African leaders have urged formal recognition, criminalization, and restitution for offenses committed during the colonial era, framing reparations as a necessary step toward justice.

The call was made during a conference in Algiers, where diplomats and officials convened to advance an African Union resolution adopted earlier this year, which advocates for justice and reparations for those affected by colonial rule.

In his inaugural address, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf highlighted Algeria’s own experience under French colonialism as a reason for seeking compensation and reclaiming appropriated assets. He said any restitution must be treated as a right, not as “a gift or a favor.”

“Africa has the right to insist on the formal and explicit acknowledgment of the atrocities committed against its populations during the colonial era, which is a crucial initial step toward addressing the repercussions of that period,” Attaf said. “African nations and peoples continue to suffer significant consequences in terms of exclusion, marginalization, and underdevelopment.”

While international treaties widely prohibit practices such as slavery, torture, and apartheid, Attaf noted that the United Nations Charter, though forbidding the acquisition of territory through force, does not explicitly address colonialism.