Unless former colonial powers are held accountable for their past injustices, they are likely to find new ways to perform the same old play

除非前殖民國(guó)家對(duì)過去的不公正行為負(fù)責(zé)，否則他們很可能會(huì)找到新的方式重復(fù)同樣的老套路

Good news is coming from West Africa: last November landlocked Chad announced an immediate end to all security and defense ties with former colonial ruler France. The surprise announcement came just hours after the French foreign minister met Chadian President Mahamat Déby. With this decision, Chad joins a growing list of former French colonies rejecting Paris’ influence and kicking out its troops. On December 26 France handed over the first of its military bases to the Chadian army in Faya-Largeau. Paris will also evacuate troops from two more bases: in the capital N’Djamena and in the eastern city of Abeche.

西非傳來好消息：去年 11 月，內(nèi)陸國(guó)家乍得宣布立即終止與前殖民統(tǒng)治者法國(guó)的所有安全和防務(wù)關(guān)系。這一令人意外的聲明是在法國(guó)外交部長(zhǎng)會(huì)見乍得總統(tǒng)馬哈馬特·代比幾個(gè)小時(shí)后發(fā)布的。憑借這一決定，乍得加入了越來越多拒絕巴黎影響并撤出其軍隊(duì)的前法國(guó)殖民地的行列。12 月 26 日，法國(guó)將其在法亞拉若的第一個(gè)軍事基地移交給乍得軍隊(duì)。巴黎還將從另外兩個(gè)基地撤出軍隊(duì)：首都恩賈梅納和東部城市阿貝什。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處


In a pointed statement, Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah declared, “France must henceforth consider that Chad has grown up” and is a “sovereign state.” This rebuke reflects a broader wave across Africa, especially in the Sahel, where countries like Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have already cast off French influence.

乍得外交部長(zhǎng)阿卜杜拉曼·庫拉馬拉在一份尖銳的聲明中宣稱，“法國(guó)從今以后必須認(rèn)為乍得已經(jīng)長(zhǎng)大”并且是一個(gè)“主權(quán)國(guó)家”。這一譴責(zé)反映了整個(gè)非洲，尤其是薩赫勒地區(qū)的廣泛浪潮，尼日爾、馬里和布基納法索等國(guó)家已經(jīng)擺脫了法國(guó)的影響。

France’s role in the Libyan tragedy
The last decade saw French domination of former African colonies waning. A new generation of African leaders began to question their countries’ unequal ties to France, with Paris overexploiting their natural resources, leaving them to poverty and corrupt regimes Paris sustains with little tolerance for dissent.

法國(guó)在利比亞悲劇中扮演的角色
過去十年，法國(guó)對(duì)非洲前殖民地的統(tǒng)治逐漸減弱。新一代非洲領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人開始質(zhì)疑他們國(guó)家與法國(guó)的不平等關(guān)系，巴黎過度開發(fā)他們的自然資源，導(dǎo)致他們陷入貧困和腐敗的政權(quán)，而巴黎對(duì)異見幾乎不予容忍。

Libya, another African country, is a good example of French intolerance of any challenges to their hegemony. Under the late leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya played a leading role in creating the African unx, pushed for a unified African military and more continental economic integration. Paris believed that Gaddafi’s aspirations, given his continental popularity and Libya’s vast financial resources, were a threat to its influence across Africa.

另一個(gè)非洲國(guó)家利比亞很好地體現(xiàn)了法國(guó)不容忍任何對(duì)其霸權(quán)的挑戰(zhàn)。在已故領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人穆阿邁爾·卡扎菲的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下，利比亞在創(chuàng)建非洲聯(lián)盟、推動(dòng)非洲軍隊(duì)統(tǒng)一和非洲大陸經(jīng)濟(jì)一體化方面發(fā)揮了主導(dǎo)作用。巴黎認(rèn)為，鑒于卡扎菲在非洲大陸的聲望和利比亞雄厚的財(cái)政資源，卡扎菲的野心對(duì)其在非洲的影響力構(gòu)成了威脅。

France was among the first countries to decide to get rid of Gaddafi once and for all, but it needed UN cover to give its aggression against Libya more legitimacy. Under French, American, and British pressure, on March 17, 2011 the UNSC adopted resolution 1973 imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, while allowing willing member states to “take all necessary measures” to protect Libyan civilians allegedly being attacked by Gaddafi’s security forces while they were peacefully demonstrating against him.

