Congress of Independence Movements - fighting for the independence of France's overseas territories

Photo: Azernews

On July 17, the first Congress is being held in Baku, organized by the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe and supported by the Baku Initiative Group, with the participation of leaders from more than 15 political parties and independence movements from Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean, and the Antilles, who suffer from French colonialism, Azernews reports.

The idea of holding the Congress belongs to political parties and movements fighting for the independence of France's overseas territories.

Three organizations from the Dutch colonies of Bonaire and Saint Martin are participating as honorary guests in the Congress.

The two-day Congress will provide participating parties with the opportunity to discuss ways to achieve tighter organization in their struggle for independence, as well as to coordinate result-oriented activities to overcome French colonialism by creating a unified platform. Representatives of the colonies will also discuss the most effective experiences and strategies in their struggle for self-determination.

The Congress will contribute to raising international awareness about the numerous crimes and illegal actions committed by the French government against the indigenous peoples of these territories and will draw attention to the problem of colonialism, which remains one of the scourges of the 21st century.

It should be noted that the Baku Initiative Group was created on July 6, 2023, in Baku during the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, chaired by the Republic of Azerbaijan, under the theme "Towards the Complete Eradication of Colonialism." For a year now, the Group has been supporting the just struggle for freedom of peoples suffering from colonialism. In this regard, the BTG has already organized about 15 international conferences. Four of them were held at the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, one in Istanbul, and the others in Baku.

Sometimes ago a ‘Baku initiative group against French colonialism’ was established.

This decision was made following the event "Towards the complete elimination of colonialism", organized in Baku by the Centre for Analysis of International Relations within the framework of the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, participants discussed ways to eliminate the current colonial policy of France on the African continent and in various regions of the world and exchanged views on the adoption of necessary measures to eradicate this problem.

A statement on the outcome of the event underlined the validity and relevance of the principal position of the Non-Aligned Movement in combating colonial and neo-colonial practices.

The Baku Initiative Group against French colonialism was established at the event “Towards the Complete Elimination of Colonialism,” held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event was organized by the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and provided a platform for exchanging views on ways to eliminate the neo-colonial policy of France.

The French colonial empire, which began in the 16th century, reached its apex between the two world wars and was the second-largest colonial empire in the world behind the British Empire. France had colonies in North America, the Caribbean, India, Africa, Indochina, and the South Pacific. Its goal was to spread the French language and Catholicism, and to promote the “Civilizing Mission”.

The French colonial project was met with resistance from the colonized people, who sought to reclaim their autonomy and freedom. In Burkina Faso, formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta, the Mossi people established powerful kingdoms in the 11th and 13th centuries. In 1896, the country was colonized by the French, and in 1958, it became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as president.

The Baku Initiative Group against French colonialism was established to take the necessary steps to eradicate de facto slavery on the African continent and in various regions of the world. The statement adopted at the event calls for the complete elimination of colonialism and the promotion of autonomy and freedom for all colonized people.

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