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France acknowledges role in Cameroon’s struggle for independence
Macron acknowledged France's violent repression during Cameroon's decolonization, with historians attributing tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands displaced.
- In a first for a French head of state, Macron acknowledged on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, that France waged a war in Cameroon involving repressive violence.
- Conflict spanned from the late 1940s to early 1960s as Cameroon, then under French trusteeship, sought independence with the UPC leading resistance.
- A 14-person commission of French and Cameroonian historians reported that between 1956 and 1961, France's fight claimed 'tens of thousands of lives' and involved repressive violence that continued after 1960.
- Macron proposed a bilateral 'working group' to monitor progress and offered access to French archives in last month’s letter, advancing reconciliation efforts.
- Revisiting once-silenced history, Macron's admission punctures decades of silence, yet he noted acknowledgment alone can feel incomplete in the ongoing reconciliation journey.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Emmanuel Macron acknowledged, after having endorsed the conclusions of a report by historians that had been given to him in January, that a "war had taken place in Cameroon". An episode still largely unknown, in which...
Macron admits France waged a repressive war in Cameroon
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. The letter, sent to his Cameroonian counterpart last month, is the latest example of France's efforts under Macron to come to terms with its often-bloody colonial history. The admission follows an official report, published in January, which…
Deutsche Welle
WTX NewsMacron acknowledges French colonial repression in Cameroon
French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged the violence committed by French troops as Cameroon fought for its independence. It comes as African leaders reassess France's ongoing presence on the continent.
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