Following the discovery and dismantling of a service passport trafficking networks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad has revoked those issued between January 1, 2021, and December 13, 2022. This scandal recalls that of diplomatic passports which had shaken the Presidency, the National Assembly and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.What are Senegalese travel documents worth?After the scandal of diplomatic passports, service passports are also at the heart of an unprecedented scandal pushing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad to open an investigation.“All service passports issued between January 1, 2021, and December 13, 2022” have been cancelled.In any case, this is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad informs in a press release.The Maese claims that this decision was taken following the discovery and dismantling of a network of trafficking in service passports on the basis of false qualifications.Consequently, “All entitled persons whose status has been established are asked to contact the Maese to have new service passports issued”.After passports issued in the past 12 months were revoked by the authorities.Of course, investigations are continuing.The Maese informs us that the opening of an investigation made it possible to stop “all the suspects”, while specifying that the case continues to be dealt with judicially by the competent authorities.This case is a new stain on Senegal’s travel documents.This situation comes a few months after the diplomatic passport trafficking scandal, which shook the country and hit the headlines.Two parliamentarians from the ranks of the presidential coalition Bennobokkyaakaar and the gendarmes were at the heart of this mafia and were tried and sentenced.MamadouSall received a two-year sentence including six months in prison, and BoubacarBiaye to two years of which five months in prison.Presented as the « brains » behind the scam, the trader El HadjDiadié Condé also received a two years sentenced to serve ten months in prison.In the same case, the military court found the chief warrant officer of the gendarmerie, MamadouLamine Ba, in service at the presidency, AssaneNdione, a gendarme assigned to the diplomatic passports office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, guilty of complicity in forgery in private writings and sentenced to one year in prison.Though that Court had requested the reclassification of the charges of acts of complicity in forgery in administrative documents to improper issuance of administrative documents, it had acquitted them of the charges of criminal association and migrant smuggling.Due to its character which is sometimes considered unreliable, several countries no longer accept Senegalese diplomatic passports.
By Alpha SYLLA (Intern)

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH / Serigne S. DIAGNE