The 86-year-old man has no way of knowing the grave of his father, M’Bap Senghor, who may have been one of the hundreds of West African gunners who fought for France in World War II but were killed on December 1, 1944. The French army after demanding unpaid wages.

Kula mathuna okuthiwa angcwatshwe kuwo, wonke amathuna awaziwa futhi indawo ahlala kuyo ayaziwa, kanjalo nesibalo sabashonile. The true scale and circumstances of the killings remain unclear as Senegal marks the 80th anniversary of the massacre on Sunday, threatening to inflame tensions between France and the former colony.

“Sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kuka-80 ngilwela ukuthola izimpendulo,” kusho uBiram Senghor. “(UMongameli waseFrance u-Emmanuel) uMacron akakwazi ukwenza okwenziwa abanye omongameli baseFrance ngaphambi kwakhe; IFrance kufanele iphenduke. “

But today, many French and Senegalese historians agree that the true number of deaths may be higher, while others speak of almost 400 soldiers killed, based on the estimate of the number of snipers present in the camp on the day of the massacre.

“France must realize that on that day, the conflict between soldiers and gunmen who wanted to be paid their legitimate wages, caused a series of incidents that led to a massacre,” reads Macron’s letter.

“What happened on December 1st was a massacre of unarmed soldiers,” said Martin Mourre, French historian and author of Thiaroye 1944, History and Memory of a Colonial Massacre.

He points to the fact that no weapons were mentioned during the trial of African soldiers accused of treason and the absence of injuries to French soldiers as evidence that no conflict took place.

In his letter to the president of Senegal, Macron did not mention the number of soldiers killed.

The controversy and anonymity surrounding the massacre is partly due to the French authorities’ lack of transparency regarding military reports and evidence.

In 2014, French President Francois Hollande gave Macky Sall, then president of Senegal, the European national treasure in Thiaroye.

But historians say key documents have still not been found, including those showing the location of mass graves and the number of West African soldiers present in the camp on the day of the massacre. Akukacaci ukuthi iFrance inazo yini izingobo zomlando noma zikhona.

Macron’s office and the French Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Additionally, the Senegalese authorities under former president Sall have done little to allow historians to examine historical documents.

His administration has planned massive commemorations of the massacre from December 1 to April 2025 across the country.

“The aim of the authorities with these big celebrations is to make Thiaroye part of the national story of Senegal,” said Babacar Ndiaye, a political analyst at Wathi, which focuses on political and economic issues in West Africa.

“It will be talked about a lot on television, in newspapers and most importantly on social media,” he adds. “This will reach a younger audience who may know little about Thiaroye’s events.”

The 80th anniversary of the massacre comes at a time when France’s power is waning in the region, as Paris loses its influence in its West African colonies.

French troops have been expelled in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional militias. Ngasekuqaleni kwaleli sonto, iChad, okungelinye lamazwe okugcina esifundeni lapho iFrance igcine khona impi enkulu, yaqeda isivumelwano sokubambisana kwezempi neParis.

France still has around 350 troops in Senegal, mostly in a support role. Asked about their continued presence, Faye suggested that it is not something the Senegalese people want.