How did French colonial authorities use forced labor to grow cotton and coffee?

French colonial authorities in Ubangi-Shari (modern-day Central African Republic) utilized forced labour as a central component of their economic strategy to extract profit from the region. To increase the cultivation of cotton and coffee, the administration conscripted local populations, compelling them to work on plantations and produce these cash crops.1

This system was part of a broader colonial policy where the French government leased vast tracts of land to private companies. These firms were granted the right to exploit the land and dominate the local people in exchange for rent, with the colonial administration providing little oversight of their activities. Beyond the cultivation of cotton and coffee, forced labor was also used to grow food crops intended to supply French troops and labor crews.1

The use of forced labor was inherently exploitative and violated fundamental human rights, as it prioritized colonial profit over the lives and well-being of the indigenous population, often forcing them to abandon their own agricultural livelihoods and leading to widespread food shortages and famine.12