Senegal ratifies an agreement with Morocco for the transfer of its prisoners

Senegal ratifies an agreement with Morocco for the transfer of its prisoners

ByThe Mwebantu Team

After more than twenty years of waiting, the National Assembly of Senegal finally validated the bilateral agreement between Dakar and Rabat, allowing Senegalese prisoners imprisoned in Morocco to execute their sentence in their country of origin, according to APA information.

This Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the deputies adopted Bill No. 03/2025, authorizing President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to ratify the agreement between Senegal and Morocco on assistance to detainees and the transfer of convicted persons. Signed in Rabat on December 17, 2004, this agreement establishes a legal framework guaranteeing consular protection and facilitating the transfer of prisoners between the two nations.

Defended by Yassine Fall, Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, this ratification was submitted to the joint examination of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Law Commission. The Minister insisted on the importance of this text to strengthen judicial cooperation and ensure better protection of Senegalese nationals imprisoned in Morocco.

If the initiative was generally well received by parliamentarians, some have expressed concerns about the current conditions of detention and the significant delay in the adoption of this agreement, signed more than twenty years ago.

Currently, around 299 Senegalese are imprisoned in Morocco, mainly for offenses related to illegal immigration, drug trafficking and various crimes. Morocco constituting a key step for many sub -Saharan migrants on the way to Europe, several Senegalese citizens are found in an irregular situation and confronted with legal proceedings.

The agreement specifies the procedures for transferring prisoners, which may be requested by the prisoner himself, the state of conviction or the state of execution. It also defines the conditions of execution of the sentences and provided that the costs will be fundamentally covered by the Senegalese state, unless otherwise agreed between the parties.

The Mwebantu Team
The Mwebantu Team

Led by Nia, the insightful editor-in-chief, Kwame, our technology expert, and Amara, the bold field reporter, the Mwebantu team weaves the vibrant narrative of Africa every day, forging a narrative bridge between the continent and the world. Their shared passion illuminates the mission of Mwebantu News, making African voices resonate on the global stage.