Macron’s Meaningless Tribute to Toussaint
French President Emmanuel Macron recently recognized the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France on Thursday by paying a tribute to Toussaint Louverture. The tribute to Toussaint was ultimately a meaningless one by Macron. In recent years, France has come under serious criticism in Africa for its colonial legacy. Earlier this year, there were large protests against France in Burkina Faso. Some of the protesters were setting fire to French flags. Last year, thousands of Malians celebrated the expulsion of the French ambassador. These are just some examples to demonstrate that Africans are beginning to turn against France.
The reality is that for centuries France has been a brutal colonial empire which has exploited African people. In Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara was assassinated with the complicity of France. Sankara’s crime was that he sought to improve the conditions of his citizens. This was unacceptable to France who has always preferred to have African leaders whom they could control. France was also complicit in the coup which overthrew Sylvanus Olympio in Togo. This is how France has operated.
France’s legacy in the Caribbean has been no different. Martinique and Guadeloupe have been historically ignored by France, which has caused protests and unrest in the past. The same is true for French Guiana. Haiti stands out as the one Caribbean nation which managed to successful fight for its independence from France and Haiti has been paying for this ever since 1804.
Toussaint himself was a victim of French colonialism. When France declared the abolition of slavery, Toussaint happily sided with France so long as France would uphold the abolition of slavery. He warned: “I took up arms for the freedom of my colour, which France alone proclaimed, but which she has no right to nullify. Our liberty is no longer in her hands; it is in our own! We will defend it or perish.” Toussaint held true to his word. When it became apparent to him that France was willing to reinstate slavery in the Caribbean, he fought back. Toussaint also described France as a “step-mother” rather than the “Mother Country.” He was ultimately tricked by France and arrested. He died in exile from Haiti.
Of course, France can pay tribute to Toussaint now that he is dead. This is very typical of how Western powers treat black heroes. Near the end of his life, Martin Luther King became very unpopular within the American media for his criticisms of the Vietnam War. Today King is widely celebrated in America, even though his views on American imperialism and capitalism are largely ignored. Likewise, Nelson Mandela, who was listed on the American terror watch list until 2008, was widely praised by the American press after he died. The government of Guyana decided to honor Walter Rodney in 2021, even though the government there has not implemented any of his ideas.
The point here is that prominent African leaders are always honored after they are dead because they no longer pose a threat. Macron’s decision to honor Toussaint follows in this tradition. Macron is really not interested in what Toussaint represented or what Toussaint fought for. Moreover, it is insulting that Macron would misrepresent Toussaint in his speech. For example, Macron declared that Toussaint felt himself to be “fully French.” This is not true. When Toussaint initially joined the revolution, he was on the side of the Spanish against the French. As I pointed out before, when France betrayed its commitment to abolition, Toussaint declared that France was a “step-mother” to the people of Haiti. He did not maintain a blind loyalty to France. In Macron’s version of history, Toussaint was a loyal French citizen, but this was not the case.
The lesson from Toussaint was that France is not to be trusted where African people are concerned. France has been typical of many of the colonial powers in Europe. These are colonial powers which preach values such as liberty and democracy, but never practice these values where Africans are concerned.
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