VZCZCXRO6223
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #1476 3641736
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291736Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1628
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS DAKAR 001476 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL AND INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PINR ECON SG
SUBJECT: SENEGAL: Youth Shot Dead by Military During Demonstration 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  (SBU) On December 23, 21-year-old Mamdaou Sinna Sidibe was shot 
dead by military personnel during a violent demonstration to protest 
against the poor living conditions and the lack of jobs in the 
mineral rich region of Kedougou in southeastern Senegal.  Mr. Sidibe 
was a metal worker heading to work and was caught in the 
demonstration.   Enraged citizens then attacked and burned every 
government building in the town of Kedougou itself as well as 
destroying several vehicles and looting 10 Kalashnikovs from a 
Gendarmerie post.  Another man was killed later that evening during 
an attack at his store.  34 people have so far been arrested and 
police are still looking for the youths that stole the weapons from 
the Gendarmerie.  According to local informants in the area, calm 
has now been restored following a major crackdown by the military, 
although the situation remains tense.  End Summary 
 
Locals Protest Lack of Access to Gold Mining 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The protestors were demonstrating against the 
unavailability of jobs in the mining sector, especially in 
small-scale artisanal mining, where they say concessions have been 
given to non-locals and foreigners.   Furthermore, many of those 
active in these mining operations hail from neighboring countries 
such as Mali and Guinea.  Other complaints include the signing of 
opaque contracts between the government and the mining companies, 
the fact that government revenues from mining operations have not 
been recycled back to local communities and the inattentiveness of 
the government to all of the aforementioned concerns.  According to 
prominent Senegalese NGO Raddho's leader in Kedougou, Mor Khouma, 
local students discovered that a social welfare fund paid into by 
mining companies to build schools, wells, provide micro finance 
credit and vocational training to young people so that they can be 
employed in the mining sector has some 3.5 billion CFA that has so 
far remain unused. 
 
Escalation 
---------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Khouma told Embassy that the demonstration was meant to be 
peaceful.  He went onto say that the demonstration was the idea of 
Cheikh Anta Diop University students from the region of Kedougou who 
wanted to protest the aforementioned lack of infrastructure 
development.  They thus prepared a memo for the regional governor 
and then proceeded to go to his office to deliver the memo.  Upon 
seeing such a large crowd approaching the governor's office, the 
authorities panicked and the military was called in for crowd 
control.  The RADDHO representative said that security forces 
started firing indiscriminately and that Mr. Sidibe was killed 
instantly with a shot to the head. 
 
 
Government Steps In 
------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Following the riots and the death of Mr. Sidibe, government 
spokesperson Abdou Aziz Sow claimed that the victim had been 
trampled to death as demonstrators were attempting to flee the 
scene.  However, an autopsy report confirmed that Mr. Sidibe had 
been shot in the head as was initially reported.  According to 
RADDHO, a crackdown is now in effect and people are being 
arbitrarily arrested and beaten.  Over the weekend the government 
sent down a high-level delegation lead by Interior Minister Cheikh 
Tidiane Sy along with Minister of Defense Becaye Diop and the head 
of the Gendarmerie, General Abdoulaye Fall.  Note: The head of the 
Gendarmerie has the same name as the chief of staff of the armed 
forces.  The two are not related.  End note.   In a statement, 
Minister Sy said that he thought that this was not a spontaneous 
act, rather, the youths had planned the violence. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) This kind of shooting is unusual in Senegal where security 
forces - military and police - are known for their restraint and 
discipline.  During riots, police tend to use tear gas and 
truncheons to disperse crowds.  Hopefully, this shooting will remain 
the isolated event that it appears to be.  As for the protestors, 
their arguments have some merit.  When President Abdoulaye Wade 
announced the reopening of the Sabodala gold mining plant he said 
that it "would end unemployment in Kedougou."  However, according to 
a wide variety of reports both in the media and in discussions with 
local contacts, the only people that seem to have benefited from 
this mineral windfall are those who enjoy the patronage of the 
President and his entourage.  Added to this is the fact that land is 
being sold off to developers and that young children are employed in 
informal artisanal mining operations to sort gold dust from soil by 
using highly toxic mercury.  End comment. 
SMITH