France waged a "war" in Cameroon marked by "repressive violence" during and after the African country's decolonisation in the late 1950s, President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged in a letter published Tuesday.

Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron has officially acknowledged that France engaged in 'repressive violence' during Cameroon's fight for independence. This statement was made in a letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, marking a significant step in France's ongoing efforts to confront its colonial past. 

The admission comes after a joint historical commission, established by France and Cameroon in 2022, released a report detailing France's involvement in Cameroon between 1945 and 1971. The commission found that the violence continued even after Cameroon's independence in 1960, resulting in tens of thousands of victims. Macron's letter did not address the issue of reparations, and the commission's work on transparency regarding France's colonial actions is set to continue.

Macron admits French 'repressive violence' in Cameroon 'war'

It's a term that has up until now been absent from France's official language. A war in Cameroon. President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged that France waged one during the African nation's struggle for independence. In the latest example of his presidency's efforts to come to terms with France's colonial past, Macron said in a letter sent to his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Bier, there was a war in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence. It is incumbent on me today to accept France's role and responsibility in these events. The admission follows a report by an official historical commission, set up jointly by the two countries in 2022, to shed light on the events leading up to and after Cameroon's independence. It examined France's role there between 1945 and 1971, based on declassified archives, eyewitness accounts and field surveys. In the more than 1,000-page document, handed to the presidents of both countries in January, the commission noted, The war continued after Cameroon's independence in 1960. France was involved in actions taken by the autocratic and authoritarian regime of Ahmadou Ahidjou and left tens of thousands of victims. At the time, President Bier had this to say. This is ultimately a collective work of therapy, which leads people to accept themselves better and to fully assume themselves in their relationships. The historical commission is set to continue its work to bring transparency into France's colonial period. Macron's letter, however, did not mention the possibility of reparations.

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