Land sold by a "deceased" person, forged signature, and nine court appearances: Revelations from the family of Charles Pierre Diagne

Caught in the middle of a complex land dispute, the heirs of the late Charles Pierre Malick Diagne are facing off against developers and certain local authorities. Amid accusations of forgery, falsified signatures, and influence peddling, the family is fighting back to defend its ancestral heritage.

This is the story of farmland acquired before Senegal's independence, which has now become the scene of a legal and administrative battle. The family of the late Charles Pierre Diagne claims to have worked the land for generations. But the heirs now find themselves forced to defend their property against what they describe as "illegal" and "fraudulent" attempts at appropriation.

The origin of the dispute: an act deemed fraudulent

According to Alioune Diagne, a family member, the problems began after their father's death. Taking advantage of a period of family reorganization, third parties moved onto the property. When he tried to understand the reasons for this occupation, the opposing party produced a deed of sale claiming that the land had been sold by the deceased owner.

But, after expert analysis, the document presents serious irregularities. "There are no legal witnesses, our father's signature is forged and the information relating to parentage is missing," he explains.

Even more revealing, the family spokesperson, Mamadou Diop Thioune, points out a chronological inconsistency. "The deed of sale dated 1971 cannot be taken into account, because Pierre Diagne died in an accident in 1963, after working in his field."

The family is thus denouncing a scheme based on a forged sales agreement, which was then used to obtain a municipal resolution legitimizing the occupation.

The municipality's controversial stance

The handling of the case by the mayor of the municipality, Pape Sow, has sparked outrage among the rightful claimants. Having been approached by the family to carry out a formal boundary survey, the mayor is alleged to have sided with the opposing side, attempting to regularize the situation through a memorandum of understanding and the issuance of new administrative documents.

Despite several interventions by the Directorate for Monitoring and Control of Land Use (DSCOS), which had ordered the work to stop, construction sites have resumed on several occasions.

Mamadou Diop Thioune denounces a real "influence peddling", claiming that the promoters say they are protected by administrative and judicial authorities to keep containers and construction equipment on the site.

Nine referrals to court and a battle in the High Court

In legal terms, the heirs have filed a civil suit. The case is pending before the Dakar High Court, after nine successive postponements. The family questions these procedural delays, which allow the occupants to proceed with their work even though the substantive legal issues have not been resolved.

"How can a document, the subject of a legal dispute after nine postponements, not be cleared to allow everyone to have their rights restored?" Mamadou Diop Thioune protests.

For the family representatives, this case illustrates a wider phenomenon of abusive conversion of agricultural land into built properties, affecting several market gardening areas from Rufisque to Niague.

An undiminished determination

Supported by information provided by the Land Registry and Tax Office aimed at reconstructing the original land registry, the Charles Pierre Diagne family reaffirms its determination to exhaust all legal avenues. "We are gathering all this information to appeal to the rule of law and ask the courts to rule as quickly as possible. We will not allow our father's property to be stolen," concluded the spokesperson, determined to shed full light on this matter.

Mayor Pape Sow's response: "The land belongs to Seydina Oumar Sy"

In response to these accusations, Mayor Pape Sow offers his perspective and rejects any irregularities in his municipal management. Confirming that he has met with the Diagne family on several occasions, the mayor clarifies that the disputed land formally belongs to Seydina Oumar Sy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and that it has a cadastral identification number (NICAD).

According to the mayor, Seydina Oumar Sy has occupied this site for 40 years, having made significant investments there (perimeter walls, buildings). He maintains that his administration simply transferred an existing resolution taken from the minutes of the Sangalkam municipality, respecting administrative continuity and the legal oversight of state authorities (sub-prefect, land registry, urban planning).

While inviting the Diagne family to let justice decide on the substance of the property dispute, the mayor questions the real motivations behind these attacks: "Why wait until 2026 to claim land sold by their father? The town hall is not above the law, we stand by our actions," he insists, rejecting any accusation of bias or influence peddling.