Saly : 18 Maliens sans papiers risquent 3 mois de prison
The Mbour District Court tried 18 people, all from Mali, arrested in Saly on Wednesday while they were staying in Senegal without identity papers or residence permits. Their presence in the country, in conditions deemed shady, has sparked outrage among the public prosecutor.
Among the defendants, Youssouf Diakhité and Mouhamed Traoré claim to have each come from Mali and to have found themselves by chance in the same rented apartment. The lease was taken out by a third party, who has since returned to Mali to care for his sick mother, according to them.
The accused said they were waiting for funds from their families to continue their journey. One of them explained that he had a job, but none had a residence permit or passport. One of them said he wanted to continue his journey to Mauritania, a destination confirmed by several others.
This trip remains incomprehensible, in the eyes of the prosecutor. He expressed strong annoyance at their explanations, which he described as "insane." "It's easier to leave Mali for Mauritania than to go through Senegal. You say you're in transit, but you're staying here without work, without papers, and without a stated purpose. This threatens the country's security."
He also lamented that the majority of them did not have a single penny in their pockets. Only two had small sums: 8,000 CFA francs for one and 7,000 CFA francs in cash and 9,000 in an Orange Money account for another.
“This is very serious for the security of a country. We cannot tolerate young people coming to settle here without justification. This is not teranga!” he lashed out.
A group of 20 other people, of Malian origin, are reportedly waiting in the basement of the courthouse, according to statements from the prosecution.
The defense argued that Malian precariousness and the context were the main issue. Attorney Omar Sène pointed out that Mali is a country at war and that many young people are fleeing violence, often illegally.
"They are here at the invitation of people affiliated with Qnet, but they are not members of this network. They are young people in distress. There is no crime in their situation," argues Mr. Sène, who pleads for their acquittal, believing that no serious offense justifies their conviction.
In his indictment, the prosecutor asked the court to find all the defendants guilty of the crime of vagrancy and sentence them to three months in prison.
“We are not banning you from coming to Senegal, but do so within the law,” the prosecutor argued.
They will know their fate next Thursday.
Commentaires (9)
Le Sénégal n'a ni tête ni queue. On rentre au Sénégal comme on rentre dans des toilettes publiques ...aucune pièce d'identité n'est exigée . Vivement l'instauration d'une carte de séjour pour savoir qui est qui.
Il faudra informer les autorités maliennes et les rapatrier peut être ils sont Recherchés pour acte de terrorisme.
Aller en Mauritanie et passera par Saly ? 🤔
Pourquoi ne pas passer par Kedogou,Baker ou Kidira ?
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