Macron Acknowledges France's Repressive War Role in Cameroon

French President Emmanuel Macron has formally acknowledged France's role in a violent war during Cameroon's struggle for independence, marked by repressive violence before and after the country's 1960 independence. In a letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, Macron accepted France's responsibility for actions including mass forced displacements, the internment of hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians, support for brutal militias, and the deaths of key independence leaders. This admission follows the findings of a joint Franco-Cameroonian commission that examined the period from 1945 to 1971, using declassified archives and eyewitness accounts. Macron pledged to open French archives, support historical initiatives, and establish a bilateral working group to further research and education, aiming to reconcile historical memory and strengthen Franco-Cameroonian ties. The acknowledgment is part of France's broader effort to confront its colonial past under Macron's leadership. Cameroon was previously colonized by Germany and then split between Britain and France after World War I, with the French-administered region gaining independence in 1960.