In France, the ceremonies for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings are at their peak this Thursday in the presence of many heads of state. On June 6, 1944, tens of thousands of soldiers, notably American and British, landed on the beaches to liberate France and Europe. African leaders will not be there. They will attend the commemorations of the Landing of Provence on August 15.
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Emmanuel Macron presides over Normandy, this June 6 in the afternoon, an international ceremony, alongside American President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, no African head of state will be present. The latter will be invited to commemorate another Landing less known, but no less important.
On August 15, several African leaders will come to celebrate the anniversary of the Provence landings. Because, 80 years ago, tens of thousands of African soldiers participated in this large-scale Allied offensive. The first to intervene, on the night of August 14 to 15, 1944, were airborne commandos.
“ It is a special unit, more than half of it is made up of North Africans. », explains the historian Jean-Marie Guillon, at the microphone of Pierre Firtion from RFI’s Africa service. ” LThe first wave of these commandos had the mission of seizing the Cap Nègre battery which threatened part of the landing zone ».
A landing of major importance
The American troops landed a few hours later, followed by the French army and in particular its Algerian and colonial infantry divisions. “ It is estimated that the 250,000 men are made up of a little more than half of troops from the colonies, with both Black and North African populations. », specifies Jean-Marie Guillon.
The 6th regiment of Senegalese riflemen played a key role in the capture of Toulon. Marseille is also conquered by the French army. In the end, this landing was of major importance, as the historian recalls. “ He forced Hitler to withdraw troops. So if France was two-thirds liberated in mid-September, it was largely thanks to the landing in Provence. And the second reason for the importance of this Landing is that it shows that the French are participating in their own liberation, and that, from a political point of view, is extremely important. “.
Jean-Marie Guillon regrets that this landing is somewhat relegated to the background. In his eyes, the events of Provence and Normandy should be commemorated together.
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