France’s colonial legacy came under renewed scrutiny as journalists, historians, and pan-African activists gathered at African Memorial Square in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, for a roundtable advocating reparations and economic justice.
The event highlighted growing demands for France to take full responsibility for its historical role in Senegal and across West Africa.
Organised by advocacy groups, including the Association of Descendants of Senegalese Soldiers, the Front for the Withdrawal of French Military Bases, and JIF’AFRIK, the roundtable brought together influential voices pushing for reparatory justice and structural transformation.
Among the key speakers were Babacar Dioh of the Thiaroye 44 Movement — a coalition of descendants of Senegalese tirailleurs — and leader of JIF’AFRIK, Souleymane Jules Diallo.
Discussions centred on two central demands: official reparations for colonial-era injustices and the urgent renegotiation of trade and military agreements that activists say perpetuate economic dependence.
Dioh said: ‘The time for symbolic gestures is over. We are now filing an official reparations claim and taking concrete steps to hold France accountable’.
Speakers called for the dismantling of existing neocolonial frameworks, stressing the ecological, financial, and social harm that has endured beyond the colonial period.
The roundtable marks a turning point in Dakar’s positioning as a hub for coordinated African-led advocacy aimed at restoring historical justice.
This event added momentum to a growing continental movement seeking tangible reparative action from former colonial powers and reinforces the call for equity, autonomy, and acknowledgment of historical truths.
Representative of the Thiaroye 44 Movement, Babacar Dioh speaks during the Dakar roundtable on reparations.
