Cameroon declassifies over 2,000 of French colonial-era files: Video
Cameroon has declassified nearly 1,100 boxes containing 2,300 documents from its period under French colonial rule.
The development was announced during a research commission meeting with President Paul Biya in Yaoundé, aimed at shedding light on the country's colonial past.
The commission, composed of 14 researchers - seven from Cameroon and seven from France - was tasked with investigating France's involvement in the repression of independence and opposition movements between 1945 and 1971.
Historian Lancelot Arzel, a key member of the Franco-Cameroonian Commission of Remembrance, emphasised the importance of these revelations.
“This report is the result of research on the role and involvement of France in Cameroon from 1945 to 1971 during the repression of independence movements,” Arzel explained. “We used almost 1,100 boxes of archives, and 2,300 documents were declassified for our work. These will be made available to researchers in both France and Cameroon,” he told the AFP.
Arzel noted the diversity within the commission as a crucial factor in its success. “The commission brought together men and women from all walks of life and generations, helping us assess France’s responsibility during this era,” he said.
Co-president of the commission, Karine Ramondy, highlighted the significance of transforming such a contentious period into a scientifically researched historical account. “One of the great successes of this work is that we’ve managed to turn this complex chapter into a well-considered history,” she said. “It’s a story of men and women, unfolding over time and expressed in different ways, culminating in a 1,000-page report.”
The period in question remains one of the bloodiest in Cameroon's history, often shrouded in taboo discussions since the country gained independence.
