Report

The nine riflemen back in Senegal received by the embassy of France

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Three (Gorgui Mbodji, Yero Dia, Oumar Dieme) of the nine riflemen returning to Senegal, April 28, 2023. © SEYLLOU / AFP

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2 min

The agenda is still very busy for the nine Senegalese riflemen back home definitively. The ceremonies continued on Saturday, April 29, 2023 in the gardens of the residence of the France ambassador in Dakar.

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With our special envoy in Dakar, Sylvie Koffi

The suitcases barely emptied, here they are again on all fronts. After the presidency of Senegal, they are the guests of honor of the ambassador of France in Dakar. These nine very old riflemen, who fought for France especially in Indochina and Algeria, arrived Friday in Senegal to end their lives serenely, after a long battle with the French administration to recognize their "sacrifices". A derogation decided by the French government will allow them to live permanently in Senegal without losing their minimum old-age allowance of 950 euros per month.

They are no longer alone. Their families are a bulwark around them and never leave them. Gorgui Mbodji is happy and smiling. "She's my daughter, she's my child. Everyone came to meet me and I am very happy, exclaims the former rifleman. I'm very happy. There are my grandsons who are in my house. I am very eager to see them.

His daughter is present, but also his grandson, Wali Mbodji, a 22-year-old student. "The France today has decided that they are here, that they will come back to their families and they will continue to receive their pension. That's a good thing, really. We can only welcome the action, says the young man. It was hard to be there and leave their family here, when they were in Indochina for example. It is an example for Senegalese youth to encourage young people to love their country. It's a real source of pride."

« This lot of tragedies that we find through the experiences of these men »

Among the 400 guests, historian and activist Penda Mbow came to pay tribute to these valiant warriors during the ceremony at the embassy. If she says she is satisfied with the return of these veterans, she remains "a little perplexed": "I reflect on this common relationship between Senegal, Africa and France, the former colonizing power, with all this lot of tragedies that we find through the experience of these men [...]. Today, I believe that this return must be a decisive step in the reconstruction of memory, what some call our common memory."

In a few days, these riflemen will mostly leave the capital Dakar to join the villages where they were born.

► Read also: Report - Senegal: nine riflemen definitively find their native land

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• Senegal
• Senegalese riflemen
• France