25/07/2025

Towards the Decolonization of Guadeloupe! Challenges and Prospects

International thematic conference on “Towards the Decolonization of Guadeloupe: Challenges and Perspectives,” dedicated to the island of Guadeloupe under the yoke of French colonial policy, was held in Baku, which has become a center for decolonization dialogues.

The conference was jointly organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), the Guadeloupe International Reparations Movement (MIR-Guadeloupe), the International Committee of Black Peoples (CIPN), and the Movement for the Empowerment of the Guadeloupe Nation (FKNG) on June 25, 2025. 

The event has brought together prominent leaders of political parties advocating for Guadeloupe’s independence, heads of liberation movements, representatives from non-governmental organizations, members of the academic community, and other stakeholders. Notably, the secretary of the International Decolonization Front (IDF), founded in Baku in July 2024 under the backing of the Baku Initiative Group, delivered a series of presentations during the conference.

Participants extensively discussed Guadeloupe’s continued status as an overseas department of France and how this designation restricts the people’s right to freely determine their political future. They addressed issues including colonial crimes, historical injustices, the extermination of the indigenous Kalinago people, exploitation of workers, persistent inequalities, and the existence of administrative and economic structures that perpetuate dependency. 

The event highlighted how Guadeloupe’s status as an overseas department perpetuates colonialism, contributing to high unemployment, mass youth migration, social inequality, economic dependence, violence, and environmental pollution. Particular attention was given to the devastating effects of the toxic chemical pesticide chlordecone on the region.

At the conference, participants extensively discussed placing the right of the Guadeloupean people to self-determination on the agenda of international organizations. They examined the United Nations’ legal mechanisms for decolonization and critically addressed France’s failure to comply with relevant UN resolutions and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

For the first time in Azerbaijan, the Baku Initiative Group organized a concert titled “Rhythms & Dances of Guadeloupe and Azerbaijan” at the “Green Theater,” featuring cultural and artistic figures from both Azerbaijan and Guadeloupe, after the conference on June 25. The cultural program showcased a harmonious blend of Guadeloupean and Azerbaijani music to the audience. The event featured a performance by Guadeloupe’s renowned Lakou Veranda Group, who captivated attendees with their unique music and rhythms.

France, continuing its policy of systematically suppressing the cultures of peoples under colonial rule, sought to weaken the national identities of indigenous populations by “Frenchifying” its colonies.

In this context, a unique initiative that combined the cultural heritage of Guadeloupe with Azerbaijani culture was carried out in our capital city, Baku. This effort holds great significance for strengthening cultural solidarity and also advancement the struggle on the cultural platform. 

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