Baku to host international conference to challenge French neo-colonialism in Africa

On October 3, Baku will host an international conference dedicated to discussing French neo-colonialism in Africa, under the auspices of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG).

The event will bring together delegates from several African nations, including Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania, Zimbabwe, Niger, and representatives from France and Mayotte, Caliber.Az reports.

This follows the earlier Congress held in Baku on July 17-18, where leaders of more than 15 political parties and movements advocating for the independence of regions affected by French colonialism — such as Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, and several Caribbean islands — gathered. That Congress was organized by the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe with support from the BIG.

The idea of the Congress came from political parties and movements that have long fought for the independence of France’s overseas territories. In addition to French colonies, three organisations from the islands of Bonaire and Saint-Martin, Dutch colonies, attended as guests of honour.

Over the two days of the Congress, participants discussed strategies for a coordinated and more organised struggle against French colonialism. They also examined effective practices for self-determination, fostering international awareness of the illegal actions and human rights abuses committed by the French government against indigenous populations in these territories.

The Baku Initiative Group, which was established on July 6, 2023, during the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement chaired by Azerbaijan, has played a crucial role in supporting independence movements. BIG has already organised up to 15 international conferences, including sessions at the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, as well as in Istanbul and Baku, aiming to highlight colonialism as a persistent global issue in the 21st century.

By Tamilla Hasanova