Le statut juridique des enfants métis nés en Afrique Occidentale Française de parents inconnus : Entre idéalisme républicain et turpitudes coloniales

• Main Author: Mamadou Badji
• Format: Article
• Language: fra
• Published: L’Harmattan 2011-06-01
• Series: Droit et Cultures
• Subjects: Colonial Law; French Western Africa; Mixed-Raced Population; Race
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/droitcultures/2535

Colonial dominations have always given way, from a demographical point of view, to “mixed-raced” populations who have difficulties to be categorized by legal classifications: are they true or second-class citizens? This article analyzes the situation in colonial Western French Africa (AOF), showing the fact that the notion of race has been recognized in order to give a place to children, born outside marriage ties, from unions between Europeans and Black people. Through the analysis of legal texts and judicial precedents, the author shows how the colonial law has created what could be considered nowadays as discrimination.