His words are very revealing of the way in which the colonies’ independence was ‘negotiated’: ‘We acknowledge the fact that two new independent states, whose history coincides with ours, wanted to sign agreements with us as their first act of sovereignty.’ He continued: ‘These states are reasonable; they understand perfectly that it is not the case to sever emotional, cultural and economic ties that have lasted so long.’ Finally, he stressed that it was crucial for France ‘to obtain [from these countries] the promise of a reciprocal preferential regime in our economic relations and for these states to remain in the franc zone'.

Fanny Pigeaud_ Ndongo Samba Sylla, Africa's Last Colonial Curr…, loc. 88