African troops participate in France's Bastille Day celebration
09:22, July 15, 2010 
Email | Print | Subscribe | Comments | Forum 
African soldiers march during the France's Bastille Day military parade held in Paris, capital of France, on July 14, 2010. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and leaders from 13 African countries attended the military parade marking France's Bastille Day on July 14. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)
Some 400 African troops joined France's Bastille Day military parade on Wednesday but they were not mercenaries or French soldiers.
These troops instead came from 13 African countries to help mark the annual national holiday.
It was the first time that African troops marched through the Champs Elysees on July 14.
Some leaders from the former French colonies in Africa also made a historic first on Wednesday by standing next to President Nicolas Sarkozy to review the parade.
"The purpose of this gathering is not to celebrate your independence, you do it very well yourselves," Sarkozy said at a post-parade lunch. "But it is to celebrate the strong ties that history has forged between our peoples and to build for a better future."
Torrential rains did not dampen the enthusiasm of Parisians and visitors who turned out in large numbers to witness the annual celebration, which was emphasized by fly-overs of some 80 aircraft including Alpha, Rafael, Mirage and E3F jets.
The air show reached its climax when paratroopers landed near the Concorde Square carrying the national flags of the participating African countries in honor of the guests.
The two-hour parade was not the only show on the day's agenda.
A fireworks display centered on the Eiffel Tower was expected to attract another million visitors later Wednesday.
This year's celebration, however, was not without its troubles due to the tight budget caused by the sluggish economic recovery of the country.
Hosts and organizers had to skip the traditional garden party that used to treat hundreds if not thousands of foreign dignitaries to French delicacies in the Elysees Palace following the military parade.
Skipping the party saved about 780,000 euros (992,000 U.S. dollars), said government spokesman Luc Chatel.
The holiday marks the July 14, 1789, storming of the Bastille prison in Paris by angry crowds, which helped spark the French Revolution.
 |
（Editor：张茜）
On Sept. 28, tourists travel around the Mingshashan Scenic Area in Dunhuang, Gansu province by camel. With the National Day vacation right around the corner, more and more tourists from home and abroad are going to Dunhuang. Riding on a camel, they travel in the desert to enjoy the cities rare form of natural scenery. (Xinhua/Zhang Weixian)
Chinese forest armed forces work together with forest firefighters on Sept. 28. (Xinhua/Chai Liren)
Photo taken on Sept. 29, 2011 shows strong wind blows trees in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. Typhoon Nesat heads towards south China and is moving at an average wind speed of 20 km per hour toward the west coast of China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Hou Jiansen)
A fallen tree is seen on a road in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 29, 2011. Typhoon Nesat was predicted to land in Hainan later Thursday, bringing heavy rainfalls to the island. (Xinhua/Meng Zhongde) 
Arash Kamalvand (L) of Iran spikes the ball during the semifinal against South Korea at the 16th Asian Men's Volleyball Championship in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 28, 2011. Iran won 3-1 to advance to the final. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz) 
A man visits "Thy Word Is Truth, the Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Protestant Church in China", during its opening at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington DC, capital of the United States, Sept. 28, 2011. Through the Bible's various Chinese versions, ancient or modern, as well as pictures, paintings, calligraphy, art works and historical documents, the exhibition was expected to give an overall understanding of how Bible was brought into China, how it was translated, published, distributed and loved. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/7066973.pdf