He is a living memory on his own. Born in 1928 in Senegal, Yoro Diao, a former tirailleur, endeavors to pass on the story of these veterans who fell for France. While Senegal was a French colony, Yoro Diao voluntarily enlisted in the French army in 1951. Very quickly, the young soldier went into battle, Indochina first of all. “The enemy is everywhere. In front of you, behind you. It is not a frontal war. It’s a guerrilla,” says the veteran.
On the battlefields, he forms very strong friendships with comrades, who will become blood brothers. “We experienced the same pain, the same fatigue. These comradeships are only found in the army. “In this war, the young soldier also lost many friends, memories that pursue him until now, “I lost many comrades, many”, continues Yoro Diao. Once the war is over, he continues his journey by fighting in Algeria.
Naturalized French in 2017, Yoro Diao, 94, has only one wish: to end his life alongside his family in Senegal. “What do you want to do at 90 here? Our wives are old women too,” he explains. From now on, the former Senegalese skirmishers will be able to return to their country of origin by touching the minimum old age. Until now, to receive their allowance of 950 euros, they had to spend at least six months in France.
