THIAROYE, Senegal/ISTANBUL

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said on Monday that the struggle for Thiaroye massacre is a "fight for the soul of Senegal and Africa."

"The fight for Thiaroye is a fight for the soul of Senegal and Africa, so that no people will ever again be denied their history, their dignity, or even their right to exist freely," he said in a ceremony in Dakar on the 81st anniversary of the Thiaroye Massacre at the military barracks in thew town of Thiaroye, which saw French forces kill African soldiers who had fought for France during World War II under colonial rule and returned to Senegal in 1944.

Before the ceremony, President Faye and foreign guests laid wreaths at the symbolic military cemetery in Thiaroye, with diplomatic representatives and numerous invited guests, including the families of Senegalese soldiers who served in France's colonial army, in attendance.

“The fight for justice will never be erased from our collective memory. The bloodshed was that of Africa,” Faye said.

He said archaeological excavations have been ordered at the Thiaroye site, and that France, through its president, has offered to assist by sharing its expertise with Senegalese archaeologists.

"This work of remembrance is also oriented towards the future. The government is committed to strengthening the history of Thiaroye in our school curricula. This transmission must continue. Our children must know its stories and events," he stressed.

Mamadou Diouf, chairperson of the Thiaroye massacre commemoration committee, said Dec. 1 provides an opportunity to reassess the colonial regime's legacy.

He highlighted unresolved aspects of the massacre, and called for intensified historical research, stressing Thiaroye remains a vital part of Africa's collective memory.

"Our only guiding principle remains the requirements of truth," he said, urging African countries to research and document the crimes of the colonial era.

The Senegalese Tirailleurs, African soldiers captured by the Germans in World War II and later freed by the Americans in 1944, were held at Thiaroye Barracks near Dakar for two weeks.

When they demanded unpaid bonuses and war compensation, French soldiers shot them, accusing them of rebellion.

French records cite the deaths of 30 to 70 soldiers, while historian Armelle Mabon estimates the toll at 400 in her book.

A symbolic cemetery remains at Thiaroye, despite the soldiers being buried in mass graves.