Azerbaijan’s leader heavily criticizes ‘dictator’ Macron
Date
12/20/2024 3:02:21 PM
(MENAFN) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused French President Emmanuel macron of being a "dictator" for suppressing the rights of people in France’s overseas territories and former colonies. He also criticized France for providing military support to Armenia, Azerbaijan’s regional rival.
France oversees 12 overseas territories, which are home to around 2.6 million people. One of the most significant incidents of unrest occurred in May in the Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Clashes broke out after France proposed granting voting rights to new settlers, a move that Indigenous Kanak people feared would reduce them to a permanent minority, endangering their hopes for independence. The French government deployed riot police and military personnel to control the violence, which resulted in nine deaths and over €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in damages.
At the time, then-French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that some separatists in New Caledonia had “made a deal with Azerbaijan.” In an interview with Russian media, Aliyev criticized Western powers like France for preaching justice while ignoring their own internal issues, particularly what he called the “ugly face of French colonialism” in New Caledonia.
Aliyev also referenced the deadly clashes, claiming that 13 people were killed, over 100 were injured, and more than 1,000 were arrested. He asserted that the leaders of the protests were sent to French prisons, labeling it as a sign of Macron’s dictatorship.
The Azerbaijani president also pointed to the situation in Corsica, where a court ruling last March banned the use of the Corsican language in the regional assembly. He questioned whether such actions could be considered democratic or in line with human rights.
Tensions between France and Azerbaijan have worsened since Azerbaijan’s military operation to reclaim the breakaway region of Karabakh in the fall of 2023. The move, which saw the predominantly ethnic-Armenian population flee, was condemned by Paris. In response, France pledged to provide Armenia with military assistance. Aliyev condemned France's decision to send "offensive lethal weaponry" to Armenia, claiming that it posed a direct threat to Azerbaijan. He also noted that despite Baku’s repeated protests, these concerns had been disregarded by both Armenia and the United States.
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