Baku congress unites independence movements against French colonialism

On July 17, the Baku Initiative Group hosted the first Congress of Independence Movements from French-colonized territories in Baku, with representatives of New Caledonia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana nations participating.

In his opening remarks, Abbas Abbasov, the director of the Baku Initiative Group, briefly informed guests and local media about the organization's role in assisting the Pacific nations in their anti-colonial movement against France, Caliber.Az correspondent reports from the venue.

During the first session of the congress, foreign delegations emphasized the continuing colonial mindset of the French government in light of the recent protests in New Caledonia that were brutally dispersed by the French police while many activists were illegally detained. Given that brutal crackdown on the local independence movement and the French government's stance, the congress participants unilaterally declared that the Baku Initiative Group caught the world community's attention as it engaged in a profound mission like anti-colonialism.

As such, Isabelle Kaloi, a member of the New Caledonian parliament, in her speech during the congress, emphasized the racial discrimination of Caledonia's indigenous Kanak people by the French police. Hence, during the recent dramatic events in Caledonia, the French police exclusively targeted young members of the independence movement in order to make the movement more vulnerable.

Of greater concern is the fact that French colonialism is not limited to New Caledonia. The same policy was carried out for the Guadeloupe independence movement. According to one of the leaders of Guadeloupe's independent movement, Jean-Jacob Bicep, the last conferences on the independence of French overseas territories were held in 1986 and 1995 without a significant breakthrough. However, he added that the Baku Congress would be the major platform for resolving the neocolonialism problem.

To support the statements of foreign delegations, Abbas Abbasov mentioned that the Azerbaijani government would provide scholarships for youth from Caledonia, Guadeloupe, Corsica, Martinique, and other islands to study in Azerbaijani universities as part of its support to overseas French colonies. In addition to that, Azerbaijan will financially support family members of Kanak youth activists detained by the French policy during the recent standoff.

Thus, to keep the neocolonialism issue on the international agenda, Abbasov stated that delegations of French colonies will have an opportunity to take part in the upcoming COP29 event in Baku in November 2024.

Undoubtedly, as the most high-level international event, COP29 will enable colonized nations to voice their concerns and hold face-to-face meetings with other countries' delegations and officials, thus highlighting the brutal methods the French authorities used against the aboriginal people of the islands.