In 1825, France demanded a hefty indemnity from its former colony to compensate former colonists in exchange for recognizing its independence. Haitian essayist and speaker Monique Clesca, a former United Nations official and a feminist activist, co-founded a collective of Haitian intellectuals advocating for the restitution of this imposed debt. She is one of the architects of the monitoring office of the "Montana Accord," a document drafted by several civil society organizations in 2021 advocating a democratic solution to the political crisis engulfing the country.
What is your perspective on King Charles X's ordinance and the French-Haitian treaty of 1825, stipulating that Haiti pay 150 million gold francs to the French state in exchange for it recognizing Haiti's independence?
It makes me angry and gives me a sense of immense injustice. It is important to remember that, 21 years after defeating Napoleon's troops, Haiti was completely isolated. England, which had colonies in the neighboring islands, and the United States, which had slave plantations, had ostracized us. We needed our independence to be recognized by the rest of the world, so we had to negotiate with France.
You have 83.17% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.