Azerbaijani Flag at spearhead of New Caledonia's liberation movement PHOTO/VIDEO

As a chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan pays increased attention both to the issues topical to humanity and to the elimination of injustice faced by many peoples of the world oppressed by some "civilized" states. In particular, France, which not only does not want to part with its colonial policy but also tries to destabilize our region by arming Armenia and warming up revanchist sentiments in the Armenian society. At the same time, Paris does not stop trying to teach the political leadership of Azerbaijan, impose its vision of the post-conflict situation in the South Caucasus, and accuse it of "aggression" and "ethnic cleansing".

But, as the saying goes, the French would be better off keeping quiet. After all, it was France that committed most of the worst crimes in the colonial history of mankind. Therefore, it is not accidental that Baku has become the very platform where the people fighting for their independence from France can not only express their pain but also get understanding and even support. Although it would seem that this issue should have been dealt with by the UN, in recent years this main world structure has turned into an ordinary bureaucratic office, moreover, torn by internal contradictions.

Thus, the periodicity of international conferences held in Baku against neo-colonialism draws attention. In July 2023, the conference under the motto "Towards Complete Elimination of Colonialism” was held on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Coordinating Bureau under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan. On October 20, an international conference "Neocolonialism: Violation of Human Rights and Injustice " was held in Baku with the participation of representatives of 14 countries, as well as overseas territories of France and Corsica. Already this month, Baku held an international conference on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women", organized by the Baku Initiative Group.

The frequency of events of this kind demonstrates Azerbaijan's sincere concern about continued French colonialism. In his address to the participants of the international conference themed "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women", President Aliyev emphasized that " France, which should be ashamed of its history of colonialism rich in bloody crimes, instead of apologizing for the atrocities it has committed, talks about fictitious ethnic cleansing in other countries".

“As chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan supports the peoples fighting against colonialism and aiming to be free," President Aliyev said, adding that bringing the issue of fighting neocolonialism to the international community’s attention through all possible platforms is crucial.

So, not a few days later, the Kanaks, the indigenous people of New Caledonia, who make up almost 50 per cent of the population, entered the next stage of the national liberation movement against the metropolis, France, which had a firm grip on its "overseas territory". Thus, Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front organised in the capital of New Caledonia, Noumea, a rally in support of independence from France, which was attended by 6 to 10 thousand people. Attention must be paid to the fact that, during the rally, its participants raised the flag of Azerbaijan. According to the information, the French police tried to remove the flag of Azerbaijan, but the protesters managed to defend it. At the same time, the protesters told the gendarmes that Azerbaijan was supporting the national liberation movement and therefore its flag should fly above them.

On the one hand, this is a clear result of the support provided by Azerbaijan as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement to the issue of combating French colonialism, and on the other hand, it is proof of the efficiency of the Baku platform. It is obvious that through joint efforts it will be possible to achieve independence for all peoples oppressed by France, and the Kanaks of New Caledonia in particular. After all, as President Aliyev noted in his speech, “we must leave a ‘world free from colonialism’ for future generations.”