Resisting Injustice: Are prosecutions necessary to right past wrongs?

From slavery to colonial rule, to the human rights abuses committed by African governments following independence, victims have experienced some truth-telling, too little justice, and scant compensation. In some cases – such as apartheid South Africa – impunity was the cost of securing the removal of an abusive regime. In others, such as the Wagalla massacre in Kenya and Gukurahundi in Zimbabwe, perpetrators continue to hold power and use their positions of influence to evade accountability. At the same time, former colonial governments point to the passage of time to sidestep their responsibility for torture, mass killings, and displacement. Some recent developments suggest that the tide may be turning. Earlier this month, the former long-ruling president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, received a life sentence in abstention for his role in the assassination of Thomas Sankara. And just last year, the German government agreed to pay Euro 1.1 billion to Namibians in reparations for the Herero-Nama genocide.

This show will explore whether we might see a new wave of trials and compensation for victims of atrocities. We will also ask what can be done to support justice and an end the culture of impunity. With varied contributions on Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, we will seek to understand what victims truly want and need to move on. Is truth enough? Are prosecutions necessary for progress and healing? And does reconciliation necessarily require reparations?