France Admits To ‘Repression’ in Cameroon’s Colonial Past

In a rare admission of a long-overlooked part of France’s colonial past, President Emmanuel Macron has described his country’s actions during Cameroon’s struggle for independence in the 50s as “repressive violence”.

His comments were contained in a letter to President Paul Biyah and came after a landmark report in January by a joint historical commission, which found that France’s counter-insurgency campaign included mass forced displacement, internment camps, and support for violent militias.

The commission, launched in 2022, consisted of French and Cameroonian historians who reviewed the period between 1945 and 1971.