Azerbaijani leader urges Macron to apologise over French colonialism

President Ilham Aliyev said the recognition of France’s historical guilt will contribute to solving the deep social and political crisis in the country.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused France of being one of the countries which continue their neocolonial policy.

Speaking at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in the capital Baku, Aliyev urged on Wednesday French President Emmanuel Macron to apologise to the countries affected by French colonialism.

“Apologies to the millions of people whom his (Emmanuel Macron’s) predecessors colonised, used as slaves, killed, tortured and humiliated.

“It will not only be recognition of France’s historical guilt, but will also help it overcome the consequences of the deep political, social and humanitarian crisis in which it found itself after the brutal murder of an Algerian teenager,” he said.

French police killing teenager

Aliyev also said racist and discriminative rhetoric becomes common in France, including in the media.

Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian descent, was shot at point-blank range by a police officer last week in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

Protests have since swept France after the fatal shooting of the teenager during a traffic check.

The officer faces a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in preliminary detention.