Macron Writes to Biya, Acknowledging French Role in Repressing Cameroonian Independence

President Emmanuel Macron of France has written to his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya, formally acknowledging France’s role in the violent suppression of independence movements in the African nation. The letter, dated July 30, marks a significant moment, with Macron stating it was his duty to “assume the role and responsibility of France in these events.”
The correspondence was based on the findings of a joint Franco-Cameroonian commission that investigated the colonial and post-colonial repression from 1945 to 1971. The commission’s historians established that a war took place in Cameroon, involving violent acts by French colonial forces. This support for repression continued after Cameroon’s 1960 independence, with France backing the authoritarian government of Ahmadou Ahidjo.
This acknowledgment is part of a broader, albeit reluctant, trend of France confronting the darker aspects of its colonial empire. The human toll in Cameroon was staggering, with estimates of tens of thousands killed, including the high-profile assassination of nationalist leader Ruben Um Nyobè. President Biya himself served as prime minister under Ahidjo, the leader France supported.
However, the French president’s letter did not contain a formal apology or mention any form of reparations, a point of criticism for many. Cameroonian activists and artists, such as commission co-head Blick Bassy, emphasize that this is only the first step. They are now calling for national mourning, the search for mass graves, and the inclusion of this history in French school curricula.