An official report commissioned by Senegal on the killing of dozens of African WWII troops by French forces in 1944 will be presented to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Thursday.
The violent incident at the Thiaroye military camp just outside Dakar occurred after African soldiers who had fought for France during the war protested against pay delays.
Many grey areas remain surrounding the massacre, including the number of riflemen killed, their identities and the burial sites of the victims, who also came from other West African countries.
In April 2024 Senegalese authorities established a committee of researchers to create the report to submit to the government.
'Rigorous research, documentation'
A press release from the Senegalese Government Information Office on Wednesday announced that the paper would be submitted to President Fay on Thursday, approximately half a year after its original due date.
"A product of rigorous research, documentation and focus, the white paper aims to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the massacre, honour the memory of the victims, and promote shared historical recognition among the nations concerned," the press release said.
Around 1,600 soldiers from West Africa who had been captured by Germany while fighting for France were sent back to Dakar in November 1944.
After arriving at the Thiaroye military camp, discontent mounted over unpaid wages and demands to be treated on a par with white soldiers. Some protesters refused to return to their home countries without their due.
French soldiers open fire
French forces opened fire on December 1, killing at least 35 people, French authorities said at the time. Historians say the real death toll could be as high as 400.
The Senegalese government accuses France of withholding archival documents that would shed light on the death toll.
Former French President Francois Hollande announced during a visit in late 2014 that he had "handed over a copy of the entire archives" on Thiaroye.
Last November, France acknowledged the massacre the day before commemoration of the 80th anniversary, which Senegal marked on an unprecedented scale.
