Demolition in Tivaouane Peulh: The 30 billion CFA franc legal battle between SIPRES, Anna Dia, and 886 occupants

There's a new development in the legal dispute between the Cap-Vert Peninsula Real Estate Company (SIPRES) and the groups of victims of the demolitions in Tivaouane Peulh. The case was heard this Wednesday before the Rufisque Criminal Court. The case concerns the demolition operations carried out on December 10, 11, and 12, 2025, at several sites located north of the municipality of Tivaouane Peulh.

At the end of the court proceedings, the public prosecutor requested the conviction of Anna Ba Dia and SIPRES, who were being prosecuted for the destruction of property belonging to others.

According to the plaintiffs, these interventions, in which elements of the General Directorate for the Surveillance and Control of Land Use (DGSCOS) participated, resulted in the destruction of several hundred buildings belonging to private individuals.

A direct summons was initiated by representatives of four victims' groups, who together claim 886 plaintiffs. These groups are the And Bollo Sam Sunu Gokh collective (418 members), the And Sam Sunu Gox collective (209 victims), the Sam Sunu Momel association (179 victims), and the Lotissement Maimouna Sow collective (80 victims). Their representatives appeared in court.

In court, Anna Ba Dia admitted to the facts but defended herself by claiming to have obtained a lease for the site in 2012. The plaintiffs maintain that they occupied and used the land in question based on old customary land rights. Some claim to possess deeds dating back to 2007, obtained from the former rural community of Sangalkam and the current municipality of Tivaouane Peulh-Niague. Several had undertaken construction work on their plots, with some buildings even completed and already inhabited.

In their direct quote, the representatives of the collectives describe demolitions of considerable scale. Foundations, boundary walls, embankments, structures, and completed buildings were allegedly destroyed by bulldozers.

At the heart of their accusation is the lack of a prior court order authorizing the demolitions. The plaintiffs maintain that they were not properly served with any eviction notice or formal demand. They also assert that no enforceable court order was produced to justify the destruction of their buildings.

Even more troubling, according to the citation, the commander of the Rufisque zonal brigade of the DGSCOS (General Directorate of Civil Security and Security) reportedly refused to participate in the operations in the absence of a court order. The prefect of Rufisque, for his part, allegedly stated that he had not been involved in or informed of the DGSCOS's intervention in support of SIPRES (the Intervention and Support Company for the Repression of Economic and Social Action).

Following the events, the prefectural authority visited the site with the relevant departmental services. A commission to inventory the destroyed property was then reportedly established, while representatives of the collectives were asked to submit lists of victims and inventories of their destroyed belongings.

The lawyers representing the groups, Assane Dioma Ndiaye, Ousseynou Ngom, Bruce Dasylva, and Abou Alassane Diallo, are invoking the provisions of Articles 45-1 and 409 of the Penal Code. They maintain that the elements constituting the offense are present against both Anna Ba Dia and SIPRES.

In terms of civil damages, the 886 plaintiffs are also seeking compensation for their losses. They have requested that Anna Ba Dia and SIPRES be jointly and severally ordered to pay 15 billion CFA francs in damages, covering all causes of harm.

Considering the facts to be established, the prosecution asked the court to find both defendants guilty. The public prosecutor requested a three-month suspended sentence for Anna Ba Dia and a fine of 500,000 CFA francs for SIPRES.

Following these requests, the defense counsel, lawyer Papa Laity Ndiaye and lawyer Alassane Cissé, pleaded for acquittal.

A legal counter-attack by Anna Ba Dia

In a separate legal proceeding, Anna Ba Dia also directly summoned the 886 occupants to court. She accuses them of illegally occupying land belonging to others. Her lawyer, Alassane Cissé, asked the court to find the defendants guilty and, in turn, claimed 15 billion CFA francs in damages.

In his observations, the public prosecutor requested a topographical survey to determine the boundaries of the land dispute. Following this, the defense counsel also argued for acquittal.

The court adjourned both cases for deliberation until January 12, 2027.