“While the Olympic torch relay is an essential tradition of the Games, the department of Seine-Saint-Denis wishes to take advantage of this unique opportunity to highlight the faces who make and have made the France of today . The choice of Oumar Diemé, a former Senegalese rifleman, would thus contribute to essential work of memory,” announced Stéphane Troussel, the president of Seine-Saint-Denis.
“He belongs to the “last generation” of African fighters engaged voluntarily or enlisted by authority in the ranks of the French army. His commitment has earned him several decorations in France and in Senegal,” specifies the department’s press release. Born in 1932, he entered the French army in 1953 and participated in the Indochina War and then the Algerian War.
A candidacy that delights Oumar Diemé
It was during an official trip to Senegal that Stéphane Troussel announced that he had proposed Oumar Diemé’s candidacy for Paris 2024. A long-time resident of Bondy (Seine-Saint-Denis), the 92-year-old man, naturalized in 2017, received authorization in 2023 to receive his pension while living permanently in Senegal.
Alongside Aïssata Seck, president of the association for the memory and history of Senegalese riflemen and a delegation from the department, the president of Seine-Saint-Denis added during his trip: “This work allows us to build a common, universal future, where everyone has their place. »
He also added that Oumar Diemé had happily accepted that his candidacy would be supported by his department of 93, which had the possibility as a member of the Paris 2024 Bureau to propose around twenty names to participate in this giant relay.