French President Emmanuel Macron Acknowledges Colonial-Era Atrocities in Cameroon: Tens of thousands of people were killed.
In a landmark development, French President Emmanuel Macron has formally acknowledged France’s role in the violent repression of Cameroon’s independence movements, marking a significant moment in the ongoing effort to confront the legacy of colonialism in Africa.
Historically, Cameroon, once a German colony known as Kamerun, was divided between Britain and France after World War I. The French-administered region gained independence in 1960, followed by the British Southern Cameroons joining in a federation in 1961. However, the path to independence was marred by brutal suppression of nationalist movements, particularly the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC), led by Ruben Um Nyobè.
Between 1945 and 1971, French colonial authorities and military forces carried out extensive operations to quash independence efforts. According to a joint Franco-Cameroonian commission, tens of thousands of Cameroonians were killed, hundreds of thousands interned, and entire regions subjected to violent repression.
In a letter dated July 30 and disclosed publicly on August 12, Macron stated: “It is up to me today to assume the role and responsibility of France in these events.” He acknowledged that a war had taken place in Cameroon, during which French forces committed various forms of repressive violence. The letter also recognized France’s complicity in the deaths of key independence leaders, including Ruben Um Nyobè, Paul Momo, Isaac Nyobè Pandjock, and Jérémie Ndéléné.
The commission’s 1,035-page report, compiled by Cameroonian and French historians, detailed France’s support for brutal militias, internment camps, and post-independence repression under President Ahmadou Ahidjo, whose administration continued violent policies with French backing.
Despite the gravity of the findings, Macron stopped short of issuing a formal apology or committing to reparations. Historians involved in the commission, such as Prof. Willibroad Dze-Ngwa, emphasized that their role was to establish facts, not to recommend apologies or reparations. Reparations, they noted, would require legal judgment beyond the scope of historical inquiry.
Macron pledged to open French archives, support further historical research, and create a joint working group to implement the commission’s recommendations. He emphasized the importance of making the findings accessible to universities and scientific institutions in both countries.
Cameroonian singer and commission co-head Blick Bassy noted: “We are only at the beginning of a process that will require several years … to locate and identify the bodies in mass graves and also to address land issues that continue to affect a large number of Cameroonians today.”
Macron’s acknowledgment in Cameroon follows similar steps in other former colonies:
- In 2021, he admitted France’s failure to prevent the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
- In Senegal, France recognized the 1944 massacre of West African troops.
- In Algeria, Macron has called colonization a “crime against humanity” but resisted formal apologies, opting instead for symbolic acts of reconciliation.
Read details through the links below
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly39dd36epo
Human Rights in Cameroon, Human Rights in Cameroon, Human Rights in Cameroon, Human Rights in Cameroon
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
