In a letter addressed to the Senegalese authorities, French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time recognized the killing of West African soldiers by the French Army in 1944 as a massacre.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye made the announcement in an interview aired Thursday, November 28, 2024, on French state television.
Macron's move comes on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the World War II killings in Thiaroye — a fishing village on the outskirts of the Senegalese capital".
The West Africans were members of the unit called Tirailleurs Senegalais, a corps of colonial infantry in the French colonial Army.
Between 35 and 400 West African soldiers who fought for the French Army in the Battle of France in 1940 were killed on Dec. 1, 1944, by French soldiers after what was described as a mutiny over unpaid wages.
Some of the soldiers who protested were tried on March 1945.
Faye said Macron's step should “open the door” so that the "whole truth about this painful event of Thiaroye” can finally come out.
“We have long sought closure on this story and we believe that, this time, France’s commitment will be full, frank and collaborative,” he added.
Committee for the restoration of facts
“France must recognize that on that day, the confrontation between soldiers and riflemen who demanded their full legitimate wages be paid, triggered a chain of events that resulted in a massacre,” read Macron's letter.
“It is also important to establish, as far as possible, the causes and facts that led to this tragedy," Macron added. “I have asked my services to inform me of the progress of the work of the Committee for the Restoration of the Facts, which your government has decided to set up, under the direction of Professor Mamadou Diouf, whose eminence and qualities are recognized by all.”
The letter comes weeks after the Senegalese legislative elections, in which the ruling party PASTEF secured a definite majority. The win granted newly elected President Faye a clear mandate to carry out ambitious reforms promised during the campaign, which include more economic independence from foreign companies, including French ones, which are heavily invested in the country.
France still has around 350 troops in its former colony, mainly in a supportive role. Asked about the presence of French forces, Faye alluded that it would not be something the Senegalese would want.
"Obviously, I think that when you reverse the roles a little, you will have a hard time conceiving that another army, China, Russia, Senegal, or any other country could have a military base in France.”
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