The African Union has designated 2025 as the Year of Reparations for the African continent, calling on former colonial powers to respond to demands for historical and economic compensation. For Cameroonian economist Célestin Tchakounté, this initiative represents a crucial opportunity for countries such as Mali to demand full and documented reparation for the damage suffered, particularly from France.
«The issue of reparations is neither moral nor ideological: it is based on facts, figures and the principles of international justice», says the expert.
Massive and prolonged exploitation of Mali’s resources
Célestin Tchakounté highlights several priorities that Mali can claim compensation for, starting with the prolonged exploitation of its natural resources. He refers in particular to gold, where French companies such as SOMIKA and, more recently, Barrick Gold have controlled deposits for decades. Since the 1960s, almost 800 tonnes of gold have been extracted from Mali, but the country has only received between 5% and 10% of its real value. The rest, says the economist, has been appropriated in the form of profits by foreign groups. At current market prices, this would represent a shortfall of several tens of billions of dollars.
The same applies to uranium. The exploitation of the Falea deposit, initiated in the 1970s under the leadership of Areva (now Orano), was carried out under contracts that were particularly unfavourable to Mali. These contracts allocated up to 90% of the profits to the French party. Added to this are the lasting environmental consequences, such as radioactive contamination of mining areas, which have been ignored for years.
Finally, cotton represents another aspect of economic pillage. By imposing a cotton monoculture in Mali, France caused a structural weakening of subsistence farming. Cotton was bought at artificially low prices by French companies, then resold on world markets at prices multiplied by five or even ten.
A precise assessment method
According to the economist, there is a rigorous method for estimating the compensation to be claimed: it involves revaluing all the resources extracted at current market prices, while adding a percentage corresponding to the profits lost over several decades, as well as the social and ecological costs incurred. For gold and uranium alone, the amount of compensation could be between 50 and 100 billion dollars.
But beyond these figures, Célestin Tchakounté insists on the indispensable return of looted Malian cultural property. In particular, he cites the Dogon and Mandingo treasures on display in French museums, which he believes must be returned unconditionally. «The restitution of cultural heritage is not a favour, it is a moral and historical obligation. These objects are not exotic souvenirs, they are witnesses to plundered civilisations», he insists.
The legal basis of the claim
When asked about the legal basis for such a demand, Célestin Tchakounté refers to colonial contracts signed under duress, which have no legitimacy under current principles of international law. He also claims that France has deliberately prevented the development of a processing industry in Mali, preferring to keep the country in a position of structural dependence on its raw materials.
Faced with this situation, the expert considers that Mali has several levers at its disposal. It can bring the case before the International Court of Justice or the relevant United Nations instances to have its rights recognised. It can also demand the cancellation or restructuring of the so-called colonial debt, which is considered illegitimate. Finally, the country can decide to nationalise the assets of French companies still operating on its territory, as Guinea did when it regained control of its mines after independence.
«It is not a question of reopening the wounds of the past, but of repairing a concrete and quantifiable loss. Reparations are not a political whim, but a principle of international economic justice», concludes the economist.
