The symbolism of the Haitian revolution, the epitaph of the struggles of the African slave people, whose heroism, resilience and courage led to the birth of the first independent slave republic, remains to occupy the centre stage, of the world political and socio-economic arena. The republic of Haiti is undoubtedly, the cradle of the world revolutionary struggles against imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism.
A group of African slaves clandestinely gathered during a sacred ceremony in a dense mountain forest of Haiti, sparking a revolution which would give birth to the first independent slave republic. One of the chief organisers of the insurrection, Boukman Dutty, closed the historic meeting with the following solemn prayer:
“The god who created the earth; who created the sun that gives us light. The god who holds up the ocean; who makes the thunder roar. Our God who has ears to hear. You who are hidden in the clouds; who watch us from where you are.
“You see all that the white has made us suffer. The white man’s god asks him to commit crimes. But the god within us wants to do good. Our god, who is so good, so just, He orders us to revenge our wrongs.
“It’s He who will direct our arms and bring us the victory. It’s He who will assist us. We all should throw away the image of the white men’s god who is so pitiless. Listen to the voice for liberty that speaks in all our hearts.”
The sacred ceremony heralded the end but the beginning of a turning point, in the history of the struggles, of the oppressed people of the world. The revolutionary momentum by the African slave people, which saw the burning of plantations and killing of thousands of slave owners, shook the foundations of the new world of industrial capitalism.
The revolution sent devastating shockwaves throughout the world, with the concerned by the United States of America and European colonial powers, that it would signal the end of the lucrative slave trade. The reason which propelled the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, to dispatch a warship carrying more than fifty thousands troops, to quell the popular uprising by the slave people.
Louverture Toussaint, an educated slave who emerged as the leader of the revolution, amidst repression and violence by the French colonial regime, made clarion call to his fellow country men and women, to take arms and liberate themselves from oppression and exploitation. The following was his renowned rallying cry for the unity of his people:
“Brothers and friends, I have undertaken vengeance. I want Liberty and Equality to reign in San Domingo. I work to bring them into existence. Unite yourselves to us, brothers, and fight with us for the same cause”.
After being captured and deported him to France, where he was imprisoned and starved to death at Fort de Joux in the Jura mountains, his fellow compatriots continued to heighten and intensify the struggle, under the slogan ‘ Liberty or Death’, which culminated into the defeat, of the most powerful French army, during the battle of Vertieres.
The decisive victory of the African slave people against the French regime, occasioned the declaration of the independence of the first slave republic in the world, with the following earth moving phrases:
“Let us vow to ourselves, to posterity, to the entire universe, to forever renounce France, and to die rather than live under its domination; to fight until our last breath for the independence of our country.”
Throughout the history of the struggle for the achievement of a higher social order, the principal contradiction has been the question of the contending classes in society. In Haiti, the contradictions were between the haves’ the slave owners’ and the have not’ the slave people’.
The extraordinary feats of the African slave people, continue to instil inspiration to the millions of the people of the world, as we unravel the complexities of the present historical epoch of our transition. They continue to define our common objectives, as we follow their footsteps, in pursuit of our struggles for freedom and dignity.
Built on the fundament of tribulations, hardships, triumph and marvels of human struggles, the first independent slave republic of Haiti, remains a true African state on the bosom of the Caribbean and Atlantic shores.
What the pathos of history reckon as the first independent slave republic, became the first independent African state in the American hemisphere.
Inspired by the rich history of the struggles of the African slaves through the Atlantic passage, summon us to attest to the philosophical view, that mankind, is a distinctive creature, in the realms of nature. The African slaves, distinguished themselves, as the most versatile creatures, with the capacity to think and overcome the burdens of all forms of adversity.
As we leap forward the noble cause of our struggle for transformation of the world, we have learned from them how to embrace the immense diversity of the beautiful bowls of our mother earth and all what we revere into prosperity. The path remains our common determination, to make the world, a better home for all.
The fundamental question we have to ask ourselves is, what have we done, to have turned what history bemoaned as the cradle of our struggles for the freedom of humanity, into a typical failed African state in the Americas. Is the land of the mountains’ Haiti’ a living testament of the horrors of imperialism and colonial domination.
