2024-07-25 20:57:16
From our special correspondent in La Cournave – Ahead of the opening ceremony, the torch relay passed through the Seine-Saint-Denis department north of Paris on Thursday. In La Courneuve, the Olympic torch was symbolically carried by Omar Dume, a Senegalese rifleman and veteran of the Indochina and Algerian wars who fought for years to gain recognition as an African soldier in France .
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This Thursday, July 25, at the Georges-Valbonne departmental park in La Cournave, Oumar Diémé seemed to have the legs he had had for 20 years. So much so that organizers of the Olympic torch relay had to tell him to slow down. The 91-year-old man was carried by the crowd. Despite his advanced age, he took up running. A huge smile appeared on his face. Even though his track was only 200 meters long, he enjoyed every moment.
“I am very happy to be able to host the 2024 Olympic Games in Seine-Saint-Denis, it is a privilege for me, my family, my village, my region, my country and all of Africa”, he Confidence said that after completing this relay at full speed, he did not appear tired.
“When I heard the news, the naming of the flame gave me strength and I walked several miles to keep up,” he explained simply.
‘I’m lucky to be home’
The former Senegalese rifleman was chosen as a torch bearer by the Seine-Saint-Denis department last May. He was given this honor because of his past as a soldier and his long struggle to be recognized for the role played by the Senegalese riflemen.
Hailing from the village of Badiana in southern Senegal, he enlisted in the Senegalese 1st Tiraileurs Regiment in March 1953. Wearing a French uniform, he first fought in Indochina, where he saw 22 of his comrades killed in an ambush. “There were a lot of people who stayed there, but I was lucky to be back home,” said the former soldier, who also fought in the Algerian war.
Also read70 years after Indochina war, descendants of French soldiers search for memories
He worked as a security guard at Dhaka University and later as a messenger in a bank in the capital of Senegal. He settled in France in 1988 and lived in a simple 17-square-meter room in the town of Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis. A fighter at heart, he then launched a fight with the French government to obtain French citizenship in 2015 and then be able to receive a monthly minimum pension of 950 euros without having to spend half the year in France.
The struggle of him and his comrades finally paid off in 2023. As a reward for his determination and action, Oumar Diémé was chosen to bear the torch. During the relay, he never stopped thinking about all his comrades. “But the Senegalese riflemen are not just Senegalese, they represent the entire black Africa of the French colonies,” he stressed.
Also readNine Senegalese riflemen leave France to end their lives in Senegal
‘Acknowledge our history’
However, he believes his fight is not over yet: “There is still a lot to do. They finally gave us French citizenship, but our children are not recognized.” Next to him, Isaac Seck agreed. The president of the Senegalese Riflemen Memory and History Association is savoring the moment, but she knows there is still work to be done. “I’m very proud of this day, it’s a recognition of our history that we will continue to pass on,” she explained. “But we need to better integrate this history into the French national story and place greater emphasis on the contribution of colonial armies in world conflicts,” she noted.
A tireless memory activist who is actively involved in politics in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, she believes that this issue is more important than ever: “This should be a real public policy. I still believe that through By spreading all the richness of this part of France’s history, we will put something to rest and thus fight racism and discrimination.
The fight is also being led by former footballer Lilian Thuram, the last torchbearer on Torch Day. For the 1998 world champion and a tireless anti-racist campaigner, Oumar Diémé’s existence is full of symbolism. “We must preserve our history so that we can learn to understand each other better and be able to respect each other more,” he concluded. “When you understand your history and are consistent with it, you have more peace,” added the former France defender.
Lilian Thuram seems a bit jealous of the former Senegalese rifleman who almost stole the show! “He came to the track and ran and it was incredible! I asked him how he could stay in such good shape,” he laughed.
These photos of Oumar Diémé have been circulating on social networks and of course reaching Senegal. The bearer of the torch now has only one thing to look forward to: returning home to tell the tale of his accomplishments. “They are all happy in Dhaka and I will share that with them,” he concluded with a smile.
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