Azerbaijan hosts French colonies' independence movements congress
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As tensions rise between France and Azerbaijan, Baku hosts a congress for pro-independence movements from multiple French colonies.
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Leaders from French colonies around the world participate in the First Congress of Independence Movements from French-colonised territories, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on July 17, 2024 (X/@bakuinitiative)
Azerbaijan hosted a congress of independence-seeking parties from several French overseas colonies, as relations between Baku and Paris soar.
The two-day "First Congress of Independence Movements from French-colonised territories" in the Azeri capital was organized with the support of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG).
Among the congress participants were representatives of the Nazione pro-independence party in the Mediterranean island of Corsica.
"We were given the opportunity to express ourselves through this group (BIG), which helps non-autonomous territories follow a path towards decolonization," the party's official in charge of international relations, Jean-Marc Rodriguez, said in early July.
He said the party will not get involved "in the conflict" between Azerbaijan and France.
The congress also saw the attendance of representatives from the Dutch colonies Bonaire and Sint Maarten in the Caribbean as guests of honor.
Read more: Echoes of pain: Ex-French colonies confront slave trade legacy
Colonies discuss independence in Baku
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the congress is designed to "coordinate efforts in overcoming French colonialism by creating a unified platform for closer association in [the colonies'] struggle for independence."
Around 15 political parties and independence movements from Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean, and the Antilles islands, that are subjected to French colonialism, were involved in the congress.
The event was officially organized by the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe, based in the Southern Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.
Azerbaijan has supported liberation movements in French colonies for several years, resulting in the creation of BIG, which aims "to support French liberation and anti-colonialist movements."
Attendees of the congress discussed New Caledonia's path to independence after the territory saw mass protests against French policies earlier this year, BIG posted on X. BIG also announced a scholarship enabling youth from French colonies to pursue higher education in Azerbaijani institutions.
Read more: France grapples with rising calls for independence from colonies
France's alliance with Armenia fosters Caucasus turbulence
While Baku provides parties in French colonies a platform for coordination, France has vastly improved with Azerbaijan's rival, Armenia.
The two countries saw stints of conflict, which saw Azerbaijan seize the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Ever since, Armenia has strayed away from Russia, cutting its involvement in the Moscow-led security alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which saw hundreds of Russian troops withdraw from Armenia's borders.
As a result of France's support of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government, relations continue to soar between Paris and Baku.
Read more: Into the US-NATO plot for South Caucasus
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