Baku declares: "No to French colonialism!" Anxiety grips Paris as tensions rise

On July 17, the first congress opened in Baku with the participation of leaders from over 15 political parties and movements advocating for the independence of Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, and a group of Caribbean and Antilles islands that suffered from French colonialism. The event was organized by the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe with the support of the Baku Initiative Group. The news is likely causing considerable hysteria in France.

It wouldn't be surprising if the French ambassador to Azerbaijan is once again recalled to Paris. According to tradition, they might reinstate the ambassador later if they decide to repeat this futile and ridiculous manoeuvre. Clearly, the current President of France, Emmanuel Macron, would likely be the loudest voice in this situation. He's already seen as ineffective, and this would remind him once more of one of his most notable failures.

A few months ago, Jonathan Miller, a columnist for the British magazine Spectator, wrote that the unrest and dire situation in France's overseas departments indicate the gradual collapse of the French colonial empire under President Macron. Miller specifically accused the French president of the catastrophic situation in Mayotte, which was plagued by unrest and widespread crime. According to the British journalist, Macron is also to blame for New Caledonia being on the brink of civil war.

A similar situation has developed in other overseas territories of Paris: French Polynesia, Réunion, French Guiana, and many others. "…the sun seems finally to be setting on the remaining French empire seems clear to everyone except the French. The indivisible republic is falling apart," concluded Miller.

Additionally, the influential British publication The Times also drew attention to the impact of France's brutal colonial history on the country's policy in New Caledonia, noting that this has become the most serious crisis during Emmanuel Macron's presidency. "France’s history of colonial brutality weighs heavily on its politics today. The resentment and recrimination it has generated in New Caledonia, where seven people, including two policemen, have died in almost two weeks of civil unrest, has turned into one of the worst crises of President Macron’s presidency," the article emphasized.

There are numerous publications in various influential global media outlets highlighting Macron's personal responsibility for the situation in France's overseas colonies. We emphasize this to make it clear that Azerbaijan is not seeking revenge against Monsieur Macron for his anti-Azerbaijani policies. Azerbaijan is merely helping to raise international awareness of the numerous crimes committed in the colonies by the French government against the indigenous peoples, who are the rightful owners of these territories. Azerbaijan is also drawing attention to the issue of colonialism, which remains one of the scourges of the 21st century.

Macron is simply a loser. This was evident even when he decided to bet on another loser—Armenia, a state of occupation.

What was the result? Macron strained himself, doing everything he could to prevent the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and the implementation of the UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. He smeared Azerbaijan, spreading Armenian propaganda myths, and tried to blackmail official Baku. All to no avail. The joint efforts of Paris and Yerevan to retaliate after the conflict also proved futile.

Indeed, all attempts to condemn Azerbaijan in the UN Security Council following the brilliantly conducted anti-terrorist operation in the Karabakh region of our country last September were, in essence, futile efforts. Azerbaijan's territorial integrity was fully restored, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regularly acknowledges this. As for Macron, his opinion is no longer of interest to anyone in Baku. This includes opinions on holding COP29 in Azerbaijan, as well as on the first congress that started on July 17 in Baku with the participation of leaders from more than 15 political parties and movements for independence from France. In fact, the opinions of other French politicians are also of no interest to anyone in Baku.

Azerbaijan will continue to provide a platform for those who fight against such a shameful phenomenon as colonialism in the 21st century. We remember how a large troupe of French politicians of various levels loudly proclaimed the importance of the right of nations to self-determination. They used this rhetoric to justify Armenia's occupation of 20 per cent of Azerbaijan's territory, while simultaneously encouraging the Karabakh junta.

Moreover, it wasn't just limited to verbal statements. There were also twinning agreements between French cities and settlements temporarily under Armenian occupation. Well, as the saying goes, they reaped what they sowed. Now, listen, Monsieur Macron and other French politicians of various kinds, to the voice coming from Baku—the voice of peoples tired of the disgraceful colonial policies of official Paris. These peoples have the right to assert their rights and demand justice.

By Akbar Hasanov