Brazzaville Conference of 1944

At a meeting in Brazzaville met during World War II from January 30 to February 8, 1944 representatives of the Free French with high colonial officials from the African colonies of France together. In addition to Charles de Gaulle and René Pleven, the Colonial Secretary of the National Liberation Committee, attended 20 governors. Conference was the city of Brazzaville, capital of French Equatorial Africa and, since October 26, 1940 for a short time the capital of Free France.

Charles de Gaulle recognized at the conference on the need for political, social and economic reforms in the French- controlled part of Africa and promised a fundamental reorganization of the relations between the " mother country" and its colonies. This reorganization did not involve the independence of the colonies, but the transformation of the colonial relationship in a "French Union ". Background of the conference was the attempt of de Gaulle to involve the African colonies in the struggle for the liberation of France.

Advocate greater autonomy of the French colonies in Africa invoked in the following years on locally written "Declaration of Brazzaville ".

This declaration included the following points:

  • France and the companies controlled by areas should remain united in the future.
  • In each colony semi-autonomous assemblies should be established.
  • The citizens of French colonies should be given the right to send representatives to the Constituent Assembly, which should be established after the war.
  • The citizens of French colonies should have the right to send representatives in the French parliament.
  • The public sector should be opened for the indigenous population of the colonies.
  • The forced labor should be abolished.
  • Economic reforms should reduce the exploitative nature of relations between France and its colonies.

Swell

  • Engl. Text to the conference
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