Confessing to its role in Cameroon’s bloody past, France has officially recognized its responsibility for decades of violence against the country’s independence movements. President Emmanuel Macron’s admission confirms a history of repression that had been obscured for years in official French accounts.
The confession was made in a letter to President Paul Biya, following a joint commission’s investigation into the period from 1945 to 1971. The commission concluded that French forces had waged a veritable war, and that France had continued to support state-sponsored violence even after Cameroon’s independence in 1960.
This dark chapter of history includes the deaths of tens of thousands of Cameroonians and the assassination of nationalist leaders who opposed French rule. Macron’s move to accept responsibility is a major departure from the stance of his predecessors and reflects growing pressure on France to be honest about its colonial record.
While the confession is a landmark event, it is viewed by many as only a partial reckoning. Without an apology or reparations, it remains a symbolic gesture. Activists, including commission co-head Blick Bassy, are now campaigning for concrete actions like locating mass graves and ensuring this history is taught in schools.