Reflecting on the Berlin Conference: Calls for Reckoning and Reparations

A diverse group of activists, artists, and academics recently convened in Berlin for the Dekoloniale project, reflecting on the legacy of the 1884 Berlin Conference which divided Africa among European powers. The event stressed the ongoing impact of colonialism and discussed the growing calls for reparations.

In Berlin, a group of activists, artists, and academics gathered to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the 1884 Berlin Conference, which led to the division of Africa by European powers. The Dekoloniale project brought together individuals to reflect on colonialism's enduring impact and discuss reparations.

Experts, representing the African continent and its global diaspora, met at the European Commission's German headquarters, near where the original meeting took place. They examined the 100-day conference where European leaders carved Africa into borders still in existence, driven by economic motives and power control.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a British Labour lawmaker, emphasized the violence of the territorial rearrangement, while Finnish-Nigerian author Minna Salami highlighted the resulting impoverishment and trauma. Calls for reparations echoed, though decisions rest with individual EU member states, illustrating the ongoing debate over historical injustices.

(With inputs from agencies.)