Mbour High Court: A football defeat sparks a pitched battle; 16 youths from Guiniabougou 1 and 2 appear in court.

In Guiniabougou, a football match lost by ASC Guiniabougou 1 against a team from Guéréo degenerated into clashes. The match took a particularly violent turn between youths from Guiniabougou 1 and 2, disrupting the daily lives of the local population. Sixteen young people, charged with unlawful assembly resulting in destruction, appeared before the Mbour High Court for a summary trial. Prosecutor Camara, exasperated by this recurring violence, severely reprimanded the defendants. He condemned the fact that football, which should have been a celebration, had been transformed into a battleground.

It all started with the match played on Friday the 30th between ASC Guiniabougou 1 and a team from Guéréo. After Guiniabougou 1's defeat, violence broke out. But strangely, the perpetrators weren't the two teams that had just played. Instead, it was young people from Guiniabougou 1 and those from Guiniabougou 2.

The confrontation wasn't limited to a few skirmishes after the final whistle. Hostilities continued into the following day, plunging the neighborhoods into a climate of tension and insecurity. Students were forced to stay home, as the situation made it impossible for them to travel to school safely.

In court, the presiding judge reminded the defendants that sport should never be used as a pretext for violence. "This is no longer a match," he told them. Addressing Abdoulaye Sarr, described as the oldest member of the group, he specifically asked him why he hadn't tried to calm things down instead of getting involved in the brawl.

In response, Abdoulaye Sarr explained that he had actually gone to the gendarmerie to inquire about his brothers' situation. He claims he was arrested after a gendarme told him he recognized him among the protesters.

"We built you a stadium, but you don't want anything!"

Prosecutor Camara didn't mince words. Visibly angered by the violence plaguing grassroots competitions, the chief prosecutor denounced the transformation of the Navétanes into veritable arenas of confrontation. "We built you a stadium, but you don't want anything. You allow yourselves to destroy the infrastructure. You must stop your animosity," he declared to the defendants.

Continuing his indictment, the prosecutor deplored the distortion of the very spirit of the Navétanes, initially conceived as a framework for the personal development of young people, particularly students. "In principle, the Navétanes were intended for students. But they have become an arena of violence. We do everything to control the Navétanes, but to no avail. Until 2 a.m., you were fighting, even preventing schoolchildren from going to school. Be more responsible," he rebuked.

The public prosecutor even invited young people unable to accept defeat to refrain from participating in competitions. "If you don't want to lose, then stay home," he asserted, before demanding an end to such behavior.

For Prosecutor Camara, it is unacceptable that every sporting activity should become an occasion for violence. "You want to turn all sporting activities into arenas of violence. This must stop," he insisted, before demanding the application of the law.

For his part, Mr. Oumar Sène urged the defendants to use this hearing as an opportunity to hear the prosecution's recommendations. The lawyer also raised the issue of accountability in this type of gathering, where it can be difficult to precisely establish each person's individual responsibility.

Their fate will be decided next Tuesday.