On December 1, Senegal marks the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre. On that day in 1944, at least 35 Tirailleurs – members of a colonial infantry unit from Senegal who served in the French army – were gunned down by French forces for demanding their pay after returning from World War II. For decades, the French army justified the killings, claiming the carnage was in response to a “mutiny”. It was only in 2012 that then-president François Hollande referred to a “bloody crackdown.” On November 28, President Emmanuel Macron finally acknowledged in a letter to Senegalese authorities that the horrific event that unfolded in Thiaroye in 1944 was indeed a massacre.
But to this day, the full truth behind the tragedy remains a mystery. Even in Thiaroye itself, young people remain in the dark about this traumatic event in West African history.
To address this situation, associations, teachers and students from the town itself are banding together to ensure Senegal never forgets what happened in Thiaroye. FRANCE 24’s Caitlin Kelly, Simon Martin and Sarah Sakho report.
Watch moreThiaroye 44: Investigating a colonial-era massacre in Senegal
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