Haiti: Activists and organizations from Haiti and its diaspora urge France to address its colonial past in Haiti on the bicentenary of the “independence debt”

17th of April 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of France imposing on Haiti the obligation to pay compensation for the loss of colonial profits from enslaved labour, known as the “independence debt”. The enduring harmful effects of the “independence debt”, colonialism and enslavement continue to manifest in the political, social, economic, humanitarian and human rights situation in the country until today.1 France has a duty under international human rights law to provide reparations and address the legacies of colonialism and slavery in Haiti.