Senegalese Controversy: Minister Labels Riflemen “Traitors
Cheikh Oumar Diagne, the president’s minister in charge of administration in Senegal, caused a great deal of controversy when he referred to colonial riflemen as “traitors.” He said that these soldiers had fought against their African “brothers” in uprisings and anti-colonial conflicts in an interview that aired on Fafa TV on December 21.
His remarks drew harsh criticism in the media and on social media, with several people demanding his resignation. Mamadou Fall, a historian, supported the riflemen by emphasizing their bravery and suffering and referring to them as heroes rather than traitors.
Senegal also marked the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre this year, in which the French army massacred African riflemen in 1944. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the country’s new president, intends to teach about this tragedy in schools.
Although there has been progress in acknowledging this massacre, there are still questions about the exact number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding this catastrophe.
Historians have proposed up to 400 deaths, whereas the French government of the period acknowledged only 35. The anonymous tombs in the Thiaroye cemetery provide witness to a complicated past that requires further investigation.
