"Senegal marked the 81st anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre on Monday, with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announcing the construction of a national memorial to honour the Senegalese riflemen killed by French colonial forces in 1944. Footage from the Lieutenant Amadou Lindor Fall camp in Sakar shows military bands, with President Faye seen arriving for the ceremony where soldiers paraded, and descendants of the riflemen performed traditional songs in tribute to their forebears. During his address, Faye recalled the legacy of the Senegalese tirailleurs who fought for France in World War II but were later killed at the Thiaroye camp near Dakar after demanding back pay. “The wounded heart of Thiaroye serves as a reminder that the truth never fades. It always ends up demanding justice,” Faye said. “We are here today to honour the memory of the Senegalese riflemen and Africans from various backgrounds who shed their blood for the liberation of France. Their fate was tragic once their mission was over, as they were brutally murdered by the colonial army," he added. Faye noted that the government is now pursuing a comprehensive investigation into the event. “I have ordered archaeological excavations at the Thiaroye site, which began a few months ago,” he said. “France, through President Macron, has just offered to make its expertise and know-how available to our archaeologists.” Faye added that the findings of the incident must not remain confined to archives or academic research. “To ensure that this truth is visible and that it inhabits our space as much as our conscience, a memorial to the Thiaroye massacre will be erected between the camp and the cemetery to bring together these two places of truth,” he declared. Descendant of Riflemen attending the ceremony applauded the president for recognition of their sacrifice. "What we want is recognition," said Thiam Gueye, descendant of a Rifleman. "If the Senegalese army has become a modern, professional army, it's because of the presence of our valiant Senegalese riflemen.” In 2014, France's former President Francois Hollande government reclassified the event as a 'bloody repression' and revised the number of deaths from 35 to 70. However, historians say that the true number is much higher. In 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron recognised the incident as a 'massacre' in a letter to Faye. The commemoration comes months after the government ordered archaeological excavations at the Thiaroye site to uncover the full extent of the tragedy, amid longstanding suspicions of mass killings and unmarked graves."