By Colton McAllister, Politics Reporter

France recently announced it would formally recognize Palestine as an independent state at the United Nations General Assembly this September. President Emmanuel Macron called the move “solemn” and said, “There is no alternative.” The announcement was intended as a rebuke of Israel’s conduct in the war with Hamas and was framed as a statement on human rights and peace.

But given France’s insistence on taking the moral high ground in Gaza, it’s worth asking: what is France’s actual record when it comes to respecting human rights—particularly toward Indigenous populations and former colonies?

In the French territory of New Caledonia, also known as Kanaky, France recently imposed a state of emergency following unrest sparked by a new law expanding voting rights to recent residents—mostly French nationals. Amnesty International described the situation as rooted in “a stalled decolonisation process, racial inequality and the longstanding, peacefully expressed demands by the Indigenous Kanak people for self-determination.” France responded by deploying the army, banning TikTok, and arresting over 200 people. Amnesty warned that the TikTok ban “would likely constitute a violation of the right to freedom of expression”.

This is not an isolated issue. Across Africa, France’s military presence has been steadily rejected by nations seeking to break with the legacy of colonial influence. Chad, Senegal, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have all moved to end military cooperation with France or expel French troops outright. Senegal’s President put it bluntly: “Just because the French have been here since the slavery period doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do otherwise.” One analyst called Chad’s decision “the final nail in the coffin of France’s post-colonial military dominance in the entire Sahel region”.

These developments come as France continues to grapple with the legacy of its colonial and wartime past. The French government only recently acknowledged the 1944 massacre of 400 West African soldiers by its own military. During World War II, under the Vichy regime, French officials collaborated with Nazi Germany and actively participated in the deportation of Jews.

France has also taken a critical stance toward Russia. But unlike France, Russia lost millions of lives fighting the Nazis. And while French officials condemn the actions of other governments, they’ve said little about the presence of neo-Nazi units like Ukraine’s Azov Battalion, which continue to operate with Western support.

France is entitled to hold opinions. But before positioning itself as a global authority on justice and human rights, it may need to answer for its own ongoing violations—and the long list of communities still living under the weight of its legacy.