Following the French government’s decision to facilitate the payment of their retirement pensions, the last survivors of African soldiers who fought in French wars around the world will be able to return home and spend time with their families. Indeed, “tirailleurs sénégalais” recruited to fight in African countries under French rule have pleaded for years for their pension rights.
The government’s Solidarity Ministry said the French decision affects only 22 of the former soldiers who receive a monthly payment of 950 euros ($1,000). These people are no longer obliged to stay in France for six months to be eligible to receive a retirement pension. This decision will be made official in the coming days, according to the ministry.
Many African ex-combatants who participated in world wars were disbanded in the early 1960s.
The French requirement to stay at least 6 months in France separated these fighters from their families in Africa and now they can finish their lives in their country of origin.