Senegalese police are still searching for about 20 people suspected of involvement in an attack on a Moroccan cafe during the Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco, according to two Hespress AR sources familiar with the case.
Moroccan students in Senegal resumed classes on Monday after suspending their studies for a week over security concerns.
The Senegalese national police are pursuing around 20 Senegalese nationals believed to have taken part in the attack, which occurred Sunday during the AFCON final. The assailants reportedly hurled stones at the cafe, damaging its windows and doors while customers were inside watching the match.
A source told Hespress AR that as the attackers fled, they stole five motorcycles belonging to cafe patrons. Three of the motorcycles were owned by Moroccan nationals and two by Senegalese citizens.
Police last week dispatched four inspectors to assess the damage and document the incident, the source said. The cafe’s owner filed a formal complaint with authorities the day after the attack.
According to the same source, such incidents are not uncommon in Senegal, including during matches between local teams. The cafe has since resumed normal operations and the situation has returned to calm, the source added.
Moroccan students studying in Senegal and Moroccan resident doctors working in the country returned to universities and hospitals on Monday, as scheduled. A second source confirmed that all Moroccan students have resumed their studies and Moroccan doctors have returned to work.
Earlier reports had indicated that Moroccan students at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, as well as other Senegalese higher education institutions, had temporarily suspended their studies last week by agreement with university officials, citing concerns over safety.
The pause followed directives from Senegal’s senior authorities instructing local officials to ensure the security of Moroccan residents in the West African country.
In a phone call last week with representatives of Morocco’s medical and student communities in Senegal, Ousmane Diène Dramé, religious affairs adviser to Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, emphasized the government’s commitment to guaranteeing the safety of Moroccans living in Senegal and reaffirmed the strength of bilateral ties between the two countries.
The president of Cheikh Anta Diop University also assured Moroccan representatives that Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko had issued clear instructions to ensure the safety of Moroccan nationals in the country.
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