Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on Wednesday ordered the closure of part of the border with Senegal in response to clashes between two Muslim communities in this neighboring country.
Monday, Eid, the holy city of Medina Gounass, located in the Kolda region, was the scene of violent clashes between followers of the local caliph, Thierno Amadou Tidiane Ba, known as “Futankés”, and those of marabout Thierno Mounirou Baldé, called the “Gabunkés”. According to the Interior Ministry, these clashes caused one death and around twenty injured.
Although such confrontations are extremely rare in Senegal, the two communities have long fought over control of the large mosque of Medina Gounass, accusing each other of being at the origin of tensions that have already caused several deaths in the past.
Medina Gounass, located in the south of Senegal and a few dozen kilometers from Guinea-Bissau, saw one of the communities call in reinforcements from Gabunké Fulani residing in Guinea-Bissau, which led President Embalo to decide to close this part of the border to prevent any escalation of violence. He assured that the Guinea-Bissau security forces strictly ensure compliance with this measure.
Senegal and Guinea-Bissau share approximately 300 km of border. Medina Gounass, located more than 500 km from Dakar, hosts a ten-day pilgrimage each year, bringing together thousands of men who are members of the tidiane brotherhood, one of the largest in Senegal.
