Eighty years ago, on 1st December, 1944, the quiet dawn over Camp Thiaroye on the outskirts of Dakar was shattered by gunfire. What should have been a moment of dignified recognition for West African soldiers returning from the 1940 Battle of France turned into a harrowing bloodbath. These men—known as Tirailleurs Sénégalais, the colonial troops recruited from French West Africa — were gunned down by the very army they had loyally served.
The Thiaroye Massacre claimed the lives of between 35 and 4,00 soldiers, depending on the source, and left an indelible scar on the collective memory of West Africa. For decades, the French government cloaked the atrocity in euphemism, dismissing it as a mutiny over unpaid wages. But at its core, this was no mere wage dispute. It was a ruthless response to men who dared to demand justice after sacrificing their lives for a colonial power that saw them as disposable.
In a watershed moment, French President Emmanuel Macron, in a letter dated 28th November, 2024, formally acknowledged what many had long known: Thiaroye was a massacre. This admission comes as the world prepares to mark 80 years since that fateful day. It’s a long-overdue recognition of a truth that historians, activists, and artists have ceaselessly championed.
France’s journey toward accepting responsibility has been glacial. In 2017, then-president, François Hollande, admitted the tragedy but carefully avoided the incendiary term “massacre”. Macron’s use of the word, though significant, comes after seven years of leadership and mounting pressure from both within and outside France.
The timing of Macron’s acknowledgment is telling. It coincides with a vibrational shift in Franco-African dynamics, driven in part by the rise of Senegal’s Pastef party. Pastef has been a vocal critic of France’s lingering neo-colonial influence, particularly through economic structures like the CFA Franc, seen by many as a relic of exploitation.
This moment of reckoning is not just about the past; it’s about the future of Franco-African relations. As France grapples with its colonial legacy, African nations are reclaiming their narratives and demanding equality in partnerships. Thiaroye serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of injustice and the enduring power of historical truth.
Tomorrow, as the world commemorates the lives lost in that tragedy, we also honour the enduring spirit of resistance that these soldiers embodied. Their sacrifice calls on us to continue the fight for justice, dignity, and the unyielding pursuit of truth.
In their manifesto, Pastef leaders boldly vowed to redefine Senegal’s relationship with France, championing economic sovereignty and an end to what they see as neocolonial policies that still bind Senegalese assets to Paris. President Macron’s recent acknowledgment of the Thiaroye Massacre could be interpreted as a conciliatory gesture toward the new administration, a nod to historical reckoning. Yet, it also signals the evolving power dynamics in Franco-African relations.
During a press briefing on Thursday, President Basirou Diomaye Faye welcomed Macron’s letter, calling it a chance to “unlock the full truth about the painful chapter of Thiaroye”. Originally, Macron had planned to attend tomorrow’s anniversary in Dakar but later decided to send a special envoy instead.
In an interview with Radio France One, President Faye did not mince words, denouncing the Thiaroye Massacre as nothing less than a “massacre, period”. On the issue of French military presence in Senegal, he was equally unambiguous, stating: “This is not what the Senegalese people want anymore.” This illustrates Pastef’s long-standing platform to expel French troops, a wave of resistance that’s sweeping across former French West African colonies.
Expounding on the historical imbalance, President Faye remarked: “France enslaved, colonised, and lingered on. Imagine the reverse: another nation —China, Russia, Senegal, or anyone else — setting up a military base in France. Unthinkable!”
In a striking parallel, Chad joined the growing chorus of discontent on Thursday, 28th November, 2024, declaring its decision to expel all French troops stationed there since independence. After a high-stakes meeting between Chadian President Mahamet Idriss Déby and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Chad’s Foreign Minister, Koulamallah, asserted that while France remains a partner, “France must now understand that Chad has come of age. We are sovereign and fiercely protective of that sovereignty”. Chad’s next steps remain shrouded in uncertainty.
Notwithstanding, on Sunday, 1st December, 2024, Senegal marked the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye Massacre, a day when French soldiers turned their guns on African comrades. This memorial — the first of its kind since the bloodshed on 1st December, 1944 — seeks to heal old wounds as the nation honours the fallen and prays for their eternal rest. May this solemn day bring Senegal closer to peace with its haunted past.
