BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Belgian colonial policy in Central Africa has had profound consequences that are still felt today and, therefore, acknowledging historical injustices is a necessary prerequisite for building a more just future, Azerbaijani MP Tural Ganjaliyev said, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
Ganjaliyev made the remarks at an international conference in Baku on “Belgium’s colonial injustice and 101-year path to reparations.”
He noted that Belgium’s more than century-long colonial rule in Central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, left lasting consequences, including systematic economic exploitation, widespread violence, and the destruction of local societies and institutions. “Recognizing the past is a necessary condition for building a more just future,” Ganjaliyev said.
According to him, these historical facts are not a matter of opinion, but are documented and recognized by numerous researchers, legal experts and international institutions. “These facts are not a matter of opinion. They are documented history, recognized by numerous researchers, legal experts and international institutions,” he noted.
Furthermore, Ganjaliyev stressed that the discussion should now focus not on whether historical injustice took place, but on how the international community, the states concerned and Belgium itself can move toward its full recognition and concrete reparations. “This includes such forms of redress as restitution, compensation and guarantees of non-recurrence,” the MP said.
The MP noted that the Baku conference brought together representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Morocco and South Africa, along with various African perspectives united by a common call for historical justice.
in addition, Ganjaliyev emphasized the importance of conducting a historical and legal assessment of Belgium’s colonial period and discussing concrete legal mechanisms that could pave the way for reparations.
