Chargé de l’administration et de l’équipement à la présidence de la République, Cheikh Oumar Diagne a estimé que les soldats coloniaux « se sont battus contre leurs frères » africains.
The main conceptual idea of this article is the controversy surrounding a Senegalese minister calling the Tirailleurs (African soldiers who fought for France) "traitors" for fighting against their "African brothers". This statement is highly contentious given that: 1. France recently recognized the Thiaroye Massacre, where French forces killed Senegalese and other African Tirailleurs protesting unpaid wages after returning from fighting in Europe, as a massacre. 2. The Senegalese government under President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is actively commemorating the Thiaroye Massacre and promoting its education in schools. The minister's remarks are seen as deeply disrespectful to the memory of the Tirailleurs who sacrificed their lives for France and as a rejection of the official narrative around the Thiaroye Massacre. The article highlights the ongoing debate and sensitivity surrounding the legacy of colonial history in Senegal.