法國(guó)是第一批決定徹底鏟除卡扎菲的國(guó)家之一，但它需要聯(lián)合國(guó)的掩護(hù)，以使其對(duì)利比亞的侵略更加合法。在法國(guó)、美國(guó)和英國(guó)的壓力下，聯(lián)合國(guó)安理會(huì)于 2011 年 3 月 17 日通過了第 1973 號(hào)決議，在利比亞上空設(shè)立禁飛區(qū)，同時(shí)允許有意愿的成員國(guó)“采取一切必要措施”保護(hù)據(jù)稱在和平示威期間遭到卡扎菲安全部隊(duì)襲擊的利比亞平民。

But on the ground, armed jihadists and some demonstrators invaded government police and military facilities, stole weapons and launched an armed rebellion. The Tripoli government responded by attacking armed groups, and the peaceful demonstrations escalated into full-fledged civil war – a scenario that repeated in Syria with little variation.
On March 19, French air forces launched the first aerial bombardment of Libyan government forces and the first air patrol of the no-fly zone. On March 23, NATO officially started what it called “Operation Unified Protector” and the alliance started nonstop bombardment of Libya until the end of October, ten days after Gaddafi himself was murdered.

但在地面上，武裝圣戰(zhàn)分子和一些示威者闖入政府警察和軍事設(shè)施，搶劫武器并發(fā)動(dòng)武裝叛亂。的黎波里政府以攻擊武裝團(tuán)體作為回應(yīng)，和平示威升級(jí)為全面內(nèi)戰(zhàn)——這一場(chǎng)景在敘利亞重演，幾乎沒有變化。
3月19日，法國(guó)空軍首次對(duì)利比亞政府軍進(jìn)行空中轟炸，并首次在禁飛區(qū)進(jìn)行空中巡邏。3月23日，北約正式啟動(dòng)所謂的“統(tǒng)一保護(hù)者行動(dòng)”，聯(lián)盟開始對(duì)利比亞進(jìn)行不間斷轟炸，直到10月底，也就是卡扎菲本人被謀殺10天后。

Yet, France remains as unapologetic as ever. Reparations for crimes in Algeria or Mali are absent from Paris’s agenda, much like London’s silence on its Imperial brutal legacy or Rome’s disinterest in its colonial misdeeds in Libya and Ethiopia.
The world, however, has changed, and calls for reparations and recognition of colonial atrocities are rising, challenging former empires to face their dark pasts. Here are two examples of colonial evil which still continues today.

然而，法國(guó)仍然一如既往地不道歉。巴黎的議程中沒有對(duì)阿爾及利亞或馬里罪行進(jìn)行賠償，就像倫敦對(duì)其帝國(guó)殘酷遺產(chǎn)保持沉默，羅馬對(duì)其在利比亞和埃塞俄比亞的殖民罪行漠不關(guān)心一樣。
然而，世界已經(jīng)改變，要求賠償和承認(rèn)殖民暴行的呼聲正在高漲，挑戰(zhàn)前帝國(guó)正視其黑暗的過去。以下是兩個(gè)至今仍在繼續(xù)的殖民罪惡的例子。

Palestine: A classic case of colonialism
Earlier in the 20th century, Palestine fell under a British mandate while the British Empire was in decline. To get Jewish support in the First World War and later in the second, the British government promised the Jewish Diaspora to help them carve out their own state in Palestine. This commitment, formalized in the infamous Balfour Declaration of 1917, shaped the fate of Palestine to this day. In a letter to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour expressed support for a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine – while casually stipulating that it shouldn’t harm the “civil and religious rights” of existing non-Jewish communities.

巴勒斯坦：殖民主義的典型案例
20 世紀(jì)初，巴勒斯坦淪為英國(guó)托管地，而當(dāng)時(shí)大英帝國(guó)正處于衰落之中。為了在第一次世界大戰(zhàn)和第二次世界大戰(zhàn)中得到猶太人的支持，英國(guó)政府承諾幫助猶太人在巴勒斯坦建立自己的國(guó)家。這一承諾在 1917 年臭名昭著的《貝爾福宣言》中正式確立，至今仍影響著巴勒斯坦的命運(yùn)。英國(guó)外交大臣亞瑟·貝爾福在寫給猶太社區(qū)領(lǐng)袖羅斯柴爾德勛爵的信中表示支持在巴勒斯坦建立“猶太人的民族家園”——同時(shí)隨意規(guī)定這不應(yīng)損害現(xiàn)有非猶太社區(qū)的“公民權(quán)利和宗教權(quán)利”。

Predictably, the rights of Palestinians were trampled. Successive UK governments upheld their promise to Zionist interests, offering political cover, weapons, and tacit approval of recruitment of Jews within Britain itself. This unwavering support laid the foundation for Israel’s creation – a legacy that persists, including in its current genocidal war in Gaza.

