peoples, particularly given its own profound experiences under colonial rule. Under President Tebboune’s leadership, Algeria actively promotes collective action to criminalize colonialism, slavery, and apartheid as crimes against humanity, aligning with relevant African Union resolutions.
The conference will bring together ministers, legal experts, historians, academics, and specialists from Africa, the Caribbean, and other regions. Their primary objective is to forge a unified African stance on historical justice, reparations, the restitution of cultural property, and the preservation of collective memory.
Discussions will encompass the human, cultural, economic, environmental, and legal dimensions of colonial crimes. Particular attention will be given to intergenerational trauma, the plunder and destruction of African cultural heritage, the exploitation of resources, inequitable economic systems inherited from the colonial era, and environmental consequences, including the impact of nuclear testing on African populations.
Furthermore, the conference will explore legal pathways to strengthen the criminalization of colonialism and establish a permanent African mechanism for reparations and the restoration of rights. As the host nation and initiator of this crucial dialogue, Algeria aspires to bolster the African system of historical justice by providing a high-level platform to foster international recognition of colonial crimes and advance practical mechanisms for redress.
A key anticipated outcome of the conference is the adoption of the ‘Algiers Declaration’, envisioned as a continental reference point for highlighting and acknowledging the consequences of colonial crimes. This declaration will also serve as the foundation for an African strategy on justice and reparations. The ‘Algiers Declaration’ will be submitted to the African Union Summit in February 2026 for consideration and endorsement. Through this initiative, Algeria reaffirms its crucial role in advocating for historical justice on the African continent.
