Activists pursue reparations for colonial violence in Africa
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Liliane Umubyeyi, co-founder of African Futures Lab, works to secure reparatory justice for people of African descent and to address the lasting effects of colonialism.
Umubyeyi’s activism stems from her childhood experiences in Rwanda before and after the 1994 genocide, and a subsequent observation of Eurocentric biases within human rights organizations. She and her colleagues at African Futures Lab shifted focus from providing aid to demanding accountability and reparations for exploitation of African resources and labour.
The organization currently focuses on securing justice for Metis children, those born to African mothers and European fathers, who were forcibly removed from their families by the Belgian colonial administration in Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1948 and 1961. In 2024, five Metis women won a case against the Belgian State, securing reparations, and again in 2026 when the state appealed.
Umubyeyi and her partners are now working to expand this victory by providing support to remaining mothers and those still living in the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi. They also organized the Wakati Wetu Festival, bringing together people from over 20 countries to discuss reparations and racial justice, believing that sustained activism will build momentum for future generations even if complete victory isn't achieved within their lifetimes.
