Haiti’s independence debt to France focus of debate at UN

ONU - 19/04
Two centuries to the day after France imposed a crippling debt on Haiti in exchange for its independence, a UN forum heard calls for the restitution of what has long been described as a “ransom” extorted under the threat of force from the Caribbean nation that still bears the scars of colonialism and slavery.

The first country ever to free itself from slavery through a successful uprising, Haiti gained independence from France in 1804. But the price for defying the colonial order was steep. On April 17, 1825, besieged by French warships, Haiti agreed to pay an indemnity of 150 million gold francs to the European power.

Officially, the payment was meant to compensate French plantation owners for “lost property” following independence, but the amount far exceeded actual losses.

“France forced the winners of Haiti’s independence – the former slaves – to compensate the losers, their former masters,” said Monique Clesca, a journalist and activ...
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