On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the massacre of African riflemen by French colonial forces, Senegal marked a historic turning point in the preservation of its collective memory. On Sunday, December 1, 2024, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, surrounded by five African heads of state, honored the victims of this tragic episode at the Thiaroye military camp, near Dakar.
This commemoration, of an unprecedented scale, aimed to pay tribute to the Senegalese riflemen killed on December 1, 1944, but also to lay the foundations for a reappropriation of African history. "Paying tribute to our martyrs is not only mourning their fate, it is transforming their fight into a lever to reinvent our relationships with ourselves, with our history and with the heirs of those who committed this tragedy," declared President Faye.
A late but symbolic recognition
In a gesture hailed as a demonstration of moral courage, the French president Emmanuel Macron wrote to the Senegalese head of state three days before the ceremony, describing the events in Thiaroye as a "massacre" for the first time. His predecessor, François Hollande, had spoken of a "bloody repression" without going so far as to acknowledge the nature of the crime.
The facts date back to 1944, when African riflemen repatriated after having fought in Europe demanded the payment of their back pay at the Thiaroye camp. Their demand was bloodily repressed by the French colonial forces. While the authorities at the time admitted 35 deaths, historians put forward a much higher toll, reaching up to 400 victims.
Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, present at the ceremony, reiterated Emmanuel Macron's words, evoking a "gaping wound in our common history".
President Faye announced that this tragic event would now be included in Senegalese school curricula, a decisive step towards the reappropriation of a history that has long been minimized, even hidden. A memorial will be erected in Thiaroye, as well as a documentation and research center dedicated to the riflemen.
In his speech, Faye stressed the importance of preserving the memory of these African heroes while avoiding any feeling of resentment. "It will not be a question of maintaining anger or hatred, but of guaranteeing the duty of memory and historical truth," he said.
Teaching and research in the service of memory
To date, the teaching of the Thiaroye massacre is almost absent from official Senegalese curricula. The new authorities are working to fill this gap, with the ambition of producing educational fact sheets and creating libraries accessible to all.
A symposium bringing together Senegalese and international researchers is being held on December 2 and 3 in Dakar to further research into the massacre. Among the topics addressed: the integration of this episode into school curricula and the preservation of historical archives.
The Thiaroye massacre, long silenced, thus becomes a symbol of unity and the fight for truth. By sanctifying December 1 as "tirailleur day", Senegal is making this date a moment of collective reflection and dialogue with France, aimed at rebuilding relations based on recognition and historical justice.
There is still a long way to go to clear up the gray areas surrounding this episode, particularly the place of burial of the victims. But for President Faye, the challenge is clear: "To make this tragedy an anchor point to reinvent our relationships with our past, our present and our common future."
