French Equatorial Africa Afrique-Équatoriale française (French) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1910–1958 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Anthem: La Marseillaise | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Status | Federation ofFrench colonies (1910–1934) French colony (1934–1958)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Brazzaville | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Official languages | French | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Catholicism and others[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor-General | |||||||||||||||||||||
• 1908–17 | Martial Henri Merlin | ||||||||||||||||||||
• 1951–57 | Paul Louis Gabriel Chauvet | ||||||||||||||||||||
| High-Commissioner | |||||||||||||||||||||
• 1957–58 | Paul Louis Gabriel Chauvet | ||||||||||||||||||||
• 1958 | Pierre Messmer | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
• Established | 15 January 1910 | ||||||||||||||||||||
• Disestablished | September 1958 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||||||||||
• Total | 2,500,000[3] km2 (970,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Currency | French Equatorial African franc CFA franc | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| Today part of | Central African Republic Chad Republic of the Congo Gabon | ||||||||||||||||||||
French Equatorial Africa (French:Afrique équatoriale française, orAEF) was afederation ofFrench colonial territories inEquatorial Africa which consisted ofGabon,French Congo,Ubangi-Shari, andChad. It existed from 1910 to 1958 and its administration was based inBrazzaville.
Established in 1910, the Federation contained four colonial possessions:French Gabon,French Congo,Ubangi-Shari andFrench Chad. TheGovernor-General was based inBrazzaville with deputies in each territory.
In 1911, France ceded parts of the territory toGerman Kamerun as a result of theAgadir Crisis. The territory was returned after Germany's defeat inWorld War I, while most ofCameroon proper became a FrenchLeague of Nations mandate not integrated into the AEF.
French Equatorial Africa, especially the region ofUbangi-Shari, had a similar concession system as theCongo Free State and similar atrocities were also committed there. WriterAndré Gide traveled to Ubangi-Shari and was told by inhabitants about atrocities including mutilations, dismemberments, executions, the burning of children, and villagers being forcibly bound to large beams and made to walk until dropping from exhaustion and thirst.[4] Gide's bookTravels in the Congo, published in 1927, was fiercely critical of the system of the concession companies in French Equatorial Africa. The book had an important impact on the anti-colonialist movement in France.[5] The number of victims under the French concession system in Ubangi-Shari and other parts of French Equatorial Africa remains unknown.Adam Hochschild estimates a population decrease of half in the French Congo and Gabon, similar to his estimate of the population decline in the Congo Free State.[6]
In French Equatorial Africa, the French authorities long tolerated indigenous slavery, but finally acted against the slave trade of the Sultan of Dar Kuti in 1908, and took action against his slave raids in 1911, declaring the slaves inDar al Kuti free[7] and annexing the territory in 1912.
During the late 1920s and early 1930s an anti-colonial movementSociété Amicale des Originaires de l'A.E.F. was established byAndré Matsoua,[8] seeking French citizenship for the territory's inhabitants.[9]
DuringWorld War II, French Cameroun and the entirety of the AEF except for Gabon rallied to theFree French Forces in August 1940, Gabon instead remained loyal toVichy France until 12 November 1940 when the Vichy administration withdrew following theBattle of Gabon. The federation became the strategic centre of Free French activities in Africa.Félix Eboué was installed as Governor-General of AEF. A separate administrative structure was established under the auspices ofFree French Africa grouping both AEF and Cameroun.
Under theFourth Republic (1946–58), the federation was represented in theFrench parliament. When the territories voted in theSeptember 1958 referendum to become autonomous within theFrench Community, the federation was dissolved. In 1959 the new republics formed an interim association called the Union of Central African Republics, before becoming fully independent in August 1960.
