French govt urged to pay back Haiti's $22bn 'independence debt'

A colonial France asking $22bn from Haiti

Haiti declared independence from France in 1804

France left colonial Haiti in $22bn poverty debt

French Gov Website hacked...to ask pay back

Leading international academics and authors have written an open letter to France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, urging him to repay a €17 billion "independence debt" imposed on Haiti two centuries ago.

125 years Haiti paid to France

In 1825, French King Charles X demanded Haiti pay 150 million gold francs, a sum which was later reduced to 90 million gold francs, the equivalent of €17 billion. Faced with the prospect of a French blockade, Haiti was powerless to refuse. It took the fledgling nation almost 125 years to pay the full sum.

source: france24.com/en