Gambiaj.com – (ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal) – The Court of Appeal in Ziguinchor delivered its verdict on Thursday, August 29, in the high-profile case of the Boffa Bayotte massacre, a tragic event that has left a deep scar on the Casamance region of southern Senegal. The court upheld the life sentence for investigative journalist René Capain Bassène, while acquitting Oumar Ampoï Bodian, who had also been initially sentenced to life imprisonment.

Both men were initially regarded as the masterminds behind the January 6, 2018, massacre, where 14 individuals who had gone to collect wood in the Boffa Bayotte forest, near Ziguinchor and close to the border with Guinea-Bissau, were brutally killed by armed assailants believed to be affiliated with the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC).

The attack shocked the nation, with the national gendarmerie reporting 14 dead and 7 injured, while three people miraculously managed to escape unharmed. “The people were gathered, lying on the ground, and brutally executed,” the gendarmerie lamented, underscoring the ruthless nature of the ambush.

In the aftermath, authorities swiftly responded by arresting 22 individuals within a week of the massacre. Following investigations and hearings conducted by the gendarmerie, 16 of these were formally charged with serious crimes, including conspiracy, murder, participation in an insurrectionary movement, and possession of firearms without authorization.

The Ziguinchor court had initially sentenced three of the accused to life imprisonment. Alongside Bassène and Bodian, the third individual sentenced was César Atoute Badiate, the war chief of the MFDC, who was convicted in absentia.

The appeal court’s decision to uphold Bassène’s sentence while acquitting Bodian marks a significant development in a case that has captivated public attention. Bassène, who has consistently denied involvement, was a well-known investigative journalist in the region, and his conviction has sparked debates about the true extent of his role in the massacre.

The acquittal of Bodian, on the other hand, raises questions about the evidence against him and the complexities of prosecuting such cases in a region long plagued by conflict and mistrust of the authorities. Bodian’s release may prompt further inquiries into the judicial process that led to his initial conviction.

The Boffa Bayotte massacre is emblematic of the violence that has marred the Casamance region for decades, where the MFDC has waged a low-level insurgency for independence. Despite numerous peace efforts, the region remains unstable, with periodic flare-ups of violence.

The court’s ruling is seen as a partial victory for justice, though the continued absence of MFDC leader César Atoute Badiate remains a significant challenge to achieving lasting peace in the region. For the families of the victims, the road to closure continues, as they grapple with the legal outcomes and the enduring trauma of the massacre.

As Casamance looks to the future, the verdict in the Boffa Bayotte case serves as a reminder of the deep-seated issues that must be addressed to bring peace and stability to this troubled region.