The event was organized by the People’s Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe with the support of the Baku Initiative Group.
The idea for the Congress originated from political parties and movements fighting for the independence of France’s overseas territories. Three organizations from the islands of Bonaire and Saint Martin, which are Dutch colonies, also participated as honorary guests, reported AzerTaj.
In his opening speech, Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group, highlighted that during recent unrest in New Caledonia, members of the independence movement were unlawfully arrested by French police, treated as terrorists, secretly transported to Paris, and subjected to various tortures, including women with young children. The Baku Initiative Group announced its intention to support the families of political prisoners and the lawyers defending their rights.
Abbasov noted that some of the family members of these political prisoners were present at the event, and emphasized, “The Baku Initiative Group has announced the introduction of an educational scholarship, which provides young people living in French colonies the opportunity to study at higher educational institutions in Azerbaijan. Starting this year, young people from these regions will be able to benefit from this scholarship.”
Jean-Jacques Bissep, Secretary General of the People’s Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe, expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani government for supporting the Congress in Baku. “Azerbaijan is taking bold steps. With the support of the Baku Initiative Group under the auspices of the UN, we are holding such an event in Baku for the first time,” he said. Highlighting the historic nature of this Congress, Bissep stated, “We can fight colonialism together. Our goal is to draw global attention to this issue. We will do everything possible to strengthen our solidarity and make our presence known in the world. France is a country committing crimes against its colonies. Our goal is to mobilize the world to put pressure on France.”
A video showcasing the successful activities of the Baku Initiative Group over the past year was then shown at the Congress.
Executive Director Abbas Abbasov presented a brief report on the annual activities of the Baku Initiative Group to the Congress participants.
The event continued with a discussion on “New Caledonia’s Path to Independence and New Challenges,” where other participants also shared their speeches.
Mikael Forrest, Foreign Minister of New Caledonia, expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani government and all those who facilitated participation in this event. He emphasized the need to find solutions at this Congress related to French colonies to avoid difficult paths. “We need to strengthen our platforms and hold discussions. We must build our political activity in a way that addresses challenges. The Baku Initiative Group has created this opportunity for us, and we must appreciate it. We need to come together and think about various future platforms. We must find our place in the new world order,” he added.
Isabella Kaloi, a member of the New Caledonia party, noted that everyone knows what happened in New Caledonia after May 13. “Our purpose in coming to Azerbaijan and participating in this Congress is to firmly state that the actions of the French state against us are unacceptable. We strongly condemn this. This involves racist actions by the police. Written reports are still not becoming reality. Our people are not being treated properly, and there are confrontations and fires in the region. Problems that have arisen over many years are escalating,” she said.
Kaloi mentioned that the measures taken in this regard do not fundamentally solve the issue. “We have faced repression. The reason for this, unfortunately, is the revocation of our voting rights. The French state, which tramples on our rights, did this. This is unacceptable and intolerable. We have reported all this, prepared proposals, and most have responded positively. However, the French state does not want to listen to us. Freezing voting rights overall means going against voters, our culture, and our destiny,” added Isabella Kaloi. She once again thanked the Baku Initiative Group for organizing the Congress.
Maria Saliga, a member of the New Caledonian Parliament, emphasized that the actions of the French state are unacceptable and should be discussed at the international level. “France under Macron has turned away from all democratic rules.”
Saliga noted that everyone remembers this country’s nuclear tests in French Polynesia, which caused long-term suffering for local peoples. “France is a terrorist state. It continues to demonstrate its power in territories it does not want to release,” emphasized Maria Saliga.
Other participants in the discussions stated that the French authorities should recognize their right to self-determination and support the independence process. They discussed the economic and cultural damage resulting from colonial policies and highlighted the importance of protecting and developing the rights of local populations.
The Congress continued with discussions on “Creating an International Freedom Front.”
The Congress, which will last for two days, provides an opportunity for participants to discuss ways to coordinate activities aimed at overcoming French colonialism by creating a unified platform for a more organized struggle for independence. Representatives of the colonies will also discuss the most effective practices and strategies for self-determination.
The Congress will help inform the international community about numerous crimes and illegal actions committed in the colonies by the French government against indigenous peoples who are the original inhabitants of these territories, as well as draw attention to the issue of colonialism, one of the calamities of the 21st century.
It should be noted that the Baku Initiative Group was created by participants of the “Towards the Complete Elimination of Colonialism” conference on July 6, 2023, in Baku, during the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Coordination Bureau chaired by the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Baku Initiative Group has been supporting the just struggle for freedom of peoples suffering from colonialism for a year. The Baku Initiative Group has organized up to 15 international conferences, with four held at UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, one in Istanbul, and the rest in Baku.
