Addressing the event, Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group said: “France has 13 colonies worldwide. Two of these colonies are uninhabited, however, we maintain cooperation with other territories. Reunion is one of the territories suffering from French and Dutch colonialism, where violent crimes against humanity have been committed.”
Zahid Oruj, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Milli Majlis and Chairman of the Board of the Center for Social Research, highlighted the challenged caused by the colonial policy.
Speaking to the event, Romain Catambara, Chairman of the «Ka Ubuntu» independence movement stated: “France wants to assimilate our culture so that we forget our identity. France’s imperialist policy has a negative impact on the economy of Réunion. For us, independence means a better future.”
He noted that, along with the economic difficulties prevailing on the Réunion Island, it is also necessary to stress the tension between various indigenous communities.
“French officials are trying to undermine solidarity among the island’s population and prevent liberation movements by accusing the people of Mayotte in increase of the organized crime, environmental damage, and the deterioration of the social situation in Réunion.
There is an erroneous idea that some African countries are free. Because, in a truly independent state, there would be no foreign military bases and no cultural influence of other countries. We must stand together in the fight against imperialism, as well as make our voices heard in the international community. It is pivotal for us to attend this conference as we also fight against France,” Romain Catambara added.
The conference was also addressed by Milli Majlis, heads of anti-colonial organizations, human rights defenders, heads of non-governmental organizations, decolonization experts and researchers discussed issues on the topics, highlighting efforts on enhancing the solidarity of African nations.
The conference concluded with signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) and the Ka Ubuntu independence movement. The document provides for cooperation between BIG and Ka Ubuntu across political, educational and healthcare domains.
