The Tambacounda High Court has delivered its verdict in the case between Gata Ka, alias Salif, and Mahamadou Ka. Found guilty of attempted murder, the accused was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for an exceptionally violent attack committed with a machete.

The incident occurred on May 26, 2024. Alerted by firefighters, gendarmes in Koumpentoum discovered a young man with serious injuries at the district health center. The victim, Mahamadou Ka, had five gaping wounds caused by a bladed weapon, located on his temple, palm of his hand, left arm, knee, and back. The assailant, quickly identified and apprehended, was none other than Gata Ka, a 27-year-old father residing in Saré Gayo and a friend of the victim.

According to the victim's statement, the attack occurred while he was monitoring his charcoal kiln in a secluded area. Mahamadou Ka claims that Gata Ka approached him and, without warning, struck him several times with a machete. "He attacked me by surprise; the first blow knocked me unconscious. It was only when I woke up in the hospital that I realized he had attacked me so brutally," explained the young seasonal worker, who was employed by the accused's family.

The testimony of Mame Ka, the victim's uncle, corroborates the gravity of the scene. Alerted by cries for help, he discovered his nephew lying alone in his blood, unconscious. Ngayo Ka, the accused's father and the victim's employer, also confirmed that he had been notified by his daughter, Coumba Ka, who had stumbled upon the bloodied body while returning from the bush.

In his defense, Gata Ka attempted to plead self-defense. He maintained to investigators that Mahamadou Ka had provoked him by calling him undisciplined and had struck him with a bicycle chain. During the trial, he claimed that the victim had invited him into the bush for a heated discussion and that he had only acted in response to an imminent threat.

However, the physical evidence and the nature of the injuries contradicted this version of events. The prosecution dismissed the self-defense argument, emphasizing the premeditation and ferocity displayed by the accused. While the prosecution had requested a five-year sentence, the criminal court deemed the facts more serious.

In deliberations, the court upheld the guilty verdict of attempted murder and sentenced Gata Ka to 10 years in prison.