Overview

• French President Emmanuel Macron formally acknowledged the financial indemnity imposed on Haiti in 1825 as a historic injustice.
• The indemnity, initially set at 150 million gold francs and later reduced to 90 million, was paid off by Haiti through 1947, crippling its economy for over a century.
• Macron announced the creation of a French-Haitian historical commission to study their shared colonial history and propose steps toward reconciliation.
• Experts link the long-term economic impact of the indemnity to Haiti’s current poverty and escalating gang violence, which affects over one million people.
• The commission aims to foster understanding and provide recommendations for building a more equitable Franco-Haitian relationship.