BUSINESS
SENEGAL – Two Egyptians hijack boats and hide them at the Port of Dakar
The accused claim that they were seeking refuge in the Senegalese capital to flee Guinea-Bissau and their boss who reportedly threatened to kill them. The latter swears that his employees illegally changed course with their cargo of fish. Plunged into a fantastic affair that required the DIC a little more than two months of investigation.
On 19 May 2023, the Prosecutor of the Republic sent to Chione a copy of the complaint filed by Hossam Koumayha. They are Salem Tahan and Ali Kanoun. The complainant is a shipowner based in Guinea-Bissau. He is the owner of the fishing company called Ocean Fishing Bissau SARL. His company has fishing boats and units for freezing fish products.
Tahan and Kanoun are Egyptian. They were employed by Koumayha as captains of the “Hassan & Fekry” and “Aleman” boats, respectively. They were referred to the prosecution on Tuesday 25 July. According to our information, they are being prosecuted for embezzlement, misdirection, interference with police regulations and security of navigation and smuggling.
The two accused allegedly illegally, according to the investigation, drove the two vessels of their boss from Guinea-Bissau to Senegalese waters. They would have hidden them at the Port of Dakar before unloading and trying, in vain, to put on the market their loads of fish.
Rental contract
March 2021. To strengthen the fleet of his company, Hossam Koumayha takes the two boats rented from the two Egyptians he has brought to justice. Each vessel cost $12,000 (approximately 7.1 million CFA francs) for one year of operation. The rental contract established, it changes the Egyptian registration of the boats in Guinea-Bissau.
According to their agreement, Salem Tahan and Ali Kanoun remain in control of the ships. The activities start in January 2022, when the rental contract took effect. The two masters made tides of up to eight days, after which they returned to the dock and made the fishery available to the plant.
The collaboration lasts a year without a hitch. But on April 8, around 10 am, Hossam Koumayha noted an anomaly in the control system of his ships: «Hassan & Fakry» and «Aleman» tangled away from Bissau-Guinean waters. And will reach the Senegalese maritime borders at 2pm.
Radio silence
The shipowner tried unsuccessfully to reach his collaborators. The communication and location system of the two boats was cut. As well as the VMS, which allow to control the ships at the level of the ECOWAS zone.
Koumayha managed to reach the inspector of one of the boats. But the latter tells him that these were diverted and were located a few nautical miles from the Port of Dakar. The businessman informs the competent authorities of Guinea-Bissau before jumping on a plane to Dakar.
He was not at the end of his troubles by setting foot in the Senegalese capital. Before going to the Port of Dakar and discovering that his ships are hidden at pier 105, he runs into the refusal of the Senegalese Ministry of Fisheries when he requests the blocking of the cargo of fish.
The guardianship informs him that given the perishable nature of the load, he authorized its landing and storage in a specialized factory of the place, pending the outcome of the procedure.
Storage
The plant in question is called Diop & Frères. It belongs to a certain Aliou Thiam, CEO of the Baye Niass Establishment, specialized in fishing, armament, consignment, handling and processing of fishery products. Consignee of the two ships, Thiam bought «Diop & Frères» from Mamadou Diop. At the time of the dispute over the Bissau-Guinean flag, the two men were in the process of finalizing the sale, but the buyer had already taken control of the company.
The CEO of the Baye Niass Establishment states that he was hired in February 2022 as consignee of the two boats by a certain Nicolas Nectoux. He claims that the latter, a French national, presented himself to him as the legal representative of the two ships in Senegal. He had, he said, given him the role of taking care of all the administrative formalities for each entry of the boats to the Port of Dakar.
This is how, he reports, Nicolas Nectoux announced to him, on April 8, the arrival in Dakar of «Hassan & Fekry» and «Aleman». He alerts the Harbour Master’s office to obtain entry permits, contacts the police for clearance formalities and informs the customs for dockside inspection visits.
Everything is obviously well on the wheels. But when the ships arrive, the information falls: the maritime authorities inform him that the ships are the subject of a dispute and that, consequently, the formalities in progress are suspended. Aliou Thiam cables the Ministry of Fisheries and obtains the authorization to unload the cargo of fish. He keeps it in his freezer units pending the outcome of the dispute.
Disagreements
uid of the amount of fish landed? He informs that his agents had communicated to him 15 tons, but after the inventory which he supervised himself, he held 22,505 tons for both boats. In addition, he recorded 1610 cassettes that he kept in his warehouses.
Aliou Thiam ensures that the unloading and storage operations were conducted by his shipping agent, Amadou Guèye, in the presence of Nicolas Nectoux and under the supervision of an officer of the Directorate of Fisheries Protection and Surveillance (DPSP) and a representative of the Ministry of Fisheries.
While Amadou Guèye, Mamadou Diop and Mamour Thiam Ndiaye, an employee at Diop & Frères, who were heard as part of the investigation, confirmed Aliou Thiam’s statements, Nicolas Nectoux partially contested them.
The latter states from the outset that, contrary to Thiam’s assertion, he never presented himself as the representative of the two ships. Rather, he corrects the investigators, he is the representative of the two Egyptian captains. And to convince his interlocutors, he filed the proxy established in this sense by the accused on their arrival in Dakar.
