By: The Fatu Network News Desk
Local Senegalese media reported yesterday that a bus carrying about 70 Senegalese pilgrims from Abidjan to Touba for the Grand Magal had allegedly been attacked by jihadists near Diéma in Mali, leaving passengers and the convoy leader unreachable. The Senegalese Consulate in Côte d’Ivoire has since clarified that no such attack took place.
According to an official statement, the driver, Baye Lo, visited the Consulate before departure on 3 August with 52 passengers to request an official letter for the Malian Consulate in Abidjan, intended to help the bus pass smoothly through Mali. The Consulate said the bus experienced several mechanical breakdowns during the trip, including in Adjamé, Yamoussoukro, and later in Mali.
Some passengers managed to reach Senegal by other means, and authorities emphasised that at no point was the vehicle targeted in a jihadist attack.
