Dominique de Villepin calls for France to recognize debt to African soldiers

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has called for France to formally recognize its historical debt to African soldiers, specifically the Senegalese Tirailleurs, who served under the French flag. Villepin noted that while successive presidents—including Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande, and Emmanuel Macron—have taken steps toward recognition, the debt remains a significant issue.

Villepin specifically highlighted the Thiaroye massacre of December 1, 1944, in Senegal, where African soldiers demanding their unpaid wages were killed. He stated, “The way we treated the Senegalese Tirailleurs… the Thiaroye massacre, I do not forget.” He linked this historical violence to the reluctance to pay pensions and the post-1945 fear of returning veterans inciting colonial dissent.

While France has officially recognized the reality of the massacre and Emmanuel Macron has used the term “massacre,” calls for justice and reparations persist. The issue remains a central pillar of Franco-Senegalese relations, underscored by recent commemorations and political speeches by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.