Macron and Malian president remember African soldiers of Wolrd War One

Record ID: 1363117

  • Title: Macron and Malian president remember African soldiers of Wolrd War One
  • Date: 6th November 2018
  • Summary: REIMS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 6, 2018) (AGENCY POOL) ****WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, GREETING MALIAN PRESIDENT, IBRAHIM BOUBACAR KEITA, AS HE GETS OUT OF CAR MACRON AND KEITA TALKING MACRON AND KEITA REVIEWING TROOPS TROOPS MACRON AND KEITA WALKING TOWARDS CEREMONY MACRON AND KEITA AT CEREMONY KEITA WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM TO GIVE SPEECH WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (French) MALIAN PRESIDENT, IBRAHIM BOUBACAR KEITA, SAYING: "According to the least controversial figures, nearly 200,000 African soldiers came to assist during the First World War. They fought for the Empire up hill and down dale, day and night -- more often by night than by day. They fought for France, but for themselves as well." MACRON AND KEITA TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCO-CONGOLESE WRITER, ALAIN MABANCKOU, SAYING: "These soldiers are not just victims of history, they're not just the exemplary heroes of colonisation, they wrote the history of France with their blood and they deserve their place in the collective memory - a long time in coming - which is waiting to be re-examined so that we can see it's true face." VARIOUS OF MACRON AND KEITA WALKING UP STEPS TO MEMORIAL TO BLACK AFRICAN TROOPS KILLED FIGHTING FOR FRANCE IN FIRST WORLD WAR
  • Embargoed: 20th November 2018 20:27
  • Keywords: black troops in WW1 African troops in WW1 Armistice celebrations Macron tour
  • Location: REIMS, FRANCE
  • City: REIMS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA00195DBLTZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: French President Emmanuel Macron and his Malian counterpart Ibrahim Boubacar Keita met at a ceremony in Reims, eastern France, on Tuesday (November 6) to remember African troops who fought for France during World War One.
    Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from then French colonies took part in the conflict and the French first colonial corps was heavily involved in the defence of Reims in 1918.
    The presidents were joined by ambassadors from other African countries at the inauguration of a monument to remember the contribution of the soldiers known as the "Black Army", and particularly the "Senegalese Tirailleurs".
    An original monument was put up in 1924 but destroyed during the German occupation in 1940.
    "These soldiers... wrote the history of France with their blood and they deserve their place in the collective memory," writer Alain Mabanckou said during a short ceremony.
    The stop was part of Macron's week-long tour to mark the centenary of the end of World War One.
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