The first French president to visit Haiti, in February 201, French president Nicolas Sarkozy made history by visiting Haiti.  After visiting the areas affected by the earthquake, Nicolas Sarkozy offered aids to France's former slave colony and promised>

 Nicolas Sarkozy was greeted on his arrival in Haiti by Haitian President Rene Preval

Haiti fought for and won its independence in 1804 from France to become the first independent black republic. A third of the population of Haiti was killed in an uprising against exceptionally brutal slavery regime of the French.

Following Haiti independence, France demanded that Haiti pays 150m francs in compensation for the lost property, including slaves of French plantation owners. Just by comparison, as a result of the Haitian victory over the French, later France sold the entire Louisiana territory to the US for just 60m francs, which was less the half the price demanded for the Haiti territory. This amount was later reduced to 90m gold francs