Réunion island - testament to France's cruel colonial past, French media outlets say

France's colonial policy limits cultural diversity in its overseas territories, with Réunion Island being a prime example, Report informs, citing the article published in the Muslims in France journal.

The article notes that French colonial policy focused on assimilation, requiring complete abandonment of national identity and adoption of all things French - language, values, and institutions - by conquered peoples to gain status as "full" citizens rather than second-class people.

All this was masked by a facade of equality while serious cultural and racial oppression existed, the author emphasizes.

"In Réunion, assimilation took a very specific form. Initially, the island's indigenous population was diluted with slaves and contract workers from India, China, and Madagascar. And, of course, European colonists settled here. Local cultural diversity was suppressed by the colonial system, which valued exclusively European culture. Réunion Creole, like other local languages, was pushed to the periphery of public and educational spheres. Meanwhile, local culture and history were often silenced or completely excluded from official discourse," the article states.

The author claims that the "erasure" of cultural heritage in Réunion is just a small part of French crimes on the island. Particularly dangerous was the birth control policy in the 1960s, which became one of the darkest episodes in the island's history.

"Thousands of Réunionese women became victims of forced sterilization or contraception without their informed consent. Despite lawsuits from some victims, those responsible for these crimes, especially doctors, were never held accountable," the article states.

However, the author notes that the island's modern youth, united in the Pan-African organization Ka-Ubuntu, has set a goal to free Réunion from the economic, cultural, and political models imposed during colonization.

"For Romain Katambara [chairman of Ka-Ubuntu movement], the organization's goal is to achieve Réunion's return to the UN list of territories subject to decolonization. Another goal is to gain support from states opposing colonialism, as advocating for independence against the world's 6th power, a permanent Security Council member with UN veto power, is a true Sisyphean task. Moreover, international jurisdictions lack authority to impose their decisions on states that don't comply with their international obligations," the article states.

Azerbaijan became one of such countries. The author recalled that recently, the Baku Initiative Group organized an international conference on "Réunion's Independence: A Look at France's Colonial Legacy and the Path to Sovereignty."

"The conference aimed to explore historical and contemporary aspects of Réunion's colonial past, the continuing influence of French dominance, and potential paths to sovereignty and self-determination," he stated.