Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Families, activists, and supporters held a peaceful march in Dakar on Sunday, November 16, calling for clarity and justice in the deaths of Fulbert Sambou and Didier Badji, two members of Senegal’s defense and security forces who disappeared in November 2022 under still-unexplained circumstances.
The march, marked by emotion and frustration, came just one day after a significant development in the long-stagnant investigation: the indictment of a suspect.
A Painful Anniversary Marked by Renewed Demands
Nearly three years after the two officers vanished on November 18, 2022, relatives gathered for a memorial mass before leading a solemn march through the capital.
Participants wore black T-shirts reading “No to forgetting” as they left the church, singing religious hymns and calling attention to what they describe as an agonizing lack of answers.
“You cannot imagine the pain, the suffering that we, his brothers and his children, are living through every day,” said Dr. Alexe Nicodème Tabar, a member of the crisis management committee. “We haven’t seen the state; we haven’t seen anyone! And they talk to us about reconciliation? No, no, and no! We don’t want reconciliation without truth, without justice!”
While the body of Fulbert Sambou was found at sea days after the disappearance, no official explanation has ever been provided. The remains of Didier Badji have never been recovered.
Indictment of “Sniper” Marks Major Development
On Saturday, November 15—just a day before the march—a judge at Dakar’s 3rd chamber charged Jérôme Bandiaky, known as “Sniper,” in connection with the case.
The former security agent for the Alliance for the Republic (APR), the party of former president Macky Sall, faces charges of murder, kidnapping, death threats, and rape of a witness.
Bandiaky was already implicated in other criminal proceedings, including illegal possession of weapons and ammunition and fraud involving public officials.
Human rights advocates welcomed the indictment but warned that it should not be mistaken for the end of the matter.
“It’s a first step, but it’s insufficient,” said Seydi Gassama, executive director of Amnesty International Senegal. “This person, whatever reputation they may have, could not have acted alone. The justice system must continue its investigations if it wants the Senegalese people to have confidence in it. All those who ordered this must be identified and arrested.”
Civil Society Calls for Transparency
The case has long been a point of contention between families and authorities, with critics accusing the state of failing to ensure transparency or progress in the investigation.
Civil society groups insist that the circumstances of the disappearance—along with the political connections of the suspect—demand a more comprehensive inquiry.
For the families, Sunday’s march was both a remembrance and a renewed call for accountability.
Organisers announced that another demonstration will be held on Tuesday, November 18, marking exactly three years since the disappearance of the two officers. They vow to continue mobilizing until the full truth is known.
“Justice must be done,” Dr. Tabar said. “We will not stop until it is.”
