A moving statement by the president of Senegal reveals the extent of Morocco’s detention crisis

President of the Republic of Senegal, Baseroud Diomai Faye, has announced that he has sent an official request to King Mohammed VI of Morocco to pardon a group of Senegalese fans arrested in Morocco amid unrest surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations final.

According to the website“Championship” Morocco’s President Faye said in a press interview that he had sent a letter to King Mohammed VI to “congratulate him on the prestigious organization of the tournament and to apologize to the Senegalese fans who were arrested during the final match.”

He added: “We have tried all means and communicated with judicial and diplomatic authorities and even Tijaniya Zawiya, but these efforts have not been successful so far.”

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The Senegalese president explained that his country has exhausted all possible official channels to address the case, noting that the authorities in Dakar are closely monitoring the issue in coordination with their Moroccan counterpart.

“If all this doesn’t change anything, what’s left to do, if there’s anything else that can be done, let us know,” Fay said.

The background to the case goes back to the tension following the Africa Cup of Nations final, which saw a limited confrontation between fans of the two countries, which led to the arrest of a number of Senegalese supporters in Morocco on charges of public order and damage to property.

Since then, the Senegalese authorities have been trying to settle the case through diplomatic channels, while Rabat confirms that the judicial procedures are proceeding in accordance with the current Moroccan laws.

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