DAILY MENTOR NEWS
By Staff Writer | August 13, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron has formally acknowledged France’s role in committing violent repression during Cameroon’s struggle for independence and in the years following its 1960 independence. In a letter sent last month to Cameroonian President Paul Biya and made public on August 12, Macron accepted France’s responsibility for what historians have described as a "war" marked by “repressive violence.”
The acknowledgment follows a comprehensive report published earlier this year by a joint commission of 14 historians from France and Cameroon. The commission’s findings revealed that French colonial authorities implemented mass forced displacements, interned hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians in camps, and supported brutal militias aimed at crushing Cameroon’s independence movement led by groups such as the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC).
“The historians of the commission made it very clear that there was a war in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence of several kinds and that this continued even after Cameroon gained independence in 1960,” Macron wrote in his letter to President Biya.
Macron affirmed: “It is incumbent on me today to accept France's role and responsibility in these events.”
The letter also referenced the deaths of key independence figures including Ruben Um Nyobe, Félix Moumié, and others, who were killed during military operations under French command.
This marks a significant step in France's ongoing efforts under Macron's leadership to confront its often brutal colonial legacy in Africa. Macron had earlier commissioned the joint historical inquiry during a 2022 visit to Yaoundé, reflecting growing pressure for France to come to terms with its past and foster reconciliation.
Despite the acknowledgment of these historical facts, Macron stopped short of offering a formal apology for the atrocities committed. Discussions around reparations and further steps in Franco-Cameroonian relations are expected to continue.
The revelations and Macron's admission come amid a broader reassessment by African nations of France’s legacy and presence in their countries. This includes earlier acknowledgments by France of involvement in atrocities in other former colonies such as Rwanda and Senegal.
Cameroon, a former German colony divided between French and British rule after World War I, achieved independence on January 1, 1960. The post-independence period saw continued conflict as France-backed authorities fought to suppress nationalist and reunification movements.
Macron’s letter and France’s acceptance of historical responsibility aim to open a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries, grounded in truth, accountability, and mutual respect.
For more on Nigeria, Africa, and international relations, stay tuned to DAILY MENTOR NEWS.