Senegalese Colonial-era Soldier Savours Homecoming

Passy, Senegal, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th May, 2023 ) :Elegantly clad in an immaculate white gown and matching cap, Yoro Diao, 95, was wreathed in smiles after officiating at the baptism of his brand-new great-grandson.

The ceremony was ripe with emotion for the old man, one of a dwindling band of Senegalese soldiers who fought in France's colonial-era wars.

In the twilight of his life, he was delighted to be back home and among his extended family after years spent in bureaucratic limbo in France.

"It's a huge joy. I never would have thought I would be here at this age close to all my grandchildren," Diao said, beaming.

"When you go home, when you have your children around you, your grandchildren, what else do people need?" The former soldier served in Indochina and Algeria as one of the "tirailleurs", a legendary unit of infantrymen that the French army recruited in Senegal and trained for attacking the front lines.

Diao had longed to return to Senegal for good, but under French regulations he had to spend half the year in France to continue receiving his 950-euro ($1,020) monthly pension.

That requirement meant forking out a relative fortune in air fares -- and whatever was left would be eaten up by the higher costs of living in France.

But everything changed this year when the six-months rule was scrapped -- a move that coincided with a blockbuster movie about the tirailleurs starring Omar Sy, one of France's most popular stars.

Diao and nine other veterans have since returned home, without losing a centime of their coveted pension.