In response to the increasing number of attacks on women, Kafountine has taken a series of measures to police the town. These include traffic control regulations and restrictions on certain sectors of activity.

Everyone in Kafountine is scared to death. To deal with the series of attacks on women and to ensure the safety of the population in general, the town of Kafountine is taking measures to restrict the movement of people and Jakarta motorbikes. Also, « people living in Kafountine without identification papers will be asked to leave. Foreigners who don’t have a residence permit, we’re going to demand that they be regularised », said the mayor of Kafountine in an interview with Le Quotidien.

At the level of neighbourhood delegates and landlords, David Diatta said: « We are going to ask each landlord to register their tenants, and to set up a register with the neighbourhood delegate. Camp managers will also have to do the same. « I’m going to meet the neighbourhood delegates, the president of the youth group and the women to define the measures to be taken », said Mr Diatta at the end of an emergency meeting. « After that, I’m going to go into the neighbourhoods to see what measures need to be taken to ensure the safety of the people, » said the mayor.

Surveillance committees are to be set up. « This has already begun, but we intend to step it up in collaboration with the local gendarmerie until the police and gendarmerie brigades have been set up. We’re going to get rid of the vagabonds who are sleeping out in the open on the fishing quay », said the councillor.

Other measures have not been ruled out to ensure the safety of the people of Kafountine. With regard to the victims, the municipality is currently working with the Platform of Women for Peace in Casamance to see how it can support them. The gendarmerie opened an investigation as soon as the first case was reported.

Since February 2024, there have been 12 cases of physical and sexual violence targeting women alone. Faced with this situation, the Women’s Platform for Peace in Casamance and civil society organisations are outraged and have strongly condemned the series of attacks on women, which are taking place in the commune of Kafountine. In fact, the « abuse inflicted on the survivors was so serious that they were all evacuated to Ziguinchor or Dakar for medical treatment », the platform laments in the press release. The thirteenth attack, it says, « took place on the night of Friday 28 June 2024 in the Nafacounda district and resulted in the murder of Mrs Awa Cissé, a pregnant mother of three, who was found dead in her bedroom ».
By Khady SONKO / ksonko@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH