One dead, some thirty wounded, houses and stores set on fire: this is the toll of the clashes that took place on Tabaski Day in the town of Médina Gounass, located in the Vélingara department. This dramatic toll, which affected two communities that populate the religious town, has not prompted them to become radicalized. On the contrary, they urged calm, while calling on the Senegalese government to ensure people’s safety. 

Monday was not a feast in Medina Gounass. In this religious city, located in the department of Vélingara, we quickly want to forget the unfortunate clashes which opposed, on Tabaski day, the faithful of Caliph Thierno Amadou Tidiane Bâ and those of Caliph Thierno Mounirou Baldé, resident of the city and ruler, each, a religious community. In copies of different press releases Le Quotidien notes that, the two communities called for calm, not without denouncing an “act of barbarity” while calling on the country’s highest political authorities.

The press release of the communications unit of Thierno Mounirou Baldé, Caliph General of Fouladou, wrote: “The guide invites his disciples to be calm and restrained. He urges young people to refrain from broadcasting photos, videos or any other media related to these events. He prays for a return to calm while referring the disciples to the precepts taught by Thierno Amadou Baldé, namely neither provocation nor reprisals. For their part, the faithful of the Caliph of Medina Gounass, Thierno Amadou Tidiane Bâ, also produced a press release. Signed by the “Framework for exchanges and organization of the faithful of Thierno Mouhamadou Saïdou Bâ”, it is mentioned: “On this sacred day of Tabaski (Monday), Medina Gounass was the scene of an unspeakable act of barbarity.”

The descendants of Thierno Mouhamadou Saïdou Bâ denounced “with the greatest firmness, this inhuman and cowardly act perpetrated” against the convoy of their caliph returning from the 2 rakka prayers. And then to address the new political authorities of Senegal: “We call on President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, in his capacity as supreme leader of the Armed Forces, to put an end to these recurring orchestrated atrocities (…).” In this vein, the disciples of the Caliph of Fouladou called for this matter to be clarified: “Thierno Mounirou Baldé invites the authorities to shed light on these incidents, identify responsibilities and, if necessary, take action. Impunity must definitely end, because in a State of Law, the license to attack is not issued to any citizen.”

The dispute dates back to the establishment of the religious city as the capital of a rural community. According to a widespread version, when it came to choosing a president of the Rural Council, the Fouladou community believed that the candidate of the ruling party, the PS, was going to come out of its ranks.

Unfortunately, the choice fell on a militant from the other party. This was badly taken by those close to Thierno Amadou Baldé who left them the management of spiritual affairs and thus gave themselves the right to manage everything worldly, such as the chiefdom of what was a village and which was devolved to them moreover. And they entered into a sort of peaceful disobedience by making the PDS candidate win the local elections of 1978. The victorious candidate never took office, despite the favourable verdict of the ballot boxes. It is therefore a political crisis poorly managed by the State which continues, 46 years later, to poison relations between blood brothers, co-religionists and neighbours with adjoining concessions.
By Abdoulaye KAMARA / akamara@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH