On Friday at the Élysée, French President Emmanuel Macron met with nine Senegalese skirmishers who live in France and have decided to return to their home country thanks to exceptional financial aid from the French government. Fatou Biramah, a spokesperson for the Association for Memory and History, expressed joy at the news, noting that the men, aged 85 to 96, will begin their “permanent return trip to Senegal” soon. Previously, the men had to spend six months a year in France to maintain their minimum old-age allowance of 950 euros per month, but a derogatory measure now allows them to live in their country of origin without losing this benefit. France will also provide medical assistance in Senegal. The number of “Senegalese riflemen” living in France is estimated at 37, and they have long suffered from a lack of recognition from France despite having fought for the country in various wars. The French corps of “Senegalese Tirailleurs” was created under the Second Empire and dissolved in the early 1960s, comprising soldiers born in former French colonies in Africa who enlisted in the French army.
The French President Emmanuel Macron received on Friday at the Élysée nine former Senegalese skirmishers living in France who have decided to return to their country of origin thanks to exceptional financial aid from the French State.
“Today, it’s official, it’s official: they will be able to return at the end of the month. Finally”, rejoiced Fatou Biramah, a spokesperson for the Association for Memory and History. Senegalese skirmishers.
“Our dear and tender, our grandpas, our elders, were received by the President of the Republic. Everything was moving. It was a tender moment, it was sweet. The President paused (compared to the controversies targeting him in France, in particular about the pension reform, editor’s note). He listened to them, and above all, he thanked them”, she said.
The nine men, aged 85 to 96 according to the association, will soon begin a “permanent return trip to Senegal” after a life spent in France, which they served as soldiers during the wars of decolonization, mainly in Indochina. and in Algeria.
Maintenance of the minimum old-age allowance
This trip was made possible thanks to a derogatory measure decided by the French government, which allows them to live permanently in their country of origin, without losing their minimum old-age allowance.
Before that, “they had the obligation to stay 6 months a year in France to continue to receive this minimum old-age allowance of 950 euros per month – allowance which notably allowed their families who remained in the country to have a minimum for provide for their needs”, explains the association.
“All their families, wives, children, grandchildren are in the country,” observes his spokeswoman Fatou Biramah. A family that they had to leave to live in France for six months, “alone in rooms not exceeding 15m2“. “It was heavy,” she says.
The aid put in place, the amount of which is not disclosed, aims to finance their journey and their resettlement in their country of origin. Medical assistance in Senegal will notably be supported by France, according to Fatou Biramah.
The Last Skirmishers
The Veterans Affairs Secretariat estimates the number of “Senegalese riflemen” living in France at 37. These people, who have long suffered from a lack of recognition from France, are mostly alone.
>> To read also: Recognition of Senegalese skirmishers: “Things are progressing slowly but surely”
Created under the Second Empire (1852-1870) and dissolved in the early 1960s, the French corps of “Senegalese Tirailleurs” brought together soldiers born in the former French colonies in Africa and enlisted in the French army.
The term came to designate all soldiers from sub-Saharan Africa who fought under the French flag, regardless of their nationality or country of origin. They participated in the Second World War and the wars of decolonization.
With AFP
In conclusion, the return of the Senegalese skirmishers to their home country after a lifetime spent in France is a significant moment for both the veterans and their families. Thanks to the exceptional financial aid from the French State, they will be able to settle back into their country of origin without losing their minimum old-age allowance. This move is an acknowledgment of their service during the wars of decolonization, which saw them fighting mainly in Indochina and Algeria. The Senegalese skirmishers have long suffered from a lack of recognition from France, and this trip marks a positive step towards acknowledging their contributions. We wish them well in their resettlement in Senegal and hope that they receive the medical assistance they need as they begin this new chapter in their lives.