By Spy Uganda
The Government of Algeria will host the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa from 30 November to 1 December 2025 in Algiers, according to a communication sent by the Algerian Embassy in Kampala to Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The conference, convened under the high patronage of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, follows African Union Assembly Decision 903 (XXXVIII), adopted in February 2025. The AU decision endorsed Algeria’s proposal to organise a continent-wide meeting aligned to the AU Theme of the Year 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”
In an information note circulated to Uganda, the embassy underscored Algeria’s longstanding commitment to historical justice, rooted in its own experience as a nation that endured severe colonial oppression. The initiative, it noted, reflects Algeria’s continued support for efforts that safeguard the dignity, memory and rights of African peoples.
The high-level gathering is expected to bring together ministers, jurists, historians, academics and subject-matter experts from across Africa, the Caribbean and other regions. Delegates will work toward establishing a unified African position on historical justice, reparations, the restitution of cultural heritage and the preservation of collective memory.
Discussions will span a wide range of topics, including the human, cultural, economic, environmental and legal impacts of colonialism. Key agenda items include intergenerational trauma, the destruction and theft of African cultural heritage, exploitation of natural resources, economic systems shaped by colonial rule, and environmental harm—such as nuclear testing conducted on African populations. Participants will also examine legal frameworks that could reinforce the criminalisation of colonialism, slavery, racial segregation and apartheid as crimes against humanity.
The conference will further consider proposals for establishing a permanent African mechanism on reparations and restitution.
As host, Algeria aims to advance continent-wide efforts on historical justice and strengthen African advocacy for global recognition of colonial-era abuses. The meeting is expected to culminate in the Algiers Declaration, which will articulate a continental framework for codifying colonial crimes and shaping a unified African strategy on reparations. The declaration will be submitted to the African Union Summit in February 2026 for deliberation and possible adoption.
