Mbour: A shepherd, having lost an arm to a rival, tries to inflict the same fate on his rival.

Charged with seriously injuring Aliou Sène's left arm with a machete, 21-year-old Bassirou Diop appeared before the Mbour High Court for a summary trial. In court, the young man recounted the spiral of violence that had initially led to the amputation of his own left arm.

The events stem from an initial altercation in the forest between the two shepherds, during which Aliou Sène amputated Bassirou Diop's arm. Having been granted provisional release pending trial for these initial acts of violence, Aliou Sène and three members of his family allegedly crossed paths with their victim again, triggering a second bloody confrontation.

In court, Bassirou Diop defended himself by invoking self-defense in the face of an imminent threat: “When we crossed paths again, they told me they were going to amputate my remaining right arm, otherwise they would kill me. He then pulled out his machete, and I reacted by hitting him. I didn't want to amputate his arm,” he explained. The victim was given a 45-day period of temporary incapacity for work.

" If you kill each other, you'll face life imprisonment."

Faced with the seriousness of this vendetta and the risk of a further deadly escalation, the presiding judge firmly reminded the protagonists of their duty: "You cannot share the forest and allow yourselves to attack each other with machetes as you please. You are no longer children. Leave him alone and stop threatening him!"

The prosecution also took a firm stance, calling on both parties to immediately regain their composure. "Stop your nonsense. Come to your senses. If you kill each other, you're facing life imprisonment," the prosecutor warned, emphasizing that any repeat offense would result in severe legal penalties.

Following the hearings, the case was adjourned for deliberation. The verdict will be delivered on October 6th.