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June 9, 2003

Posted to the web June 9, 2003



Banjul



The Gambia government Sunday imposed a 7pm to 6am countrywide curfew to stem rising anti-Senegalese violence across the country. The curfew came after a day of looting and attacks on Senegalese nationals and properties in the country.



Sunday's violence was a reaction to violent attacks upon Gambian players and fans attending the African Nations Cup qualifying match between the two countries by Senegalese football hooligans on Saturday. The match, played in the Senegalese capital Dakar, ended 3-1 in favor of the hosts. Senegalese fans however unleashed an orgy of violence on the visiting Gambian players and supporters, beating them up, smashing car windows and pelting them with stones and other missiles. The attacks resulted in the hospitalization of some Gambians.



The Independent, whose sports reporter Namory Trawally was himself a victim of the violence, could not confirm reports that some Gambians were killed in the attacks. Another journalist, Essa Jallow formerly of the GRTS but now with West Coast FM radio, also suffered from the attacks. Senegalese security personnel, who were accused of siding with their rowdy fans, reportedly beat up Gambian player Dawda Bah.



News of the bad treatment meted to the Gambians in Dakar drew crowds of angry youths into the streets of Banjul, Serekunda and Farafenni Sunday morning and led to the massive vandalisation of Senegalese owned businesses, attacks on Senegalese nationals and widespread looting of shops. Angry youths set up roadblocks in the Greater Banjul area asking passengers for their ID cards and beating up all persons identified as Senegalese nationals. One unfortunate Senegalese national was pulled out of a car in Talinding and beaten to death. In Latrikunda and Bundung, angry youths set fire to the compounds of two Senegalese families. An unspecified number of cars belonging to Senegalese were burnt to ashes around the Greater Banjul area. Marauding groups of angry youths conducted house-to-house searches for Senegalese nationals and those found were seriously beaten.



The greatest destruction happened in the markets. Groups of angry youths attacked Senegalese shops at Serekunda, Latrikunda, Tabokoto, Bakoteh, Farafenni and Banjul markets, ransacking and looting goods. The popular weekly Sunday market day (Lumo) in Farafenni was cancelled as a result of the violence. Among the major businesses looted in the Greater Banjul Area were Touba Workshop, World Mobile Heavens, a Senegalese owned mobile phone retail outfit on Foday Sillah Drive, Westfield and Mobile Heavens owned by former GRTS director Tombong Saidy. The looting went on until around 5pm when the National Guard was able to bring the situation under control. By sunset Sunday, the situation was tense but calm. Schools around the country will remain closed on Monday.





The treatment of the Gambians in Dakar was in sharp contrast to how the Senegalese were treated when they played the Scorpions in Banjul several weeks ago. The Senegalese visitors were given tight security and not a single incidence of violence was reported. Some observers say the violence in Dakar was partly an expression of rising anti-Gambian sentiment in Senegal resulting from the Gambia government's alleged support to Senegalese separatists in the southern region of Casamance.