Leading activists write to Nicolas Sarzoky urging president to repay more than €17bn to help earthquake-hit country rebuild France's President Nicolas Sarkozy during a visit to Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, after the earthquake in January. Photograph: Francois Mori/AFP/Getty Images
A group of international academics and authors has written to Nicolas Sarkozy calling on France to reimburse the crushing "independence debt" it imposed on Haiti nearly 200 years ago.
The open letter to the French president says the debt, now worth more than €17bn (£14bn), would cover the rebuilding of the country after a devastating earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people seven months ago.
Its signatories – including Noam Chomsky, the American linguist, Naomi Klein, the Canadian author and activist, Cornel West, the African-American author and civil rights activist, and several renowned French philosophers – say that if France repays the money it would be a solution to the shortfall in international donations promised following the earthquake.
Despite pledges at an international donors' conference in March of aid totalling £3.4bn, only five countries – Brazil, Norway, Australia, Colombia and Estonia – have sent aid amounting to about £325m.
The letter, published in the French newspaper Libération today says the debt was "patently illegitimate ... and illegal".
The debt dates back to when Haiti, then St Dominique, was France's most profitable colony thanks to slavery. In 1791 the slaves revolted, and in 1804, after defeating Napoleon's forces, they founded the world's first independent black republic.
But after independence, French slave owners demanded compensation. In 1825 the French monarch Charles X demanded Haiti pay an "independence debt" of 150m gold francs – 10 times the fledgling nation's annual revenue. The original sum was reduced but Haiti still paid 90m gold francs – about €17bn today – to France. It was still paying off this debt in 1947.
In 2004, a lawsuit launched by Haiti to recover the money was abandoned when France backed the overthrow of the government.
Campaigners say the debt was illegal even in 1825, because when the original demand for compensation was made slavery was technically outlawed.
Their letter says: "The 'independence debt', which is today valued at well over €17bn ... illegitimately forced a people who had won their independence in a successful slave revolt, to pay again for the freedom.
"In 2003, when the Haitian government demanded repayment of the money France had extorted from Haiti, the French government responded by helping to overthrow that government."
The letter describes France's actions as "inappropriate responses to a demand that is morally, economically, and legally unassailable", adding: "In light of the urgent financial need in the country in the wake of the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, we urge you to pay Haiti, the world's first black republic, the restitution it is due."
The letter has also been signed by members of parliament from Europe, Canada and the Philippines, as well as scholars, journalists and activists in France, Haiti, the US, Canada, the UK, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Germany.
I agree with the slave master's paying repair -ation, but it will snow in JA, before that happen's. As a matter of fact they can never repay us for what they they have done and continue to do whether overtly or covertley. God having a conversation with Abram, "Abram know for a certainty that thy seed will be strangers in a land that does not belong to them", "and that nation will afflict them for 400 years, and they shal serve that nation for 400 years, and that nation will i judge and they my people will come out with great substance", and in that day i will send Elijah and he will turn the heart's of the children toward's the father and the father's heart toward's the children lest i come and smite the earth with a curse.
I know the first thing we was taught by "Massa", that that part of the scripture's is talking about Jew's being in bondage in ancient Kemmit or (Egypt) meaning the land of the land of the burnt skined people, even Saudia Arabia ( Black Arabia), but no where in Egyptian history is it recorded, it is not found any where that Egyptian's had them in bondage for 400 years. Hell if that was the case then after 400 years they would be looking like us. What it is talking about is us that were in bondage for 400 years. You keep reading about what you think Moses of 4,000 year's ago did, hell the work's of Moses have been in front of us. 75% of what is in the book is prophetic, the other 25% is actual history, i know what ole Rev Pig Foot told us so we keep looking back when the work's is right in front of us. So the question is does the world need a Moses, Jesus, Muhammad shore do. Wel the scripture say's in the last day's the prophet's will be seen walking amongst the people, no dont get spooky, it simply mean's that a man bearing the characteristic of these prophets will be amongst us. This is the time that the prophet's of old wished they were in. Jesus of 2,000 years ago cried because he realised he was 2,000 years ahead of his time, he knew he wasn't the one so he said it is expedient that i go lest the comforter can not come.
Your point of view is so wonderful, and I feel very interesting. I have a lot of immature idea where you get the answer, I will continue to focus on your posts, I hope you can continue to update, I will put my views and ideas to share with you.
