Africa: Sarkozy Promises African Veterans Same Pension as French Counterparts
All Africa
July 13, 2010
Africa
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has promised African veterans who fought in France the same pension as their French comrades. He made the announcement at a lunch for leaders of 13 African countries who are in France to take part in Bastille Day national celebrations.
"As testimony of our unfailing gratitude to the former combatants from your countries, we wish to see them receive from now on the same retirement benefits as their French brothers-in-arms," Sarkozy said after the lunch.
France had previously resisted paying the same pension to veterans who did not live in French territory, though many of them are in countries that were French colonies at the time.
The African armies - the Côte d'Ivoire and Madagascar are not attending - are also scheduled to take part in a military parade on 14 July in spite of criticism from human rights groups.
They are saying that some of the armies will be lead by generals wanted for alleged war crimes and called on the French government to release an official guest list of attendees.
On the 8 July, the NGO Survie, the network Sortir du Colonianlisme and more than 70 NGOs called for a demonstration against the parade which they termed "scandalous".
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