1958, France allows more autonomy
In 1958 President Charles de Gaulle offered France's African colonies a choice of immediate independence or semi-autonomy within a joint community. All but one chose the latter -- but it fired the starting gun on decolonisation.
AFP journalist Pierre-Marie Giraud looked back at de Gaulle's historic speech in this story written on its 40th anniversary.
PARIS, August 22, 1998 (AFP) - In Brazzaville on August 24, 1958 General de Gaulle opened the way to France's decolonisation in sub-Saharan Africa with a proposal that its colonies join a Franco-African Community.
The move would act as a crucible for full independence for francophone sub-Saharan Africa just two years later, and came as other European powers were letting go of their colonies following World War II.
De Gaulle made the offer in a key speech during a 10-day tour of France's African possessions, undertaken months after he returned to power in May 1958.
"It is natural and legitimate that the African people reach this political level where they will have full responsibility over their internal affairs, where it will be up to them to decide for themselves," de Gaulle said.
- Two options -
He proposed a referendum on a new constitution in which the colonies could have self-government within the Franco-African Community although Paris would maintain control of defence, the justice systems and foreign, economic and financial policy.
By voting "no", they would be given outright independence, severing all links to Paris.
"Independence, whoever wants it, can have it immediately. The mainland will not oppose it," he said.
The new community would effectively merge two federations set up around the turn of the century when France began its colonisation drive in Africa: French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa.
Besides being the capital of French Equatorial Africa, Brazzaville had also been the first official capital of the government-in-exile led by de Gaulle during World War II and known as Free France.
- Overwhelming 'yes' -
The referendum was held on September 28, 1958 and only Guinea voted against joining the Franco-African Community. It gained independence on October 2.
Over the next weeks, the other dozen territories were given the status of republics within the new union.
The Franco-African Community was, however, short lived. With France heavily involved in its costly independence war in Algeria and amid differing attitudes to colonisation prompted by the Cold War, full independence to all the other French colonies in sub-Saharan Africa came more quickly than expected.
Between January and November 1960, 14 new flags and as many new seats appeared at the United Nations as the new countries were formed: first Cameroon and then Senegal, Togo, Madagascar, Dahomey (which became Benin), Niger, Haute-Volta (now Burkina Faso), Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Mali and, finally, Mauritania.
Even after independence, these countries retained close links to Paris, several of them hosting French military bases.