Macron Acknowledges France Fought War Marked By Repressive Violence In Cameroon

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) French President Emmanuel Macron officially acknowledged that his country waged a war characterized by "repressive violence" in Cameroon against rebel movements before and after the country's independence in 1960.
This came in a letter addressed by the French President to his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya, published on Tuesday.
Macron said in the letter dated July 30, "it is incumbent on me today to accept France's role and responsibility in these events."
He noted that the report on Cameroon and the research expected to follow will allow the two countries to continue building the future together and strengthen the close relationship that unite them.
"A war that continued beyond 1960 with France's support for actions carried out by the independent Cameroonian authorities," Macron added.
This letter represents Macron's endorsement of the findings of a report prepared by historians presented to the French president last January. "At the end of their work, the historians of the Commission clearly highlighted that a war had taken place in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out multiple forms of repressive violence in certain regions of the country," he said.
In July 2022, the French President announced from Cameroon the launch of a joint French-Cameroonian commission aimed at shedding light on France's actions against independence and opposition movements in Cameroon between 1945 and 1971.
The report of this commission, headed by historian Karine Ramondy, is part of Macron's memory policy toward Africa, following similar reports on Rwanda and Algeria, other dark moments in the history of French policy in Africa.

MENAFN13082025000067011011ID1109921394