The Criminal Court of Thiès tried Y. Condé, a Burkinabe national, on Monday for the murder and acts of barbarity committed against his compatriot, Idrissa. The events took place in December 2022 in Thiès.

According to the indictment, the tragedy stemmed from a professional rivalry tinged with jealousy. The defendant allegedly resented his employer's decision to remove him from managing a field and give it to the victim. This frustration is said to have driven him to commit the irreparable act.

In court, the accused denied premeditation, maintaining that Idrissa was "like a brother" to him. According to his version of events, a trivial argument over meal preparation escalated into a violent fight. "He punched me repeatedly. I grabbed a stick and hit him on the head. He fell to the ground. I then went to the field. When I returned, I found him dead," explained Y. Condé, pleading self-defense.

Panicked after the death, the defendant admitted to concealing Idrissa's passing by telling those around him that he had traveled. He confessed to transporting the body and disposing of it in a garbage dump to cover his tracks. The lifeless body was eventually discovered by children playing nearby.

Testifying in court, Mr. Guèye, the employer of the two men, recounted his concern over the victim's prolonged absence. "When I questioned Y. Condé, he told me that Idrissa had gone out. Two days later, I received a video showing a body abandoned in the garbage near the field. It was indeed him," he stated.

The public prosecutor condemned the defendant's attitude, emphasizing that his behavior after the crime—particularly the concealment of the victim's clothing and phone—was that of a premeditated murderer. The prosecution therefore requested that the charges be changed from assassination to murder and sought a 20-year prison sentence.

The case has been adjourned for deliberation. The verdict will be delivered on March 9, 2026.