Saint-Junien Becomes First French City to Unveil Plaque Honoring Haiti's Independence

Saint-Junien, in the Haute-Vienne department of France's Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, has become the first French city to unveil a plaque commemorating Haiti's independence, according to icihaiti.com and vantbefinfo.com. The ceremony took place on October 30, 2026, honoring the proclamation of January 1, 1804, and the men and women who fought to end slavery and win their freedom. The initiative emerged from a collaboration between the Festival 'Foutez-nous la Paix' and the Saint-Junien municipal team. Haiti's Ambassador to France, Louino Volcy, attended alongside Mayor Hervé Beaudet, writer Lyonel Trouillot and geographer Jean-Marie Théodat. Mayor Beaudet recalled the courage of Jean-Jacques Dessalines and the indigenous army against French troops, and condemned slavery, saying his town — marked by social and anti-colonial struggles — could not forget the uprising. Ambassador Volcy said the gesture pays tribute to 'those men and women who, at the risk of their lives, fought slavery, dared to be free, and founded the first independent Black Republic in the world,' describing it as a recognition of the importance of Haiti's history. The sources described the plaque as a symbolic act establishing a memorial link between Saint-Junien and Haiti, part of the universal history of the struggle against slavery and colonial domination.