The diplomatic dispute over France's overseas territories is widening, with pro-independence leaders in the Caribbean and the Pacific rejecting claims by French lawmakers that Azerbaijan is interfering in France's internal affairs.
Groups including the ONE St. Martin (ONESXM) Association have defended the work of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), arguing that decolonisation and self-determination are matters of international law rather than domestic French policy.
The Baku Initiative Group is an Azerbaijan-based organisation established in 2023 that advocates the decolonisation and self-determination of territories under French administration.
BIG works with pro-independence groups and promotes their causes in international forums.
José Jean-Pierre, president of MIR Guadeloupe and secretary of the International Front for Decolonisation, has sent separate letters to French President Emmanuel Macron, French lawmaker Nicolas Metzdorf and the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation (C-24).
In the letters, Jean-Pierre rejects claims that international support for decolonisation amounts to foreign interference, arguing that the status of France's overseas territories remains a legitimate subject of international scrutiny.
He noted that New Caledonia and French Polynesia remain on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, making their political status an international issue rather than solely a domestic French matter.
Jean-Pierre also disputed France's position that Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion voluntarily integrated into France.
According to the letters, the 1946 departmentalisation law was adopted by the French Parliament without referendums or direct votes in the territories concerned. He further argued that their removal from the UN list of territories to be decolonised in 1947 followed a unilateral French decision rather than an expression of the people's will.
Activists also pointed to persistent economic disparities and the long-running chlordecone pesticide contamination scandal, which they say affects more than 80 per cent of adults in the French Antilles.
The organisations are calling for UN fact-finding missions to New Caledonia and French Polynesia, recognition of overseas populations as distinct peoples under international law, and independence referendums in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion.
Jean-Pierre's letter to Macron urges France to fulfil what activists describe as its international obligations by recognising the right to self-determination and supporting UN-supervised decolonisation processes.
In a separate statement, the ONE St. Martin Association rejected the argument that international support for decolonisation constitutes interference in France's domestic affairs.
The organisation cited the UN Charter and the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, arguing that the right to self-determination is protected under international law.
The association also said that constitutional integration into France does not, by itself, demonstrate that colonialism has ended or guarantee political, economic or social equality.
ONESXM concluded by calling for a referendum on independence in St. Martin, arguing that "decolonisation is not France's internal affair. It is an unfinished international responsibility."
Iran has warned it will shift to a “fully offensive” military posture if efforts to reach a permanent peace deal with the U.S. fail, se...
Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony after being convicted of criticising Rus...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 18th of August, covering the latest developments....
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate to safety and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.
South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Monday it was reviewing U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on scaling back joint military drills. It added that it hoped a favourable relationship between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks.
Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony after being convicted of criticising Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 18th of August, covering the latest developments.
At least two people were killed, including the alleged shooter, and a number were injured in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is considering a scheme to help local police officers cover the legal and financial risks of making immigration arrests under President Donald Trump’s crackdown.
Russia said its air defences downed 180 drones over the Moscow region overnight, with 620 drones reportedly targeting the area, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment