Senegal to Include Teaching of ’Tirailleurs’ History in the Next Academic Year

The history and life of the Senegalese Tirailleurs (a corps of the French army recruited from French-speaking Africa during the First and Second World Wars) will be taught in the Senegalese elementary schools from the next school year which starts in October, Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade announced Wednesday in Dakar.

“The Senegalese Tirailleurs will have a prominent place from elementary to university education in Senegal,” Wade said at the ceremony marking the fourth phase of the Days of the Senegalese Tirailleurs celebrated in Dakar.

This decision will be about knocking down the “many prejudices” conveyed on the contribution of Africa to the two World Wars (1914-18 and 1939-45) which helped to liberate France from domination by Nazi Germany.

According to President Wade, the fact that the history and life of the Senegalese Tirailleurs remain little known is “an injustice” that is necessary to correct.

Furthermore, he deplored that apart from intellectuals “very few” people know about the life of the black soldiers in the German prison camps, for example.

Since 2003, Senegal has instituted a day of remembrance devoted to the Senegalese Tirailleurs.

These war veterans are wrongly called “Senegalese” though they actually represented combatants from many countries that were under French occupation in Africa.

The first unit of the Senegalese Tirailleurs was formed in 1857 and served France in a number of wars, including World War I and World War II.

It was formed in 1857 by Louis Faidherbe, governor general of French West Africa, because he lacked manpower to control the territory. The formal decree for its formation was signed on 21 July 1857 in Plombières-les-Bains by Napoleon III.

The recruitment later extended to other French colonies in Africa.

Source African Press Agency

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