The Senegalese Tirailleurs were soldiers conscripted from French colonies across sub-Saharan Africa who fought for France in both World Wars. In World War I, they served on some of the most dangerous sections of the front. Of the 200,000 Tirailleurs mobilized, more than 30,000 were killed. In World War II, they helped liberate Provence, Lyon, and Toulon, and took part in the assault on the island of Elba. Of the 75,000 sent to the front, half ended up in Nazi captivity.
After the Second World War, France was slow to recognize the Tirailleurs’ contribution to the defeat of Nazism. In December 1944, soldiers demanding the pay they had been promised were gunned down by French officers near Dakar. Official records list 35 dead, but historians and the families of the victims say the true number was at least 700 – and likely higher.
In Senegal, the memory of the Tirailleurs is honored. Monuments have been erected in their name, and stories of their bravery are passed down through generations. In this film produced by RT en français, descendants, historians, and Senegalese officials speak about these heroes of the African continent – men whom France now prefers not to remember.