不出所料，巴勒斯坦人的權(quán)利遭到踐踏。歷屆英國(guó)政府都信守對(duì)猶太復(fù)國(guó)主義利益的承諾，提供政治掩護(hù)、武器，并默許在英國(guó)境內(nèi)招募猶太人。這種堅(jiān)定不移的支持為以色列的建立奠定了基礎(chǔ)——這一遺產(chǎn)一直延續(xù)至今，包括目前在加沙進(jìn)行的種族滅絕戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。

Part of Palestine became Israel and the United States stepped in transforming the Britain-godfathered project into a regional superpower. On average, Israel receives some $3.3 billion a year from the US and has got billions more since the star of Israeli’s operation in Gaza. The US has ensured Israel’s dominance. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian land, yet neither Washington nor London supported the decision.

巴勒斯坦的一部分成為以色列，美國(guó)介入將英國(guó)主導(dǎo)的計(jì)劃轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)榈貐^(qū)超級(jí)大國(guó)。平均而言，以色列每年從美國(guó)獲得約 33 億美元，自以色列在加沙行動(dòng)中大放異彩以來，又獲得了數(shù)十億美元。美國(guó)確保了以色列的主導(dǎo)地位。2024 年 7 月，國(guó)際法院 (ICJ) 命令以色列結(jié)束對(duì)巴勒斯坦土地的占領(lǐng)，但華盛頓和倫敦均不支持該決定。

In a scandalous disregard for international law, when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, US President Joe Biden described the warrants as “outrageous” despite the over 150,000 Palestinians killed and injured by the US weapons Israel uses in bombing Gaza.

當(dāng)國(guó)際刑事法院對(duì)以色列總理本雅明·內(nèi)塔尼亞胡和前國(guó)防部長(zhǎng)約阿夫·加蘭特發(fā)出逮捕令時(shí)，美國(guó)總統(tǒng)喬·拜登稱這些逮捕令“令人憤慨”，盡管以色列在轟炸加沙時(shí)使用的美國(guó)武器已造成15萬多名巴勒斯坦人傷亡，以色列卻無視國(guó)際法。

Israel today is an outpost for imperialist US policies in the Middle East. It serves US military hegemony as an arms depot for the American army and a surveillance post with the same old colonial intentions.

今天的以色列是美國(guó)在中東推行帝國(guó)主義政策的前哨，它作為美國(guó)軍隊(duì)的軍火庫和監(jiān)視哨所，為美國(guó)的軍事霸權(quán)服務(wù)，其殖民意圖依然如故。

The British Empire’s latest scandal
Last October, the UK and Mauritius reached a historic agreement on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, resolving a 50-year-old dispute. The US reportedly applauded the deal, as it operates a major military base on Diego Garcia, part of the archipelago. In 1965, the UK seized control of the Chagos Islands, renaming them the British Indian Ocean Territory and refusing to hand them over to Mauritius when it gained independence. Instead, the UK secretly leased Diego Garcia to the US for a Navy Support Facility.

大英帝國(guó)的最新丑聞
去年 10 月，英國(guó)和毛里求斯就印度洋查戈斯群島的主權(quán)問題達(dá)成了歷史性協(xié)議，解決了長(zhǎng)達(dá) 50 年之久的爭(zhēng)端。據(jù)報(bào)道，美國(guó)對(duì)這項(xiàng)協(xié)議表示贊賞，因?yàn)樗谌簫u的迭戈加西亞島上設(shè)有一個(gè)大型軍事基地。1965 年，英國(guó)奪取了查戈斯群島的控制權(quán)，將其改名為英屬印度洋領(lǐng)地，并拒絕在毛里求斯獨(dú)立時(shí)將其移交給毛里求斯。相反，英國(guó)秘密將迭戈加西亞租給美國(guó)作為海軍支援設(shè)施。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處


As the US wanted the place depopulated, it collaborated with the British and from 1965 to 1973 forcibly removed between 1,400 to 1,700 Chagossians from Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos, and the Salomon Islands, abandoning them in Seychelles and Mauritius without ever disclosing the exact number of people displaced.

美國(guó)為了減少此地人口，便與英國(guó)合作，在1965年至1973年間強(qiáng)行驅(qū)逐了1,400至1,700名查戈斯人離開迭戈加西亞島、佩羅斯巴尼奧斯島和所羅門群島，并將他們遺棄在塞舌爾和毛里求斯，但從未透露過確切的流離失所者人數(shù)。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處


In 2008, the ICJ declared the UK’s occupation illegal, a ruling Britain ignored. In 2019, the same court demanded the UK swiftly cede the islands to Mauritius, and in 2021, the International Maritime Court reaffirmed that British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands is unlawful. Despite these rulings, the UK refused to comply, while the displaced people were denied the right to return – not even for a nostalgic brief visit.
Diego Garcia evolved into major US naval and air base providing strategic logistical support and surveillance during the cold war. In 2001 and 2003, it played an important role in the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively.

