President of Senegal since April, Bassirou Diomaye Faye is preparing to commemorate, on Sunday, the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre. the 1Ahem In December 1944, dozens of African riflemen (even hundreds, according to some historians) were murdered by the French army in this field on the outskirts of Dakar for demanding their pay.
In an interview with WorldIn his first collaboration with a French newspaper since his election, the 44-year-old Senegalese president, defender of a sovereign policy, returns to this long-silenced colonial crime and to the relations he intends to build with France, whose influence is increasingly in interdicted in French-speaking Africa.
In a letter sent to him on Thursday, November 28, Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that a “massacre” had been engaged to Thiaroye. Until now, the French authorities had spoken of a “mutiny” and then of a “bloody repression.” What is your reaction to this official recognition?
It’s a big step. I congratulated President Macron for his courage and his decision to name things as they are. This reflects a positive mood and the desire of the French authorities to collaborate for the manifestation of the truth.
But that is not enough. It is still unclear how many people died, why, how and where they were buried. Archives and archaeological excavations will shed light on part of the history. The members of the committee of historians we created to restore the truth are currently in France. With President Macron’s statement, we hope that they will have access to all French archives.
The French State, however, claims to have delivered all the documents. Do you think secret archives still exist in France?
Ten years ago, the French government spoke of “bloody repression”. Ten years later, he recognizes that it was a massacre. 80 years ago he spoke of 35 deaths. 70 years later, there were 70 deaths. Everything must be done so that the truth can be definitively established. This will allow us to move towards a partnership stripped of this painful dross.
You invited several African leaders on the 1stAhem December in Thiaroye. Why do you want to give a regional dimension to these commemorations?
I consider that I must pass on the torch that I have inherited. Beyond the Senegalese people, it is the African people who have suffered this tragedy. We must preserve this memory, prevent Thiaroye from falling into oblivion. A town without memory is a town without soul.
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