During World War II, Diatta is a Senegalese student serving as a sergeant as his country fights alongside the French, even though that same nation raided his village and killed much of his family years earlier. Then, after finishing their duty, Diatta and fellow soldiers are interned at a French camp in Dakar, presumably to be paid for their services. However, their stay is long and the treatment brutal, causing the worldly Diatta to take action against his oppressive captors.