Unofficial translation by BHRRC

"Revelations about the Senegalese manhandled by Chinese", 12 June 2024

The video went viral on Internet. On social media, images of Chinese nationals manhandling a Senegalese named Ibrahima Fall are everywhere. A story that led to the arrest of two Chinese, perpetrators of the incriminated acts.

The facts took place in the Chinese company called Diyan and operating in the manufacture of concrete. Employed as a truck driver in this factory located in Darou Khoudoss, this man narrowly escaped the worst. At the origin of the altercation... Senegalese employee Ibrahima Fall refused to sign to confirm his salary payment when he realized that part of his money had been deducted by his Chinese boss, following a layoff.

The victim explains: "I work as a truck driver at Diyan company. Breaks in the vehicle's windshield are the cause of this problem. I was suspended for two days, even though it was another driver who did it. When I challenged this, my boss decided to extend the layoff for up to 7 days. Because he said I shouldn't answer when he talks to me. Following this, I asked him to give me a letter of justification so that I could go and settle this at the Labour Inspectorate (labour rights office). He refused to deliver me a letter.  Therefore, I went to the Labour Inspectorate (labour rights office) to explain the facts and they asked me to go back to work, they considered that I was victim of injustice caused by Chinese employers. Then I returned to my work. When I went to the cash register to collect my salary, they asked me to sign without telling me the amount of money. I refused to sign and that's why they roughed me up."

According to a witness , Mr. Fall received the sum of 130,000 CFA francs and wanted to leave without signing up. The Chinese could not accept this. As he tried to leave without signing up, two Chinese men, helped by their Senegalese interpreter named I.S. Traoré, violently attacked him. They knocked him to the ground to forcibly confiscate his money.

One of the Chinese put his foot on Ibrahima Fall's neck while the other held his legs to neutralize them to allow the Senegalese interpreter to take the money that the driver had grabbed. A third Chinese man was next to him following the scene. On the ground and under the violent actions of his employers, Mr. Fall had only his mouth to cry with. "Fall, you can't cash this money and refuse to sign up," a Senegalese witness suggested.

For refusing to sign up, following a salary payment that he finds unfair, Ibrahima Fall is manhandled and his money confiscated under the helpless gaze of his other colleagues who only had their phones to film this event. Following this incident, Mboro Gendarmerie raided the Diyan company to arrest the two Chinese and their Senegalese interpreter.