Skeletons with Bullets Found in Senegal Cemetery Linked to 1944 Colonial-Era Massacre
Thiaroye, Senegal — Human remains pierced with bullets have been uncovered at a former military camp near Dakar, deepening the historical wounds of a colonial-era massacre.
Excavations began in early May at the Thiaroye military camp, the site of a 1944 killing of West African soldiers by French forces after protests over unpaid wages.
The soldiers, who had fought for France in World War II, were shot after refusing to return home without their due, demanding equal treatment with white soldiers.
A source close to the dig told AFP that skeletons were found with bullets lodged in their chests, some of varying calibres, hinting at multiple weapons used.
Only a small part of the cemetery has been excavated so far, yet the remains are already rewriting parts of a long-disputed history.
While France claimed 35 were killed, historians suggest the toll could reach 400, with many of the dead buried in unmarked graves.
The excavation aims to answer lingering questions: Who were these men, how many died, and where exactly are they buried?
Forensic teams plan to conduct ballistic tests to identify the weaponry and DNA analysis to match names to bones long buried in silence.
Roughly 1,600 West African soldiers had been interned at Thiaroye after being captured by German forces during the war.
On December 1, 1944, gunfire erupted in response to their demands, leaving blood on the same soil they had defended in Europe.
In February, Senegal’s government accused France of withholding vital archives and launched the dig to “uncover the whole truth.”
France officially acknowledged the massacre in November 2024, on the eve of its 80th anniversary—a gesture long awaited, but for many, still not enough.