A new wind is blowing across the African continent, carried by voices that refuse to forget and demand justice. Among them is Guinean singer Elie Kamano, a committed figure of pan-Africanism, who has just released a powerful music video filmed in Dakar at the site of the colonial massacre of Thiaroye. Entitled “Africa Without Africans” (L’Afrique sans les Africains), the song is a heartfelt cry against unpunished colonial crimes and a clear demand: it is time for Africa to receive justice.
In this poignant work, Kamano evokes centuries of slavery, plunder, and domination that have impoverished the continent. The video does not merely recall past suffering. It is part of a current movement in which African youth are stepping forward to demand concrete reparations from former colonial powers.
The filming location, Thiaroye, is highly symbolic. It was here, in 1944, that dozens of African soldiers (tirailleurs) were executed by the French army for demanding payment of their wages. Today, this site has become a symbol of resistance. Archaeological excavations have recently been launched to recover the victims’ remains and strengthen the reparations case presented to France.
This memorial struggle goes beyond art. Last April, an international conference in Dakar brought together historians, legal experts, and state representatives to call for official recognition of the Thiaroye massacre and to lay the groundwork for fair compensation. The Senegalese capital has become the epicenter of a continental debate. All over the city, bold graffiti has sprung up, denouncing the inaction of former colonial powers and reviving popular awareness.
In other countries such as Mali, discussions are intensifying: experts are urging African states to adopt a coordinated strategy in their approach to reparations.
In this context, the African Union’s announcement to make 2025 the Year of Reparations is highly meaningful. It is a political recognition that the wounds of the past cannot be ignored, and that moral and financial redress is now essential.
Elie Kamano’s video stands as a vital artistic contribution to this historic turning point. It shows that music can be a vehicle for justice, memory, and mobilization. By shedding light on the tragedy of Thiaroye and demanding reparations, the artist gives a voice to those silenced by history.
More than a song, “Africa Without Africans” is a manifesto. And through it, all of Africa proclaims: the time of impunity is over.