French Equatorial Africa began with the concept of association, which was implemented through treaties promising French protection by the Italian-French explorerPierre Savorgnan de Brazza during the mid-1800s, who convinced indigenous communities to cooperate with the French in exchange for greater trade opportunities. This association eventually led to French indirect rule in the region.[10] However, France's attempts at indirect rule faced consistent resistance from local leaders.[11]
The AEF was perceived by France as an unstable colony. Therefore, France granted private companies contracts for the exploitation of natural resources likeivory andrubber, rather than sustainable investment. Private companies implemented heavy taxation with little to no pay and cruel treatment towards workers and the local communities.[11]
In 1908 French Equatorial Africa was divided into four colonies in hopes of strengthening French authority within the region.[12] Until 1934, French Equatorial Africa was a federation of French colonies likeFrench West Africa. That year, however, the AEF became a unitary entity, its constituent colonies becoming known as regions, and later became known as territories in 1937.[13] There was a single budget for the unified colony; prior to unification, each member had had its own finances.[14]
As of 1942, the AEF was administered by a governor-general, who had "the supreme direction of all services, both civil and military."[15] However, the difference in numbers between administrators and the local populace made it difficult for the French to exercise power outside of their headquarters without voluntary or involuntary indigenous cooperation.[16] Additionally, the governor-general's power was limited in practice by France's centralizing colonial policy. "Most important legislation is enacted in Paris," wrote the authors of the 1942 British naval intelligence handbook for the colony, "whilst the governor-general fills in minor details and penalties."[15] The governor-general was assisted by a consultative council of administration (Conseil d'Administration) composed of important local officials and some members, both African and European, elected indirectly.[15] All major administration positions were appointed by French government and were not accountable to officials elected by the African people. Additionally, France held complete control over diplomacy, defense, and politics.[17]
Under the unified colony, three of the constituent territories,Chad,Gabon, andUbangi-Shari, were administered by a governor, whileMoyen-Congo was under the purview of the governor-general. Each had a council of local interests (Conseil des Intérêts Locaux) similar to the council of administration. Locally, the territories were subdivided intodépartements and subdivisions overseen by appointed officials.[18] The only municipalities were the capitals of the territories, which were classified ascommunes mixtes as opposed to Senegal'scommunes de plein exercice, which had democratically elected councils. Although these municipalities possessed certain powers of local self-government, their mayors and councils—which included African representatives—were appointed.[19]
Accounting for a little less than an eighth of Africa,[20] across modern dayCentral African Republic,Republic of Chad,Republic of the Congo,Republic of Gabon,[21] and most ofCameroon,[22] the greater part of French Equatorial Africa extended over agraniteplateau, framed by theTibesti,Ouadaï, andFertit massifs to the northeast,Darfur to the east and theCrystal mountains andMayombe in the southwest. Twobasins occupied the central and southern parts of the territory: thebasin of Chad, a former inland sea of whichLake Chad is a remnant, and thebasin of Congo, traversed by the river of the same name and its main tributaries (Oubangui River,Sangha River, andAlima River). A coastal plain stretched from mainlandSpanish Guinea (nowEquatorial Guinea) to theCongo River. The highest point in French Equatorial Africa wasMount Emi Koussi (3,415 meters) inTibesti.[20]
Due to the very size of the territory, theclimate varied extremely from one point to another, going from a particularly aridSaharan climate in the north to a humidtropical climate in the southern part. Thevegetation was affected by these differences: in the north, the virtual absence of rain made it nearly impossible for vegetation to develop, apart from a few thorny shrubs;[17] in the center lay the domain of thesavannahs, wheremillet,peanuts andcassava were grown; finally to the south were the humidtropical forests, from which various species such asebony andokoumé were taken. In the coastal regions,vanilla,cocoa andcoffee trees were grown.[23]
French Equatorial Africa was bounded byBritish Nigeria,French West Africa,Italian Libya,Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and theBelgian Congo. To the west, it bordered theAtlantic Ocean.[24]
Territories:
Thepostal administrations of the four territories were separate until 1936, each issuing its own stamps. In that year, stamps of Gabon and Middle Congo were overprintedAFRIQUE / ÉQUATORIALE / FRANÇAISE. Adefinitive series for the colony followed in 1937, featuring local scenes and key French figures in the formation of the colony, with various color and value changes each year through 1940.
The 1937 series was overprintedAFRIQUE FRANÇAISE / LIBRE or justLIBRE in 1940 by the Free French, and in 1941 they issued a series depicting aphoenix rising from the flames.
A new definitive series, featuring local scenery and people, was issued in 1946, and another twenty-odd stamps came out during the 1950s, with the last being the omnibus Human Rights issue on 10 December 1958.[25]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)online, 580pp; encyclopedic coverage of geography, government, people and economy
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