KEY POINTS
- Senegal commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre.
- French President Macron acknowledges the killings as a massacre.
- Activists demand more accountability and a full investigation.
Senegal marked the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre on Sunday, remembering the African soldiers who were killed by French troops in 1944 after returning from fighting for France during World War II.
The soldiers, many from Senegal, had fought for the French colonial army in the war but were gunned down in Thiaroye, a village near Dakar, when they demanded fair treatment and payment.
The Senegalese government has long called for France to take responsibility for the massacre, issue a formal apology, and conduct a proper investigation into the events.
These demands were renewed during the commemoration, which was attended by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and various other African dignitaries, including French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
The massacre and France’s role in the tragedy
The massacre occurred in late November and early December 1944, when African soldiers of the Senegalese infantry, who had returned after serving in the French military, were held in a military camp in Thiaroye.
These soldiers were promised pay and proper treatment for their service but were denied their wages and subjected to unfair conditions. When they protested, the French forces opened fire on the unarmed soldiers, killing many.
The exact number of victims is unclear. Historians vary in their estimates, but the toll could be in the hundreds. Former French president François Hollande acknowledged at least 70 deaths in 2014, but activists argue that the actual number could be much higher.
During the commemorative ceremony, which included a visit to the Thiaroye military cemetery, President Faye remarked on the soldiers’ sacrifice. “The riflemen sacrificed everything. They gave of their youth, they gave of their blood, they gave of their flesh for freedom and world peace,” he said.
French acknowledgement falls short, activists say
French President Emmanuel Macron took a significant step toward reconciliation by acknowledging the killings as a massacre in a public letter to President Faye ahead of the ceremony.
Faye welcomed the letter as an important move to restore dignity to the victims and their families. In a speech, France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot also recognized that a chain of events leading to the massacre had begun that fateful day.
Despite the recognition, Gaspard Mbaye, the head of an association dedicated to preserving the memory of the victims, expressed disappointment with the French response. Mbaye criticized France for continuing to withhold the full truth about the massacre and for diverting attention from its responsibility.
“They continue to conceal the truth and try to divert attention,” Mbaye told Reuters. The Senegalese government and activists are pushing for further action, including a full investigation and an official apology.
