By Rafiyat Sadiq
French President Emmanuel Macron has formally acknowledged the violent repression carried out by French forces in Cameroon during and after the country’s fight for independence.
The admission follows a joint investigation by French and Cameroonian historians into France’s suppression of independence movements between 1945 and 1971.
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In a letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, made public on Tuesday, Macron wrote that the findings made clear “a war had taken place in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army exercised repressive violence of several kinds in certain regions of the country”.
“It is up to me today to assume the role and responsibility of France in these events,” he stated, stopping short of issuing an outright apology.
The report, cited by AFP, detailed mass killings, forced internment of hundreds of thousands, and the use of brutal militias to crush the uprising. It recorded tens of thousands of deaths between 1956 and 1961.
Among those killed were prominent independence leaders, including Ruben Um Nyobe of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC).
The investigation, commissioned in 2022 during Macron’s visit to Yaoundé, followed growing pressure in Cameroon for France to recognise past atrocities and consider reparations. Macron expressed willingness to support further research and make findings accessible to universities and research bodies.
While he did not address compensation, the issue is expected to remain a major political talking point in Cameroon.
Under Macron, France has confronted aspects of its colonial legacy, previously acknowledging the killing of West African troops in Senegal in 1944 and recognising its role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Source: BBC
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
