France has officially acknowledged its violent role in suppressing Cameroon’s independence movement, marking a significant—though controversial—moment in the two nations’ shared history.

In a letter addressed to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that “a war had taken place in Cameroon” and that colonial authorities, along with the French army, “exercised repressive violence of several kinds in certain regions.”

The letter, made public on Tuesday, follows a historical report that examined France’s suppression of independence movements between 1945 and 1971. The report revealed that tens of thousands of people were killed between 1956 and 1961, during Cameroon’s struggle for independence from colonial rule.

While Macron’s admission is being seen as a step forward, he notably did not issue a formal apology for the atrocities committed—something many in Cameroon and beyond continue to demand. Cameroon gained independence from France in 1960.