Boulouris-Saint-Raphael, 15 August 2024
# 80TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION OF THE PROVENCE LANDINGS
15 AUGUST 2024
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# STATEMENT BY H.E. PAUL BIYA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
The President of the French Republic, Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation, Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank President Emmanuel MACRON for inviting me to take part in the 80th anniversary commemoration of the Provence Landing.
I would also like to thank him for the warm welcome accorded my delegation and me.
Furthermore, I would like to salute the presence of you all, who have come to this place, which was inaugurated in 1964 by General de Gaulle, the then President of the French Republic, in the presence of many combatants from France and Africa, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Provence Landing.
The Boulouris National Necropolis is full of history, a place of remembrance, a place of pain and taking stock, that speaks to us and challenges us about the world's future. Here in Saint-Raphaël, as in other parts of Provence, Normandy and elsewhere in Europe, many soldiers gave up their lives to fight against occupation and defend freedom, thus forming a formidable chain of solidarity. Today, we are still here to commemorate their valour, to remember a past war for freedom, and to pay a glowing tribute to these heroes.
Heads of State and Government, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Under the leadership of General de Lattre de Tassigny, many of the thousands of men who fought bravely, hailed from all over the colonial empire of France. They came from, among others, sub-Saharan
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Africa. In other words, Africa made a significant contribution towards breaking the shackles of German occupation. The occupation was a harsh, liberticidal occupation, whose troops were under orders to fight to the last bullet.
The rallying of the Free France territories was key, and its contribution to the final victory was significant. Among others, it was in order to mobilize African troops that Colonel Leclerc was sent to Cameroon, then considered a potential base for to reconquer Europe's. Cameroon, one of the very first countries to rally, did so immediately on 27 August 1940, prompting General de Gaulle to say, and I quote, "Cameroon has just made a wonderful decision and set a magnificent example". Through the swiftness of this rallying, General de Gaulle was able to demonstrate France's true combativeness to his allies. The troops under Colonel Leclerc's orders thus included a good many men from French Equatorial Africa and Cameroon.