On the eve of its commemorations scheduled for December 1, this recognition paves the way for work on truth and reconcile with this troubling history.
Historian Armelle Mabon calls for reparations and the full opening of archives to honor the memory of the Senegalese riflemen who fell while demanding better conditions.
80 years after the tragic events of Thiaroye, which occurred on December 1, 1944, France recognises this tragic episode as a massacre.
In an interview with French media on Thursday, November 28, the Senegalese head of state welcomed this recognition, which he considers an essential first step towards healing this tragic chapter between the two nations.
This statement comes on the eve of official commemorations scheduled for Sunday, December 1, where Bassirou Diomaye Faye presided over the ceremonies in Thiaroye, in the suburbs of Dakar.
The Thiaroye massacre has long been presented in French official archives as a “mutiny” of Senegalese riflemen demanding their pay upon their return from World War II.
This version, contradicted by numerous historical researches, mentioned 35 dead and 35 wounded among the
African soldiers, as well as the conviction of 34 of them for insubordination.
However, according to Armelle Mabon, a French historian and author of ‘Le massacre de Thiaroye: 1ᵉʳ Decembre 1944; Histoire d’un mensonge d’Etat,’ these figures are largely underestimated.
In an interview with APA, she estimates that the real number of victims could be ten times higher.
“French officers surrounded the camp with armored cars and ordered shootings, massacring unarmed men demanding their legitimate rights,” she says.
According to the French historian, the cover-up was intended to protect the image of Free France in the midst of negotiations with its allies.
“In 1944, General de Gaulle wanted to prevent this massacre from tarnishing efforts to reaffirm French imperial power,” she explains. This strategy led, according to her, to the falsification of archives, the reduction in the number of repatriates recorded and the burial of victims in mass graves, thus concealing the scale of the
tragedy.
In 2024, although France’s official recognition of the massacre is a major step forward, the memory of Thiaroye remains a point of tension.
“For decades, the France-Afrique system has imposed silence, fueling growing resentment among African youth,” adds the historian.
Faced with these historical wounds, several actions are being considered. Armelle Mabon recommends paying tribute to Birame Senghor, son of Mbap Senghor, victim and key figure in the fight for recognition of the massacre. She proposes awarding him the Order of the Lion. She also suggests exhuming the bodies buried in mass graves, in collaboration with France, demanding all French archives on Thiaroye and demanding reparations for the victims’ families, including the reimbursement of stolen wages.
The Senegalese government could also intervene in the ongoing legal proceedings, in support of demands for justice.
The Thiaroye massacre embodies a key moment in Franco-African colonial history. For Armelle Mabon, “telling the truth about Thiaroye is essential to the reconciliation between France and Africa.”
AC/fss/as/APA