Three men sentenced to life in prison over the 2018 massacre of 14 wood workers in Senegal's troubled Casamance region on Friday began a trial to appeal their convictions, which they argue are politically motivated.
The trio – who have close links to the region's rebellious, separatist opposition – were found guilty of attacking the wood workers in the protected forest of Bayottes on 6 January, 2018.
Those who escaped the massacre said the victims had been collecting firewood in the forest – near the village of Boffa Bayotte, close to the regional capital of Ziguinchor – when they were ambushed by group of 15-20 armed men.
Authorities said 10 of the murdered workers had been shot, two were stabbed and one was burned. Half a dozen more were also wounded. A few days later a 14th body was found.
However sources told AFP the victims may have been involved in the illegal logging trade in a region known for its rosewood and teak – woods that are highly prized in China.
Following the attack Senegalese police arrested 19 men and a woman, 15 of whom were convicted in June 2022.
Two defendants received a six-month suspended prison sentence for possession of weapons without authorisation. The other 10 were acquitted.
The three sentenced to life in prison were Casamance chief rebel César Atoute Badiate, journalist René Bassène, and separatist opposition leader Oumar Ampoï Bodian.
Their lawyer, Ciré Clédor Ly, said the men had received heavier sentences because of their connection with the region's separatist opposition.
Decades of protests
Rebels in Casamance, which is geographically separated from the rest of Senegal by the Gambia, have been seeking regional independence for more than 35 years.
Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who is also mayor of the Casamance capital Ziguinchor, is himself the target of rape accusations that his supporters say are politically trumped up.
Clashes between police and Sonko supporters on Monday erupted in Ziguinchor on the eve of his rape trial in Dakar, which was ajourned for a week.
The Interior Ministry said a police officer died after being accidentally crushed by an armoured vehicle.
There are fears Sonko's trial could lead to further violence.
The 48-year-old denies the charges and accuses President Macky Sall of seeking to prevent him from running in next elections, scheduled for 25 February 2024.