In her masterpiece novel book, “The Fear of Black Republic: Haiti and the birth of Black Internationalism in the United States”, Professor Leslie Alexander, poses a fundamental question:
“How did Haiti go from the being of “Pearl of the Antilles” in the 18th century to being the most impoverished nation in the Americas in 20th century? The truth is that it was not an accident of history; it was by design.
“From the birth of Haitian independence in 1804 until the present day, the United States and other western European nations have used their economic and diplomatic strength to isolate and impoverish the island nation often referred to as The Black Republic.”
This is how the United States of America and European superpowers have turned the fortunes of the first independent slave republic into hopelessness and despair. The world of imperialism seeks to erase the candles of enlightenment of the barbarians at the gate.
The sin began when the African slaves, who were forcefully captured and sold as commodities into the American hemisphere, vowed to liberate themselves and declared the freedom and sovereignty of the first African state in the Americas. The bounds of their sacrifices carried the pain of our freedom.
Addressing the plenary session of the First Congress of the People of the East held in Baku in 1920, the renowned woman leader of the world progressive movement, Najiye Hanum, had to say the following:
“True, we may stumble in pathless darkness, we may stand on the brink of the yawning chasms, but we are not afraid, because we know that in order to see the dawn, one has to pass through the dark night.”
The coming generations, must know that the republic of Haiti, was the wealthiest of all the colonies of the European imperialism. Dependent on the free labour from millions of the African slaves, good climate and rich soil, the colony became the greatest exporter of the world coffee, indigo, rice, sugar and cocoa.
Her powerful economy accounted for 40 percent and 60 percent of the world supply of sugar and coffee respectively. It also accounted for a substantial supply of gold to most of the European stock markets.
After the triumph of the historic revolution, threatened by the growing ferment against the slave trade, the United States and most of the European colonial regimes, imposed unilateral economic and socio-political embargo, on the newly founded slave republic, in order to undermine her influence on the world stage.
The French colonial regime demanded reparations of over 20 billion dollars, in compensation for the loss of property and profit by the French plantation owners and merchants during the revolution. More sanctions were further imposed in demand of compensation, for the loss of the slave labour force, which French colonial regime regarded as part of its national assets.
For the past centuries since the Declaration of Independence, Haiti has been paying exorbitant loans to the French commercial banks, with high interest rates. The unilateral sanctions plunged Haiti into one of the poorest countries of the world.
During my tenure as the Ambassador to the republic of Cuba, I had the honour to represent my country, during the international donor conference for the reconstruction of Haiti, after the devastating earthquake, the rocked the beautiful Island. The conference was held in the Dominican Republic, under the auspices of the United Nations, to mobilise the international community, to assist the striving nation.
More than three hundred thousands people were killed, two hundred thousands injured, five million people left homeless and destitute, and the bulk of the infrastructure destroyed. The painstaking truth is that more than ten years of the deadly earthquake, most of the commitments pledged during the conference, have not yet be honoured.
The republic of Haiti has been turned into a heaven of chronic chaos, led by criminal gangs and international drug syndicates, which have taken over the administration of the democratic government of the people. Millions of the people have been displaced, as criminal gangsters have taken the law into their hands, in the eyes of the international community.
There is absolute lawlessness, with gangs running amok, opening gates of prisons, closing hospitals and schools, killing and raping women and girls with impunity and thousands dying of hunger and disease. We see atrocities and horrible acts of genocide against the poor people of Haiti.
The world community of nations have the moral responsibility to restore peace and stability in Haiti and ensure that there is a democratic government, based on the fundamental universal principles, of a free and fair elections. The return of constitutional democracy is a guarantee for a prosperous future of the people of the Island.
The world has also a moral obligation to demand from the government of the United States of America and European superpowers, to pay back what has been stolen from the poor nation of Haiti. We cannot dream of a better world of humanity, if they do not become remorseful to the atrocities they have committed over the years.
In our age and time, ours is to liberate our mother earth, from the vestiges of barbarism. There is no one but the millions of the people of the world themselves, who can realise a better future of peace and prosperity.
We must take it to ourselves that even if we cannot change the past but we can change the future. Haiti is the epitome of the world of freedom and equality.
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Ambassador Phatse Justice Piitso is a member of the African National Congress and the South African Communist party writing this article his personal capacity.