For night wey be December 30, 1956, French soldiers waka enter di village wey dem dey call Ekité for Sanaga-Maritime area for Cameroon Littoral region.

By morning, dem don kill 500 civilians. E no matter if na man, woman or pikin, di killers no look face.

As Prof Hamadou Adama from University of Ngaoundere talk am, na "di most iconic massacre" for di war wey France no declare for Cameroon.

But for many years, dis kind killings and di plenty other bad things wey happen dey hide for secret files, and di French government dey deny am well well.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently talk say di violence wey France do for Cameroon get many sides, and e don open old wounds wey never heal finish.

To sabi di pain well, we need to look how Cameroon, wey get old civilisations and plenty different people, turn to di battlefield for one of di most hidden colonial wars.

Before Europe colonise di place, Cameroon dey enjoy di legacy of big African civilisations like Kanem-Bornu Empire, Sokoto Caliphate and Adamawa Emirate.

Di land dey house over 250 ethnic groups like Bamileke, Bamoun, Bassa, Douala, Ewondo, Bulu, Maka, Pygmy and Kirdi people dem.

For di late 18th and 19th centuries, di land turn prize for di colonial fight between Germany, Britain and France.

Dr Gassim Ibrahim from Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture talk say di colonialism wey Europe do dey based on di idea say Africa no get history, so dem fit colonise am under di excuse say dem wan bring better civilisation.

Germany take over Cameroon coastal area for 1884, di same time wey Berlin Conference dey happen to share Africa among di colonial powers.

Dem push enter di Adamawa region by 1901. Later, Britain and France join di fight, using missionary work to spread Catholicism and Protestantism.

After Germany lose for World War I, British and French forces divide Cameroon. France take di southeast, while Britain take di west.

Di League of Nations later give dem authority to control di land. Britain join Northern and Southern Cameroons with Nigeria, while France set up headquarters for Yaoundé.

Di colonial powers no care about di local people and di boundaries dem create cause plenty wahala later.

Di French use discrimination, violence and repression to make di local people feel say their culture no get value, and dem try force French culture on dem.

Nationalist leaders like Félix-Roland Moumié and Ruben Um Nyobè start di fight against racism and colonial rule. Dem form di Union of di Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) for 1948.

Um Nyobè even go United Nations for 1952 to talk against French presence for Cameroon. But di French government kill Nyobè for 1958 and poison Moumié for Geneva.

Di war between 1956 and 1961 kill tens of thousands of people. French forces bomb villages, put people for camps and torture dem.

Di French government hide di truth about di war, and dem even ban books wey talk about di matter.

Even after independence, di French still dey control Cameroon through di government, military and police.

President Macron talk about di violence, but many Cameroonians dey vex say e no talk about apology or reparations.

Dr Ibrahim believe say dis na chance to revisit di history and open di archives, but di question be whether di government go allow am.

Dis article first appear for TRT Afrika.