France has acknowledged its role in decades of violent repression of independence movements in Cameroon. A joint Franco-Cameroonian commission’s findings, revealed in a letter from French President Emmanuel Macron to Cameroonian President Paul Biya on July 30, confirm that French colonial authorities and military forces committed various forms of violent repression against the country.
The commission’s report, spanning 1945-1971, also investigated crimes committed by France’s post-independence government. Biya served as prime minister under Ahidjo from 1975 to 1982. Macron accepted responsibility for France’s role in these events, stating that a war took place in Cameroon during which French forces used violent repression.
However, Macron did not apologize or mention reparations. This lack of acknowledgment has sparked criticism, with experts saying the conversation should now focus on discussing historical debt and official acknowledgments to usher in the real work of reckoning.
The commission’s findings have been welcomed by some, including Cameroonian singer Blick Bassy, who called for national mourning and proper funerals for those who died during this period. France has a history of refusing to confront its colonial past, but Macron’s gestures are seen as an attempt to address growing anti-French sentiment in Francophone Africa.
The French government’s willingness to discuss reparations with Niger over the massacre of thousands of citizens in 1899 is seen as a step forward, although it stopped short of apologizing for its role. Experts say that official acknowledgments must be accompanied by concrete actions to come to terms with France’s colonial history and approach its future with greater clarity and confidence.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/13/france-acknowledges-role-in-repression-of-cameroon-independence-movements