Events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in southern France have been partially cancelled due to the threat of thunderstorms.
French President Emmanuel Macron was due to host a reception with other heads of state aboard the amphibious helicopter carrier Diksmuid, but this has now been cancelled.
An event that was scheduled to reenact the Toulon landings has also been canceled.
The Provence landings played a key role in the liberation of France during World War II, allowing the Allies to recapture most of southern France.
Sometimes referred to as Forgotten D-Day, the operation took place shortly after the much better-known Normandy landings.
The Elysee Palace announced shortly before the ceremony began that there would no longer be any receptions at Dixmuide.
Meanwhile, the municipality of the Var region said in a statement that the reenactment, which was scheduled to take place on Lido Beach in Murillon, had been cancelled due to “adverse weather conditions and the risk of severe storms”.
Severe storms and heavy rain with winds of up to 140 km/h (87 mph) were forecast for the area.
The Provence landings began on August 15, 1944, when approximately 100,000 American, British, and Canadian troops landed on the beaches of the French Riviera.
They were followed by 250,000 soldiers, recruited mainly from French colonies in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
But it took decades for the role they played to be highlighted in military campaign commemorations.
“France has forgotten us, but they are making up for lost time,” said Oumar Dieme, a former Senegalese infantryman who attended the event, according to news agency AFP.
President Macron said the soldiers who took part in the landings had fought for “self-determination, sovereignty and territorial integrity” during a ceremony at the Bouloury National Cemetery in Saint-Raphaël.
He paid tribute to the vital role played by African soldiers, many of whom were forcibly recruited and currently from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Togo, Morocco and Niger.
“They all accomplished it that day and the days that followed. They knew the tremendous risks, but they did it with courageous boldness and irresistible strength.”
Six African leaders attended, including Paul Biya of Cameroon and Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic, along with the French president.
“Without the contribution of other peoples, without the contribution of foreigners, there would have been no Allied victory,” Mr. Villa said in his speech.
He added: “These brave soldiers from West Africa, Equatorial Africa, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean have done a very good job.
“They paid a very heavy price for their victory. They were exemplary warriors, often carrying on memorable war traditions, and were respected for their courage, daring and loyalty.”
Soldiers who took part in the Provence landings (called Operation Dragoon) were instrumental in capturing the key Mediterranean ports of Marseille and Toulon, opening a new front and putting pressure on Nazi forces.
