French-Haitian panel to study ex-colony’s history and ‘independence debt’

France’s President Emmanuel Macron says he will set up a commission to study French-Haitian history and the impact of a huge debt imposed on Haiti in exchange for its independence exactly 200 years ago.

Macron said the panel of French and Haitian historians would make recommendations to help build a more “peaceful future”.

Haiti gained independence from France in 1804, but in 1825, France ordered that the former colony pay 150m gold francs – later reduced to 90m – to compensate French slave owners and secure an end to hostilities.

The debt, which was not paid off until 1947, contributed to Haiti becoming one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the Americas.

The debt has been a source of anger among Haitians, who have called for France to repay the money.

It is unclear whether financial reparations will be on the table in this commission.

French administrations have acknowledged the historic wrong of slavery in Haiti and other former colonies but have avoided any real discussion over whether they would return the “independence debt”.

Macron said the debt “put a price on the freedom of a young nation, which was thus confronted, from its very inception, with the unjust force of history”.

“Once this necessary and indispensable work has been completed, this commission will propose recommendations to both governments, so that they can learn from them and build a more peaceful future,” he added.

In an interview with Le Monde on Thursday, Haitian writer Monique Clesca said that France is “losing influence in the world, particularly in Africa. Its former colonies are turning their backs on it”.

Macron can go some way to changing this by acknowledging the “injustice” of the debt, she said.

“This recognition will not erase the harm that has been done, but it could ease some pain.”

Haiti is currently wracked by economic chaos, little functioning political control, and increasingly violent gang warfare.

More than 5,500 people were killed in gang-related violence in the Caribbean nation in 2024 and more than a million people have fled their homes.

Haiti’s transitional presidential council, the body created to re-establish democratic order, has made little progress towards organising long-delayed elections.