After decades of colonisation, exploitation and resource extraction, African countries want an apology and a pay cheque. Members of the 55-member African Union bloc are meeting in Addis Ababa to try to consolidate a position on reparatory justice. Currently there are armed conflicts in more than 30 African states. The violence in Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular, is likely to dominate discussions. Is now the right time to be having this debate?