What initially appeared to be a trivial dispute between young people ultimately escalated into a bloody confrontation between two village communities in the Casamance. In the village of S Pathé, located 65 kilometres north of Sédhiou, the Torodo Fulani and Bambara people had long coexisted peacefully. The two communities lived in harmony until the evening of a practice match, during which two young men came to blows. Later that night, a young man from the Fulani community, who was passing through the village on his way to charge his mobile phone in a neighbouring area, was attacked, sparking a full-blown brawl. A passer-by who attempted to intervene and separate the parties was seriously injured and rushed to the Bounkiling Health Centre.
The following day, the Fulani youths prevented the Bambara people from drawing water from the village well, further fuelling anger on both sides. Subsequently, the Fulani set fire to three huts belonging to members of the Bambara community.
Yaya Sakho, a head of a household affected by the violence, described the atrocity of the events, noting that even the fruit trees were cut down. “My wife, Amie Sakho, was struck with sticks and machetes, not to mention the material damage,” he explained. Those whose huts were burned down have lost suitcases of clothing, beds, mattresses, mobile phones, and cash.
