Senegal says talks with Morocco advance over jailed fans after Africa Cup final unrest

Senegal’s foreign minister said talks with Morocco have entered an advanced stage over Senegalese nationals detained after unrest linked to the latest Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, suggesting a possible resolution could come soon.

In comments reported by Senegalese newspaper Le Soleil, Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang said Dakar had been closely following the case but had limited room to act while judicial proceedings were still under way.

He said that constraint had eased now that the legal process had ended, allowing Senegalese diplomacy greater scope to seek what he described as an appropriate solution.

The remarks point to a possible diplomatic phase in a case Moroccan officials and analysts have framed above all as a matter of sovereignty and public order rather than a sports dispute.

The arrests followed violence and vandalism surrounding the AFCON final in Morocco, where Senegalese supporters were accused of attacking police, confronting organizers and damaging public property.

Sharifa Lamouir, a political analyst, said Senegal’s efforts to secure an overall pardon for its nationals should not conflict with Moroccan sovereignty. She said Rabat could not afford to show leniency after violence that exceeded acceptable limits, particularly after some convicted individuals had already been released upon completing their sentences.

Mohamed Nachtaoui, an international relations expert, said the issue was unrelated to the match result itself and instead concerned legal violations committed on Moroccan territory. He said the prosecutions reflected Morocco’s exercise of judicial sovereignty and argued the penalties handed down had been relatively light given the scale of the disturbances and the historical ties between Rabat and Dakar.

Nachtaoui dismissed suggestions of effective diplomatic pressure from Senegal, saying any pardon would remain a sovereign prerogative of King Mohammed VI.

He said diplomatic channels could still be used to request clemency to facilitate the fans’ return, but stressed that the episode should stand as a warning that violations of public order in Morocco would be dealt with under the law.