Biram Senghor, who has spent 50 years combating for justice for his father and different African troopers, insists that France should “repent” and “apologise to the rightful heirs” of the victims. “Then, France should pay the damages and curiosity to these they massacred,” he asserts, referring to the brutal killings that passed off on the Thiaroye army camp close to Dakar.
The bloodbath occurred after round 1,600 African troopers, who had been captured by Germany throughout World Conflict II and later fought for France, have been despatched again to Senegal in November 1944. Once they arrived, discontent over unpaid wages and poor remedy led to protests.
French forces responded by opening fireplace, killing no less than 35 troopers, although historians consider the true dying toll was a lot larger. Among the many victims was M’Bap Senghor, Biram’s father. The placement of their graves stays undisclosed.
Biram Senghor, now 86, is the one identified residing descendant of the Thiaroye victims, in line with French historian Armelle Mabon. In 2014, former French President François Hollande acknowledged the bloodbath, ending years of denial, and promised to return paperwork associated to the occasion to Senegal.
Biram Senghor criticises France for downplaying the size of the bloodbath, noting that solely a small variety of claims for reparations have been acknowledged. “They buried them in a mass grave,” he says. “I’m disgusted once I hear France solely acknowledges six deaths—it’s not true.”
