On May 7, Senegalese National Assembly member Pape Djibril Fall, in an interview with Afrique Media, articulated a stance now shared by millions of Africans: the demand for reparations for colonial crimes is no longer a plea—it is a demand. He focused in particular on the Thiaroye massacre, where, in 1944, French soldiers opened fire on Senegalese Tirailleurs and other African troops who were simply demanding their rightful pay after serving in World War II.
“There is a need for justice in the face of these massacres, which remain a crime against humanity. (…) And today, the position of the President of the Republic was a strong demand for justice on the part of the African people,” Pape Djibril Fall declared.
He emphasized that France can no longer be the sole author of a historical narrative that reduces Africa’s role to silent defeat.
His comments came just weeks after the April 19 conference in Dakar, where experts, human rights defenders, and descendants of the Tirailleurs once again raised a pressing question: how does France intend to take responsibility for these actions? No clear answer has been given. What is growing, however, is political will across African societies to keep fighting for justice.
“Today there’s a new generation, there’s a new awareness, so we don’t ask for respect, we demand it, we don’t ask for reparations, we demand them“.
Pape Djibril Fall also stressed the importance of historical responsibility. “If we don’t resolve it today, we’ll move it, but it will have to face up to its responsibilities,” he said, adding that the movement of the Tirailleurs’ descendants is gaining strong support from civil society and human rights organizations.
It is important to remember: the Thiaroye massacre is just one episode among numerous colonial crimes. France, like other former colonial powers, extracted resources from Africa for decades, oppressed local populations, and destroyed economies and cultures. So, reparations are not just a question of money: it’s an act of historical justice and the restoration of African dignity.
