The Research Section continues its investigations into the political violence that has plagued Senegal between 2021 and 2024. According to information reported by the newspaper L’Observateur, five families of disappeared persons appeared before investigators on Monday to deliver their testimonies, filled with pain, injustice, and a longing for truth. These hearings are part of an investigation aimed at shedding light on the deaths, disappearances, and alleged abuses that occurred during this period of high political tensions.
According to L’Observateur, after an initial wave of hearings with the civilian parties last Friday, this Monday, October 6, marks a new stage. Five families responded to the summons from the Research Section, carrying with them the weight of irreparable absences and still vivid suffering. The accounts collected by the investigators paint a picture of a country marked by social fractures and human wounds left by these years of violence.
Bassirou Sarr, a generous tailor, taken away after a final act of filial love
Among the families heard is that of Bassirou Sarr, a thirty-year-old tailor known for his generosity. According to L’Observateur, he had given some money to his mother, Mbada Diouf, just before his death. At the time, his testimony had been collected by the Youth Reporters House, as part of the CartograFree Senegal project, which documented the victims of violence. “On the day of his death, he gave me money. He was an unwavering support. Losing a child in such circumstances is an immeasurable pain,” his mother confided, her voice trembling. This Monday, it is his father, Issa Sarr, who is summoned to give his version of the facts to the investigators.
Mor Nguère Ndiaye, young footballer struck by a 9mm bullet
The second family to appear is that of Mor Nguère Ndiaye, a 22-year-old football enthusiast. As reported by L’Observateur, the young man had left his home on June 1, around 6:25 pm, to go to a nearby football field, reassuring his mother that he would avoid the clashes. But a few minutes later, he found himself caught in a chase between protesters and police. A 9mm bullet hit him in the jaw. Urgently transported to the Thiaroye hospital, he succumbed at 1:30 am. “The doctor confirmed that Mor was hit by a real bullet,” said his father, Assane Ndiaye, also summoned this Monday by the Research Section.
Cheikhouna Ndiaye, stabbed during the demonstrations in Parcelles Assainies
According to L’Observateur, the family of Cheikhouna Ndiaye was also heard. His older sister, Aminata Ndiaye, spoke out to demand justice. Cheikhouna, 22, a tile seller and orphaned of both parents, was stabbed on his way home from work on March 4, 2021, during the demonstrations in Parcelles Assainies. The theory of an isolated attack remains controversial. His personal belongings – a phone, 25,000 FCFA, and his bag – were found intact, casting doubt on the true circumstances of his death. Since this tragedy, Aminata Ndiaye has been demanding that “the full truth be revealed about this suspicious death.”
Idrissa Ouédrago and Abdoulaye Faye: two mothers united in grief
Two other families were received in the hearing room, as reported by L’Observateur. The family of Idrissa Ouédrago – also known as Ibrahima Drago, according to other sources – shot dead on June 2 in Pikine, represented by his mother Astou Ndiaye, and the family of Abdoulaye Faye, accompanied by his mother Adji Ndella Faye. Both, in mourning, delivered poignant testimonies, confronting the investigators with the harsh reality of their losses and the urgent truth they have been demanding for years.
Lassana Diarisso, a broken destiny at the heart of the violence
According to L’Observateur, this Tuesday, it will be the turn of the family of Lassana Diarisso, nicknamed “Lass,” to appear before the Research Section. His lifeless body had been found abandoned. Well-known in his neighborhood, Lassana had been seen for the last time at the Keur Mbaye Fall TER stop. That day, he had gone to park his car to avoid vandalism. On the way back, he was reportedly hit by a vehicle from the law enforcement, according to the testimonies collected. Seriously injured, he was then taken care of by gendarmes from the Mbao Intervention Legion before being taken to the TER Brigade.
According to L’Observateur, his relatives claim that the young man had been subjected to abuse during his transfer. This Tuesday, it will be his brother, Diadié Diarisso, who will be heard by the investigators, once again bearing the burden of a family confronted with institutional violence and persistent injustice.
