Faith Nyasuguta
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for “forgiveness” over France’s colonial past in Madagascar, pledging symbolic and economic reparations during a two-day visit to the island nation. His visit included a solemn ceremony at the royal palace in Antananarivo, where he acknowledged the painful legacy of colonial rule and announced the return of cultural artefacts looted during that period.
“Our presence here is not innocent,” Macron said at the memorial, referencing the brutality of France’s rule from 1896 until Madagascar’s independence in 1960. “Only you can make this journey of forgiveness- but we are creating the conditions for it,” he told attendees, including Princess Fenosoa Ralandison Ratsimamanga.
A major gesture includes the return of looted items, notably the skull of King Toera, who was decapitated by French forces in 1897 and taken to France as a colonial trophy. Macron emphasized, “These human remains belong here and nowhere else.” France has already agreed to return the skulls of three Malagasy warriors held in Paris’s Musee de l’Homme, scheduled to arrive in Madagascar in August.
Macron also proposed a joint historical commission involving French and Malagasy scholars to uncover the full truth of colonial-era atrocities, mirroring similar efforts with Algeria, Cameroon, Senegal, and Haiti.
Alongside his symbolic gestures, Macron pushed for stronger economic ties with Madagascar, a home to 30 million people with abundant resources and biodiversity. After meeting with President Andry Rajoelina, Macron announced several deals in infrastructure, tourism, energy, and digital sectors.
The most notable deal involves French energy firm EDF investing in the Volobe hydroelectric dam project. The dam, located 350 kilometres east of the capital, is projected to cost between $600 and $800 million and will generate over 120 megawatts, potentially connecting nearly 2 million people to electricity in a country where only about one-third of the population has access to power.
Macron also promoted a new partnership in rare earth minerals, essential for renewable energy technologies, as global powers including China and Russia expand influence in the Indian Ocean region.
However, his visit also reignited geopolitical tension over the Scattered Islands, a group of small islets still controlled by France and contested by Madagascar. President Rajoelina confirmed that the long-disputed issue will be revisited in new talks scheduled for 30 June.
Macron’s visit was part apology, part strategic engagement, an effort to reconcile with a troubled colonial past while reinforcing France’s role and influence in an increasingly competitive Indian Ocean region.
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