Through its Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Senegal showed solidarity with Morocco, several days after the events of the Nations Cup final.
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko called on Wednesday for appeasement after Senegal’s victory in Rabat on Sunday against Morocco, host country of the CAN, after a chaotic final.
He also indicated in a message posted on social networks that his government was following “carefully with the accredited consular and diplomatic authorities and the Moroccan authorities, the situation of the supporters arrested in Rabat as well as that of compatriots living in Morocco”.
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Eighteen Senegalese were arrested by Moroccan police and then placed in police custody on suspicion of involvement in acts of hooliganism during the chaotic final won by Senegal on Sunday (1-0 after extra time), we learned on Monday from a Moroccan judicial source.
Tense exchanges also broke out between Moroccan and Senegalese supporters, particularly on social networks. In this context, the Senegalese Prime Minister indicated that he “long” spoken on the telephone with his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch.
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“Dispassionate this episode”
“We have agreed, together, under the high instructions of King Mohammed VI and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to continue to work, in a spirit of appeasement, serenity and relaxation, to consolidate the centuries-old and very deep ties that unite our two countries”he wrote in a post Wednesday evening on his Facebook page.
He called for «prudence» faced with the flow of information, particularly on social networks, which are for the most part, according to him, “disinformation”. “We therefore call on our respective compatriots and all friends to dispassionate this episode which, in no case, can go beyond the simple sporting framework”he added.
A few minutes before the end of regulation time in the final, marked by a sea of confusion, nearly a thousand Senegalese supporters tried to invade the pitch for nearly 15 minutes. Difficult to control by the police and stewards, they were protesting against a penalty awarded to Morocco in added time of the second half – and missed by Brahim Diaz. Several Senegalese supporters threw projectiles towards the pitch, including at least one chair.
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Senegal and Morocco have long maintained relations of friendship and cooperation in several sectors, notably tourism, energy, training and infrastructure. The two countries also share very strong religious ties.
