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Sedhiou: The shattered dream of a would-be illegal emigrant

Auteur: Paul FAYE Correspondant Seneweb-Sedhiou

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Sedhiou : Le rêve brisé d'un candidat à l'émigration clandestine

O. Camara is a young man from Dianah Bah, in the Sédhiou region. Driven by the hope of a better life, he had stowed away on a makeshift pirogue from the island of Betenty to join his dozens of comrades already in Barça. The overcrowded boat set sail for the Canary Islands.

But fate decided otherwise, off the coast of Mauritania. Caught in a violent storm, the pirogue did not capsize, but the nine hours of rain had transformed hope into a nightmare. O. Camara and his companions found themselves at the mercy of the raging ocean, which poured tons of water into the vessel. One person died.

Young Camara, who was active in his village in agriculture, raising chickens and horticulture, deeply regretted having left his native village for such a perilous adventure, the invisible scars of which he still bears.

When the pirogue's captain abandoned the voyage, there was widespread despair. The hundred surviving passengers were dropped off off the coast of Gambia to rejoin their families. O. Camara, penniless, made his way to Farafeni on foot. It took him more than 24 hours to walk to Farafeni. There, he recharged his cell phone and told his father about his predicament. His father sent him money to seek medical treatment in Dakar from a relative.

Today, his comrades call him "Spain." At first, he wept, remembering his comrade who remained in the Atlantic. Now, he laughs about it, the unbearable pain having subsided.

Auteur: Paul FAYE Correspondant Seneweb-Sedhiou
Publié le: Vendredi 07 Novembre 2025

Commentaires (1)

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    Waxidof il y a 20 heures

    Histoire sans queue ni tête, à dormir debout. 😔

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