{"id":311030,"date":"2017-04-16T06:24:42","date_gmt":"2017-04-16T06:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=311030"},"modified":"2017-04-16T06:24:42","modified_gmt":"2017-04-16T06:24:42","slug":"france-gives-citizenship-to-28-african-ww2-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/04\/france-gives-citizenship-to-28-african-ww2-veterans\/","title":{"rendered":"France gives citizenship to 28 African WW2 veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"
French President Francois Hollande has given citizenship to 28 Africans who fought for France in World War Two and other conflicts.<\/p>\n
Mr Hollande said France owed them “a debt of blood”.<\/p>\n
The veterans – many from Senegal, and aged between 78 and 90 – received their new certificates of citizenship at the Elysee Palace in Paris.<\/p>\n
Campaigners have long been calling for the rights of the veterans, long-term French residents, to be recognised.<\/p>\n
“France is proud to welcome you, just as you were proud to carry its flag, the flag of freedom,” said President Hollande.<\/p>\n
More naturalisation ceremonies are expected to follow for other veterans in France.<\/p>\n
One of those granted citizenship on Saturday, Mohamed Toure, said the gesture will go some way towards healing old wounds.<\/p>\n
“President Hollande did what none of his predecessors ever imagined. And that repairs a lot of things,” he said.<\/p>\n