2008 年，國(guó)際法院宣布英國(guó)占領(lǐng)該群島非法，英國(guó)無視這一裁決。2019 年，同一法院要求英國(guó)迅速將這些島嶼割讓給毛里求斯，2021 年，國(guó)際海事法院重申英國(guó)對(duì)查戈斯群島的主權(quán)是非法的。盡管有這些裁決，英國(guó)仍拒絕遵守，而流離失所者被剝奪了返回的權(quán)利——甚至連一次懷舊的短暫訪問也不行。
迪戈加西亞在冷戰(zhàn)期間發(fā)展成為美國(guó)主要的海軍和空軍基地，提供戰(zhàn)略后勤支持和監(jiān)視。2001 年和 2003 年，它分別在美國(guó)入侵阿富汗和伊拉克中發(fā)揮了重要作用。

Time for apologies and reparations
Israel, just like France, the UK, and almost all other former colonial powers still refuses to accept responsibility for its colonial evil deeds. Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories has been singled out as a GENO.... incomparable to any other atrocities in recent conflicts. At least three international judgements have been passed against Israel: the first by the ICJ in 2003, then by the UN General Assembly which voted in September 2024 to call on Israel to end its illegal occupation, and again by the ICJ last July. Yet nothing is happening.

道歉和賠償?shù)臅r(shí)間到了
以色列與法國(guó)、英國(guó)和幾乎所有其他前殖民國(guó)家一樣，仍然拒絕為其殖民惡行承擔(dān)責(zé)任。以色列對(duì)巴勒斯坦領(lǐng)土的占領(lǐng)被視為種族滅絕，是近期沖突中任何其他暴行都無法比擬的。至少有三項(xiàng)國(guó)際判決針對(duì)以色列：第一項(xiàng)由國(guó)際法院于 2003 年做出，然后由聯(lián)合國(guó)大會(huì)于 2024 年 9 月投票呼吁以色列結(jié)束其非法占領(lǐng)，第二項(xiàng)由國(guó)際法院于去年 7 月做出。然而什么都沒有發(fā)生。

France still refuses to apologize let alone pay reparations to Algeria for the massacres and destruction it caused during its 135 years of occupation. The UK in the case of Diego Garcia rejects any reparations let alone allowing displaced people to return.
But more and more Global South countries are increasingly demanding reparations and apologies from their former colonial masters. The issue took center stage at the Commonwealth summit held in Samoa last October. Most member states, particularly in the Caribbean, want the UK to be held accountable for its historical injustices including slavery.

法國(guó)仍然拒絕向阿爾及利亞道歉，更別說為占領(lǐng)阿爾及利亞 135 年間造成的屠殺和破壞支付賠償。英國(guó)在迭戈加西亞島問題上拒絕任何賠償，更別說允許流離失所者返回。
但越來越多的全球南方國(guó)家要求其前殖民統(tǒng)治者賠償和道歉。去年 10 月在薩摩亞舉行的英聯(lián)邦峰會(huì)上，這個(gè)問題成為焦點(diǎn)。大多數(shù)成員國(guó)，尤其是加勒比海地區(qū)的國(guó)家，都希望英國(guó)為其包括奴隸制在內(nèi)的歷史不公正行為負(fù)責(zé)。

The UN has designated 218 annual days to commemorate, highlight, remember, and celebrate different humanitarian issues, yet none of them specifically and directly calls for complete accountability for the evil of colonialism. Indeed, there have been some decisions on the matter of reparations but none of them is binding. Unless former colonial powers are held accountable, they are likely to perpetuate the same colonial habits, find new ways to prey upon nations they deem inferior or weak, and exploit their peoples and resources.

聯(lián)合國(guó)每年指定 218 個(gè)紀(jì)念日來紀(jì)念、強(qiáng)調(diào)、記住和慶祝不同的人道主義問題，但沒有一個(gè)具體直接地要求對(duì)殖民主義的邪惡行為進(jìn)行全面問責(zé)。事實(shí)上，在賠償問題上已經(jīng)做出了一些決定，但沒有一個(gè)具有約束力。除非前殖民國(guó)家承擔(dān)責(zé)任，否則它們很可能會(huì)延續(xù)同樣的殖民習(xí)慣，找到新的方式來掠奪它們認(rèn)為低劣或弱小的國(guó)家，并剝削這些國(guó)家的人民和資源。