Biya reitirates Africa’s contribution to France Allied forces victory
By Stephen TADAHA with additional information from France 24
Invited by his French counter part, Emmanuel Macron since the start of the Olympic games in Paris, Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya had to extend his stay to be part of the 6 African leaders at the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the allied landings of Provence which took place on Thursday August 15, 2024.
In his speech which lasted over 10 minutes, President Paul Biya in reminding France of the importance of Allies in the victory over Germany some 80 years ago, also recalled that most of the allies were from Africa and that Africa played a very significant role in the event which should not be forgotten.
“There would have been no Allied victory without the contribution from the other peoples, without the foreigners, especially from sub saharan Africa” he said. “The fight was conducted together, to defend the universal values and ideas of peace and justice.” Biya said.
History according to France 24, has it that on August 15, 1944, 100,000 American, British and Canadian troops landed on the beaches of the Var region on the French Riviera and were followed by 250,000 soldiers fighting for France, and mostly recruited from African colonies with the aim of recapturing the key ports of Marseille and Toulon from the German occupiers.
They succeeded within two weeks, having encountered only limited resistance from an exhausted German army.
The army included 84,000 French settlers from Algeria, 12,000 Free French troops and 12,000 Corsicans, but also 130,000 soldiers from Algeria and Morocco, and 12,000 from Senegal and France’s Pacific and Caribbean possessions. They were all commanded by commanded by General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny.
