Ibrahima Cissé, the President of the Association Intenationale Medina Mary, told The Point that the work was being carried out by a Gambian man, in the bush, out of sight, on the Médina-Mary-Gambissara, Gambia road.
He added that the Gambian man had last year undertaken the construction of a fence-wall on an initial site that he had granted himself on Senegalese territory not far from the border but was asked to stop by the Médina-Mary DPAF.
This time again, Cisse said, this Gambian man was preparing to develop and exploit a new plot of land inside Senegal without any legal authorisation.
“Upon receiving the information, officers from the DPAF Police Station went to the site and discovered an “impressive” array of hydraulic drilling equipment such as a set of pipes, a drilling machine, water tanks and stakes,” Cisse said.
He added that the police eventually seized the drill and handed over to customs as it had been smuggled into Senegal.
He also revealed that on 7 January 2024, the same officers from the Médina-Mary DPAF Station intercepted two horse-carts loaded with tree trunks heading to The Gambia for sale.
He thus pleaded with The Gambia officials to act on the issue.
