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Global ResearchSep 20, 2021
France: Nation Honors Colonial Troops Massacred by French Army in WWII
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Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
France posthumously honored six African soldiers on Sunday, who were among those shot and killed by colonial troops and French gendarmes in Senegal in the 1944 Thiaroye massacre.
On December 1, 1944, French troops shot African soldiers — known as tirailleurs senegalais — who were demanding back pay after being repatriated from Germany, where they were held as prisoners of war. At least 35 soldiers died, though some historians have suggested the death toll may be higher.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This is a huge step towards finally honoring soldiers who fought for France, but who were betrayed and lost their lives after performing military service. After many years of denial, it is significant that the truth is finally widely known and that the memories of these men are being honored.
Establishment-critical narrative
France is the perpetrator of this massacre and it is not up to them alone to decide what the truth of the massacre was or what reparation the victims deserve. The way in which the massacre is memorialized and the victims honored should be a decision made in partnership with the African nations they came from.
