The Criminal Chamber of the High Court (TGI) of Kédougou delivered, on January 12, 2026, a long-awaited verdict in a criminal case involving serious acts of robbery committed at night with the use of weapons and violence, criminal association, as well as an accusation of gang rape.

Seven defendants appeared before the court. Among them, only Lountang Baldé admitted to the charges against him. The other six—Mamadou Day Diallo, Daouda Kanté, Boubacar Ba, Cheikh O. Diallo, Amadou D. Ba, and Samba Ba—all denied their involvement in court.

According to the prosecution, the events date back to 2024. The accused allegedly broke into their village at night, armed with weapons, where they stole property and money belonging to several victims, including Ibrahima Diallo, Adiouma Oury Diallo, Aïssatou Lamarana Diallo, Mariama Tréna Diallo and Lamarana Camara, who have joined the case as civil parties.

The prosecution argued that all the defendants had confessed during the investigation. Regarding the charge of gang rape, the prosecution requested that the charges be reduced to simple rape, while maintaining that the defendants were guilty of all the offenses. It requested a life sentence for each of them.

For its part, the defense, through its lawyer Ndiaye, pleaded for the court's leniency, requesting the acquittal of its clients if necessary.

Ruling in adversarial proceedings in criminal matters and at first instance, the Criminal Chamber first declared the action admissible in form. On the merits, the court acquitted the defendants of the charge of rape, but found them guilty of criminal conspiracy and armed robbery committed at night with the use of weapons and violence.

Consequently, the seven defendants were each sentenced to life imprisonment, with their sentences to run concurrently. The court also accepted the civil claims and awarded damages to the victims in the amounts of 250,000 FCFA, 200,000 FCFA, 500,000 FCFA, and 745,000 FCFA respectively.

This decision marks a strong signal from the Kédougou justice system in the fight against organized crime and acts of violence, while reaffirming the protection due to victims before criminal courts.