Following France’s formal acknowledgment of its violent role in Cameroon’s colonial past, experts say the conversation must now evolve from symbolic gestures to a direct discussion of “historical debt.” President Emmanuel Macron’s admission of responsibility, while historic, is seen as just the first step in a much longer process.
Macron’s letter to President Paul Biya confirmed France’s role in a brutal, decades-long war against independence movements. The admission was based on a joint commission’s findings that tens of thousands were killed by French colonial forces and the subsequent French-supported government. This official recognition shatters years of state-sanctioned silence.
While Macron has been more proactive than past French leaders in addressing colonial history—returning art to Benin and opening talks with Niger—his actions are often criticized for stopping short of apologies or reparations. This pattern continued with the Cameroon acknowledgment, which lacked both.
Activists and experts argue that true reconciliation requires more than just admitting fault. They hope this official acknowledgment ushers in the real work of reckoning. This includes tangible measures like reparations, locating the bodies of victims in mass graves, and addressing deep-seated issues like land ownership that trace back to the colonial era.