Thiaroye massacre
| Thiaroye massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of French West Africa in World War II | |
Mural in Dakar; it reads "Thiaroye '44, an unforgettable event" | |
| Location | Thiaroye, Dakar, French West Africa |
| Coordinates | 14°45′22″N 17°22′37″W / 14.756°N 17.377°W |
| Date | 1 December 1944 9 a.m. (GMT) |
Attack type | Massacre of Tirailleurs Sénégalais mutinying against poor conditions and defaulted pay |
| Deaths | up to 300 (claimed by veterans) 70 (French military claim) 35 (French government claim) |
| Injured | hundreds |
| Perpetrator | French Army (1st Regiment of Senegalese Tirailleurs, 7th Regiment of Senegalese Tirailleurs, National Gendarmerie, 6th Regiment of Colonial Artillery) |
The Thiaroye massacre was a massacre of black African soldiers serving in French West Africa, committed by the French Army on the morning of 1 December 1944 near Dakar, French Senegal. Those killed were members of the Tirailleurs Sénégalais, and were veterans of the 1940 Battle of France who had been recently liberated from prison camps in Europe. After being repatriated to West Africa, they protested against poor conditions and unpaid wages at the Thiaroye military camp. Between 35 and 300 people were killed. The official French version claimed the killings occurred in response to a massive armed mutiny. However, declassified military documents suggest the massacre was considered in advance (even prior to arrival in Senegal) and most or all of the victims were unarmed.