Story by Samuella Mantebea Okanta

A Senegalese man has been granted French citizenship after putting his life on the line to rescue six people, including two babies, from an apartment building on fire in Paris.

On the 4th of July, 2025, the Senegalese man named Fousseynou Cisse was working as a school receptionist when he climbed onto a narrow ledge 20 metres to pull two mothers, two children, and two infants through a window as the fire in the building intensified on the 18th floor.

France took notice of the video, which was circulating on social media. On 24th March 2026, Cisse was officially recognised as a citizen at a ceremony held inside the Pantheon. “Being French is a pride. It’s a great day for me,” he said upon receiving the official order.