President Barrow Calls For Justice at 81st Thiaroye Massacre Commemoration

By Haddy Touray

President Adama Barrow Monday joined President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and other African leaders at the 81st anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre, calling the 1944 killings “a cold-blooded execution” and urging continued efforts to uncover the full historical truth.

Addressing heads of state, diplomats, descendants of the Senegalese Infantry and other dignitaries on Monday, President Barrow said the commemoration marked “a dark chapter in our shared history,” noting that the massacre represented a crime not only against Senegalese soldiers but “against humanity at large.”

Barrow stressed the deep historical and cultural ties between Senegal and The Gambia, describing the two nations as “one people with the same ancestry,” separated only by colonial boundaries. He recalled that Gambians, too, fought in overseas campaigns during the colonial era, including his own grandfather, who served in Burma with the Gambia Regiment.

“We know the truth about Thiaroye,” the Gambian leader said. “It was not a mutiny but the killing of unarmed men whose only crime was to demand what was rightfully theirs.” He condemned decades of denial that followed the massacre and affirmed The Gambia’s solidarity with the descendants of the victims.

President Barrow commended President Faye and the Senegalese Government for establishing an international committee of independent researchers to investigate the events of 1944, calling it “a crucial step toward historical justice.”

He emphasised that the most meaningful tribute to the Senegalese Infantry would be a future in which Africa stands strong, united, and economically self-reliant. “A dignified Africa that controls its resources and provides opportunities for its youth remains the best memorial,” he said.

Barrow reaffirmed The Gambia’s commitment to teaching the history of colonial exploitation honestly, ensuring that young Africans understand both the injustices suffered and the resilience of their forebears.

The Gambian leader honoured the victims as heroes who showed courage and dignity despite grave hardships. “May the souls of all those who fell at Thiaroye, and all African soldiers who sacrificed their lives in foreign wars, rest in eternal peace,” he said.

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 By Haddy Touray President Adama Barrow Monday joined President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and other African leaders at the 81st anniversary…
The post President Barrow Calls For Justice at 81st Thiaroye Massacre Commemoration appeared first on .