Twenty years after the sinking of the "Joola", Senegal pays tribute to the victims
Senegalese Minister of the Armed Forces, Sidiki Kaba, during ceremonies in Ziguinchor in tribute to those missing from the sinking of the Joola, September 26, 2022. © Charlotte Idrac / RFI
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On September 26, 2002, the sinking of this overloaded ferry killed 1,863 people, more than 2,000 according to victim associations, and caused unprecedented trauma in Senegal.
An official ceremony took place this Monday morning at the port of Ziguinchor.
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With our special correspondent in Ziguinchor,
Charlotte Idrac
The ceremony took place in the presence of several ministers: that of the Armed Forces, Sidiki Kaba;
Air Transport, Doudou Ka;
of Culture, Aliou Sow;
and the one in charge of Microfinance, Victorine Ndeye.
The head of state, Macky Sall, however, was absent, as was the mayor of Ziguinchor, Ousmane Sonko, who was represented.
“
The Joola does not have a human size.
It is gigantic in its consequences.
It is an incurable failure of skills
,” said Boubacar Ba, president of the National Association of Families of
Joola
Victims and Survivors (ANFVR).
He recalled the apocalyptic unfolding of events: the wait for help for hours, the screams, the despair.
He nevertheless underlined some progress in this file in recent years, and in particular the construction of
a memorial-museum in Ziguinchor
, on the banks of the river, which could open in December.
The official delegation at the Kantène cemetery for the tribute to the victims of the sinking of the Joola, September 26, 2022. © Charlotte Idrac / RFI
Victims' associations recall their demands
Victims' associations are once again calling for
better care for orphans and that justice is finally done, knowing that the procedures in Senegal and France are closed.
They insist above all on the bailout of the
Joola
in order to be able to mourn.
"
To respond to the outstretched hands of the victims at the bottom of the ocean
," said Boubacar Ba.
►
To read also: Twenty years after the sinking of the "Joola", the still many expectations of the victims
As for him, the Minister of the Armed Forces expressed in his speech "
his infinite emotion
".
"
We must always do our introspection
," he said, calling for compliance with the rules in terms of security and prevention so that such a tragedy cannot be repeated.
The ceremony marking this twentieth anniversary was ultimately no different from the previous ones.
No specific announcement was made.
Many victims were also disappointed not to be able to travel to Ziguinchor from Dakar due to a lack of funding from the state, according to them.
#Senegal official ceremony in Ziguinchor 20 years after the terrible sinking of the #Joola, in the presidency of ministers Sidiki Kaba (armed forces), Doudou Ka (air transport), Aliou Sow (culture), Victorine Ndeye (microfinance) @RFIAfrique pic.twitter .com/qQStjpfNe3
– Charlotte Idrac (@CharlotteIdrac) September 26, 2022
► Also to listen: Grand Reportage - Twenty years later, the memory of Joola
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