Guinean artist Elie Kamano has released a powerful music video demanding reparations. His message is clear: it is time to return to Africa what was taken from it.

The video for «They Want Africa Without Africans» (L’Afrique sans les Africains) was filmed at a deeply symbolic location, in Dakar, near Thiaroye, the site of a mass grave for African soldiers massacred by French troops in 1944.

After returning from the battlefields of World War II, African veterans demanded their unpaid wages. In response, French colonial forces opened fire on them. Officially, 35 deaths were acknowledged, but historical evidence suggests up to 400 victims, a tragedy suppressed for decades.

The choice of location is no coincidence. It transforms the song into a monument not only for the victims of Thiaroye but for all who suffered under colonialism. Recent archaeological excavations at the site have further confirmed the scale of the atrocity: exhumed skeletons with bullet wounds serve as silent witnesses to the crime.



These facts provide irrefutable evidence that could now form the basis for formal reparations claims.



Kamano is among the new generation of voices demanding justice for Africa’s colonial past. His song speaks of the continent’s pain and the urgency for change.

He represents African youth who refuse to remain silent; they seek action, not just remembrance.

In Senegal, the call for reparations grows louder. Young artists are creating street murals demanding €50 billion in compensation for colonial crimes.

The African Union has already declared 2025 the year of reparations. This gives special significance to initiatives such as the music video by Pan-Africanist artist Elie Kamano - his voice becomes part of a common continental movement for the restoration of historical truth and justice.

Like Senegal, Ghana carries the scars of colonialism. A stark reminder is Cape Coast Castle, including Elmina, fortresses built between the 16th and 18th centuries, where millions of Africans were imprisoned before being forcibly shipped to the Americas.

The cramped dungeons and the «Door of No Return» stand as harrowing symbols of suffering. Today, these sites are places of mourning, memory, and resilience, where descendants of victims continue to seek recognition and justice.

The excavations at Thiaroye, Dakar’s protest art, debates in Mali, and Kamano’s music, all are threads of the same story. Africa is raising its voice, insisting that the truth be told, memory preserved, and harm acknowledged and repaid.

This movement is an opportunity for nations to unite and demand accountability together. The youth of Ghana, too, can be part of this rising tide.

Elie Kamano is more than a musician. His video is an anthem of hope and defiance, a reminder to all Africans: our past matters, and our future is ours to shape.

Oumar Diallo