From Algeria to Cameroon: France Continues its Painful Reckoning with Colonial Past

France’s painful reckoning with its colonial empire, which stretched from Algeria to Benin, has reached a new milestone with the official acknowledgment of its violent repression in Cameroon. President Emmanuel Macron has admitted France’s responsibility for a war that claimed tens of thousands of lives in the pursuit of independence.
This admission, detailed in a letter to President Paul Biya, follows a comprehensive report by a joint historical commission. The report left no doubt about the role of French colonial authorities in a brutal conflict from 1945 to 1971, which also saw France supporting the repressive post-independence government of Ahmadou Ahidjo.
For years, France avoided confronting this violent history. However, relentless pressure from a new generation of historians and activists has forced a change. Macron’s presidency, in particular, has been characterized by strategic gestures aimed at addressing this legacy, though they are often seen as incomplete due to the lack of formal apologies or reparations.
The case of Cameroon fits a pattern seen with other former colonies like Benin, where France returned looted artifacts, and Niger, where discussions over a massacre have begun. The focus for activists now is to push beyond these acknowledgments towards tangible justice, including national mourning in Cameroon and mandatory education on colonial history in France.