BIG calls for Belgian apology, reparations to Central African nations

Central African countries have been waiting since around the 1960s for Belgium to take concrete steps toward addressing the issue of reparations, Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), has stated.

Speaking to journalists, Abbasov said the issue should be addressed through concrete measures in accordance with international law, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

He said Belgium should first issue an official state-level apology to Central African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

“One of the most important steps should be an official state-level apology from Belgium to the Central African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. This should be followed by determining the amount of compensation to be paid to these countries and making the payments in stages. Finally, one of the key steps should be a guarantee that Belgium will not interfere in the domestic political affairs of these countries, as well as the establishment of a legal mechanism to prevent the recurrence of colonial crimes,” Abbasov said.

He also stressed that efforts to address the issue should involve not only governments but also civil society organizations and international institutions.

“This issue should not be raised only by state representatives on international platforms. Civil society institutions and UN bodies should also bring it up for discussion at various international forums,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva