African Union | Day of Homage to the Victims of Transatlantic Trafficking, Colonialism, and Apartheid

1. A continental recognition of colonial crimes

Gathering in Addis Ababa for the 39th African Union (AU) Summit, African heads of state and government have taken a historic step: theOfficial adoption of the Algiers Declaration on Colonial Crimes in AfricaThis text, the result of the International Conference held in Algiers on November 30 and December 1, 2025, represents a strong political recognition of the crimes linked to transatlantic trafficking, colonialism, and apartheid.

With this declaration, the AU affirms its willingness to classify colonialism among the most serious international crimes. Member states thus intend to strengthen the principles of accountability and combat historical impunity. The objective is clear:restorative justice emerges that is not just symbolic, but founded on solid legal foundations.

For many African countries, this recognition represents a turning pointa. It allows us to name the suffering endured, the dispossession, the violence, the forced displacement, and the systemic economic exploitation, opening a space for international dialogue on reparations. It's not about rekindling resentments, but about establishing the truth to build a lasting peace.

2. November 30: A shared memory for the future

On the proposal of Algeria, the heads of state proclaimed the November 30th “African Day in Homage to the Victims of Transatlantic Trafficking, Colonialism and Apartheid”This date becomes a common point of reference for the continent, unifying national memories in a pan-African commemoration.

By linking these three great tragedies, the AU highlights the historical continuity of the systems of oppression that have marked Africa. The transatlantic slave trade depopulated and traumatized entire societies; colonialism institutionalized exploitation and domination; apartheid embodied an extreme form of racial segregation.

3. Algeria on the front line

Algeria, with a history marked by 132 years of French colonization, plays a leading role in this initiative. During the summit, its Prime Minister reiterated the country's willingness to make documents, material evidence, and historical testimonies available to African legal institutions.

In its relations with France, Algeria continues a demanding dialogue on the recognition of colonial crimes and the issue of reparations. The request is not limited to symbolic gestures: it concerns recognition and in-depth cooperation on memorial and historical levels.

This initiative reflects a broader dynamic: several African states are exploring legal and diplomatic avenues to assert their rights, both before international jurisdictions and through bilateral negotiations.

4. Towards reparations, restitutions and works of mercy

In addition to the declarations, concrete progress has been made in restitution of works of art and cultural assets acquired during the colonial period. These restitutions, still partial, nevertheless represent a sign of the evolution of mentalities.

Restitution does not exhaust the question of reparations, but it contributes to a process of memory healing.

Returning a work means acknowledging that it was taken from a people, a culture, a history. At the same time, the initiative calls for the concrete practice of works of mercy: offering justice to the oppressed, consoling those who have suffered, and supporting affected communities.
Historical memory thus also becomes an opportunity for active commitment to alleviate the wounds of peoples and promote concrete solidarity.

5. Justice, truth and reconciliation

The adoption of the Algiers Declaration is part of a broader quest: that of an African narrative sovereigntyAfrica no longer wants to be merely the subject of stories written by others; it wants to name its own history, its wounds, and its aspirations, making justice itself the protagonist.

Dedicating November 30th to the memory of the victims and officially recognizing colonial crimes, the African Union takes a founding stepNow it remains to translate this political will into concrete actions, so that memory becomes a source of reconciliation, an opportunity for works of mercy, and opens a new future for the continent's peoples.