Forensic Analysis of Reparations to Africa for Depredations Under European Colonialism

This chapter conceptually differentiates between six distinct historical injustices under European colonialism in Africa and gives examples on how to determine reparations, compensation, or restitution for each. These historical injustices are, (1) the Transatlantic Slave Trade, (2) colonial exploitation, (3) corvée labor or forced labor in lieu of taxation, (4) land theft in settler colonies, (5) genocide, and (6) theft of cultural artifacts. The chapter estimates how much in reparations the successors of European slave trading powers would have to pay to the successors of the countries depopulated by the Transatlantic Slave Trade and to the descendants of the enslaved if the same per-victim rate was applied that Germany paid for each perished Jewish Holocaust victim after World War II. For the remaining depredations under European colonialism in Africa, the chapter analyzes examples with readily available data but incomplete temporal and geographic coverage. Since the analysis only considers individual examples of colonial powers and colonies, it cannot arrive at a comprehensive overall total estimate of European reparations. Much research remains to be done. However, this should not be taken as an excuse to withhold generous initial reparations payments at the current time. Initial down payments can later be upwardly corrected as new historical information becomes available.