Restitution de restes de résistants sénégalais en France : Guy Marius Sagna interpelle le gouvernement et exige des comptes
In a statement released after receiving a ministerial response, MP Guy Marius Sagna denounced the Senegalese government's lack of initiative regarding the repatriation of the remains of resistance fighters held in France. The parliamentarian called for concrete action and announced his intention to propose an inquiry to the National Assembly.
In response to a written question regarding the fate of the remains of Senegalese resistance fighters held in French institutions, the government admitted to having made "no official request for their return." To justify this position, the government cited the absence of requests from descendants and the lack of recommendations from researchers.
An explanation strongly contested by MP Guy Marius Sagna. "But since when does the State have to wait for families or researchers to take the initiative to search for the remains of our dead?", the elected official asks.
He points out that Senegal has adequate institutional and diplomatic tools at its disposal, including the Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DPC) and scientific institutions. Guy Marius Sagna therefore asks the State to clarify its actions. "What research was commissioned? What instructions were given? What results were obtained?"
At least 106 human remains identified in France
To support his argument, the MP highlights specific facts documented in archives and the press. In 1891, Commander Émile Roux donated six skulls to the Broca Museum in Paris, including those of "five men executed in Bakel on January 25, 1891." While the donor's name appears in the records, the six victims are not named, and their current whereabouts remain to be determined. Furthermore, on October 8, 2026, according to the MP, the newspaper Le Monde reported that a preliminary count by the National Museum of Natural History listed "at least 106 human remains of Senegalese origin."
Furthermore, the elected official emphasizes that French law has allowed states, since December 2023, to initiate restitution procedures for funerary purposes, noting that "Madagascar obtained the return of three skulls in August 2025. The procedure exists and has already been implemented." According to him, the existence and effective application of this procedure make the inaction of the Senegalese authorities all the more unjustifiable, as does the silence surrounding the work of the special commission established in Senegal in 2021 to address the restitution of the collections.
In light of this situation, Guy Marius Sagna makes three specific demands of the government. First, he requires the release of the report on the work of the Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DPC), the relevant services, and the conclusions of the 2021 commission. Second, he requests a commitment to official verifications with French institutions to locate and identify the remains in question. Finally, he demands the appointment of those responsible for these procedures and the presentation of a timeline for the initial restitution requests.
In order to control the actions of the executive branch, the MP announces that he will propose to the National Assembly the establishment of a parliamentary fact-finding mission intended to examine the files, monitor the steps taken and follow up on the results.
The dead should be honored, not "cultural assets".
Finally, Guy Marius Sagna reframes the debate on ethical grounds. Rejecting the government's designation of these remains as "national heritage," he insists: "Our dead are not cultural artifacts to be transferred from a French collection to a Senegalese one. Their return must allow for a dignified burial and the honors due to them, with respect for the families and communities concerned."
Faced with assurances from the government that no effort will be spared, the parliamentarian concluded with three direct questions.
"What efforts have already been made? Who is responsible? And when will the first steps be taken?"
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