(MENAFN) France has indicated a readiness to engage in discussions concerning restitution for offenses committed by its military forces in Niger during the colonial period, according to a news agency, which referenced a memo from the office of France’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

Over a century ago, French soldiers associated with Mission Afrique Centrale (MAC) set fire to villages and seized cultural treasures in an effort to establish Niger as a colony in West Africa.

Under the leadership of Captains Paul Voulet and Julien Chanoine, these troops reportedly massacred thousands of defenseless civilians and plundered provisions, subjecting the local population to brutal coercion during the 1899 campaign.

“Although France was aware of the atrocities at the time, no MAC officer has ever been held responsible for these crimes,” stated Bernard Duhaime, a UN special rapporteur investigating a grievance filed by four Nigerien communities who represent the descendants of those affected.

Duhaime further asserted in a letter sent two months ago that “France has not conducted any official inquiry or acknowledged the horrors inflicted on the communities affected.”

In its reply, Paris declared it “remains open to bilateral dialogue with the Nigerien authorities, as well as to any collaboration concerning provenance research or patrimonial cooperation.”

However, it stopped short of formally accepting accountability for the acts of violence.

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