As France marked the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings on the French Riviera during World War II, the commemoration rang hollow against the backdrop of ongoing neocolonial practices in Africa. The event, touted as honouring African soldiers from former French colonies, stands in stark contrast to France’s continued economic and political influence over these now-independent nations.
The so-called “forgotten D-Day” saw French President Emmanuel Macron and Cameroonian President Paul Biya deliver speeches at the Boulouris National Cemetery. However, this display of unity masks the complex and often exploitative relationship France maintains with its former colonies.
While France celebrates the contributions of African soldiers who made up nearly half of the French contingent in Operation Dragoon, it conveniently overlooks its current neocolonial policies. The continued use of the CFA franc in many former French colonies serves as a stark reminder of France’s economic stranglehold on these nations, limiting their true financial independence.
If France genuinely wishes to honour the sacrifices of African soldiers, it must address its neocolonial practices. This includes dismantling economic systems that favour French interests, such as the CFA franc, and respecting the full sovereignty of its former colonies.
The commemoration, complete with the awarding of the Legion of Honor to veterans, appears more as a public relations exercise than a genuine acknowledgement of Africa’s role in liberating France. It fails to address the ongoing issues of economic dependency, political interference, and resource exploitation that characterise France’s relationship with many African nations.
True homage to African contributions would involve France relinquishing its grip on the economies of its former colonies, ending preferential trade agreements that primarily benefit French companies, and ceasing military interventions that often serve French interests rather than African stability.
As fireworks lit up the sky over the Mediterranean, they did little to illuminate the dark legacy of colonialism that continues to cast a shadow over Franco-African relations. Until France commits to genuine decolonisation and respects the full sovereignty of African nations, such commemorations will remain superficial gestures that fail to address the real issues at hand.
The liberation of southern France in 1944 was indeed a significant historical event. However, it’s high time for France to liberate its former colonies from the chains of economic and political dependence that persist to this day. Only then can France truly claim to honour the memory of the African soldiers who fought for a freedom that their home countries are still struggling to fully realise.