As its Ambassador to Madagascar, I am honoured to stand here today to represent the Government of the United Kingdom at this Remembrance Sunday service of commemoration. And I stand here, in solidarity with millions across the world, who wear the poppy as the symbol of this act of remembrance.
Twenty million died in the Great War, over a century ago. The poppy we wear is a very deliberate reminder of those battlefields of Europe. Importantly, it is not a symbol of triumph or victory. It serves to remind us of the harsh reality of conflict.
At the end of the Great War, when an Armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, it was said that this marked the conclusion of the war to end all wars. We know, sadly, not least from the graves around us, that the tragedy continued through the Second World War, and the fight against fascism. And our news bulletins tell us that the tragedy continues in 2024, with people killed in conflict every single day.
The history of the United Kingdom in Africa, and across the Indian Ocean, is complex and, often, subjective. There are, rightfully, parts of our history that we are very proud of. There are also parts of our history that we reflect on with humility and regret.
It is this humility, that makes me especially proud to represent the United Kingdom. It is a manifestation of our national democracy and our freedom to discuss and learn from our history within an open society. This often stands in sharp contrast to how others choose to remember their own history.
And this combination of pride and humility also manifests itself in our act of remembrance.
We remember the 315 soldiers who lie here. They landed here in the middle of the night, launching an operation that was central to a global struggle against fascism. The horrific consequences of defeat would have been unimaginable. The struggle that they were part of saved millions of lives and protected the life chances and the freedom of the generations that followed.
We are proud of them and we owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.
But we remember all who fell here. There are some who will be seen as being on the wrong side of history, but we mourn their loss all the same and we know that the pain felt by their families was the same deep pain felt by our own.
And as we gather today in peaceful surroundings, our thoughts are also with all of those, on all sides, who suffers the horrors of war in 2024. We mourn for the civilian victims of war who are suffering. And we mourn for the loss of the many young people, who on this very day are being sent into battle.
On Remembrance Sunday, we mourn people of all cultures, faiths and nations. We mourn the fallen soldiers of Madagascar, the United Kingdom, our Commonwealth family and our allies. And we also mourn for our enemies of the past.
Let us always remember our history with pride and humility and let us always remember the 315 men who lie here and who made the ultimate sacrifice as part of a global struggle to protect our lives and our freedoms.
