French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that France used “repressive violence” in Cameroon during the 1950s as the West African country fought for its independence. In a letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, Macron acknowledged the actions of French colonial troops. The letter was made public by Macron’s office and comes at a time when France’s presence in its former African colonies has been increasingly disputed.
This admission follows an official report commissioned by France in 2022, which found that France used mass forced displacement, interned many Cameroonians, and supported militias known for brutality. The French army’s repressive measures continued after Cameroon’s independence in 1960. Macron stated that the historians who compiled the report made it clear that a war took place in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence that continued after independence.
The French president further acknowledged France’s role in the deaths of Cameroonian leaders Ruben Um Nyobe, Paul Momo, Isaac Nyobe Pandjock, and Jeremie Ndelene, who were killed between 1958 and 1960 in French-commanded military operations. Macron stated that France’s measures in fighting Cameroon’s independence cost “tens of thousands of lives.”
Cameroon came under French rule in World War I, after Germany, its previous colonial ruler, suffered a defeat. The report is part of Macron’s push for France to face its own colonial history. However, many argue that Macron’s actions do not go far enough. Reports have also found that France bears “overwhelming responsibilities” in the Rwandan genocide and has addressed France’s role in Algeria’s war of independence. Macron ruled out an official apology for the abuses carried out by French soldiers in Algeria.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/macron-acknowledges-french-colonial-repression-in-cameroon/a-73617675?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