Nicolas Nectoux said he was informed of the arrival of the two ships the day before, on April 7. He says he was alerted by phone by Ali Kanoun. The latter reportedly informed him that he and Hassan Tahan were going to flee from Guinea-Bissau on board their ships to take refuge in Dakar. Deploring that their boss owed them several months of salary and would not stop threatening them with death every time they expressed the wish to terminate the contract that binds them. It was then a question for Nectoux to help the fugitives to enter the Port of Dakar. Which he did.
The latter admitted to having then witnessed the unloading of the cargo of the two ships as well as their convoying by trucks at the Diop & Frères factory. He hastened to add that he does not know the composition of the load and its quantity, even if the two captains would have told him that he had each unloaded about 10 tons.
Blocked sale, contradictions
Did the French and the two Egyptians sell part of the fish stock landed by the two vessels? Nicolas Nectoux swears that no, confirmed ar the two questioned.
Certainly, Hassan Tahan and Ali Kanoun have revealed that they have mandated Nectoux to sell the product. And in this perspective, the Frenchman gave them as an advance on the total of the probable subsequent sale, 3.2 million and 3.5 million CFA francs, respectively. But when the product was blocked by the Ministry of Fisheries and stored in the warehouses of Diop & Frères, the sale had become impossible.
Noting the contradictions in each other’s statements, the DIC organized a confrontation between Hossam Koumayha, Aliou Thiam and Nicolas Nectoux. This initiative did not allow the investigators to go any further. Each one, according to them, decided on its position. In particular, with regard to the period of validity of the contract binding the complainant on both parties.
It took effect on July 4, 2021 and expired on July 4, 2022. But, says Hassan Tahan, given the delay in the delivery of the two ships, a verbal agreement was reached with the complainant for an extension until January 2023.
Was this contract renewable «by tacit renewal» as claimed by Hossam Koumayha? No, swears the two involved. After July 4, 2022, did they take legal action against their former boss? Unimaginable in Guinea-Bissau, according to Tahan and Kanoun. Who claim that such a procedure would lead to nothing since Koumayha would be super protected in this country.
Clearly, the only solution available to them, to escape the clutches of their boss, according to their version, was to run away. And Senegal seemed, in their eyes, the ideal refuge.
These statements did not convince the investigators. The two Egyptians were thus referred to the prosecutor’s office for embezzlement of ship, wrong course, obstruction of police regulations and security of navigation and smuggling.
Huge losses
The complainant deplores huge losses. He assures that the eight days of tides of his ships brought him 51 tons, 28 tons for «Hassan & Fekry» and 23 tons for «Aleman», for a total of 30 million CFA francs, in addition to 2100 cassettes worth more than 51 million CFA francs.
And that’s not all. Koumayha states that his company must pay penalties of 110 million CFA francs, for «Hassan and Fekry», and 55 million CFA francs for «Alema». The fault? The fact that the beacons of the two ships were cut by its employees and that they crossed the maritime borders of Guinea-Bissau without the authorization of the competent authorities of that country.
In addition, the shipowner accused the two Egyptians of diverting 13,000 litres of diesel oil stored in the two vessels. With a total value of 8 million 385 thousand CFA francs, this fuel was to be used for other tides. Added to this is the two-month suspension of operation of the two vessels, the damage of which, according to the complainant, would be 120 million CFA francs.
If you heat the calculator, it appears that Hossam Koumayha would have lost 374 million 385 thousand CFA francs. And the bill may be more expensive because the ships will not resume their activities until the dispute is cleared.
BUSINESS
SENEGAL – Link Sunugal International: an asset for the autonomy and future of Senegal
A wind of hope is blowing on the Senegalese diaspora. It is neither mistral nor tramontane. Supported by the International Business Council – Invest (IBC), “Link Sunugal International”, in a spirit of solidarity and belonging, is preparing to travel across Europe to strengthen links between the Senegalese diaspora and local opportunities. This event, sponsored by Camille Bounama Sylla, ambassador and honorary president of the association, will take place from November 2024 to March 2025. A quintet of European cities is part of a dynamic of support for Senegalese entrepreneurship and promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE).
IBC, the keystone
Founded in 2019 by enthusiasts, the IBC, driven by a common ideal, has established itself as a pioneering structure in support of diaspora economic projects. Operating as a non-profit organization, this organization, with thousands of volunteer members around the world, shares a common interest: to see Senegal shine through its own sons and daughters. The association, by facilitating the creation of networks and the establishment of partnerships, supports members through mentoring, access to industry experts and training for better business management.
Link Sunugal International: an alternative financing call
More than just a tour, Link Sunugal International is an appeal for funding and financial autonomy. From Stuttgart to Paris, via Offida, Madrid and Lisbon, this odyssey will bring together actors whose mission will be to channel the resources of the diaspora to boost a dynamic of progress in Senegal, with the objective of curbing illegal immigration. The digital universe of e-marketing and e-banking will be widely explored. It will be an opportunity for exhibitors to gain international visibility, which will not only promote their products but also develop networks across borders.
An XXL program: training, meetings and gala evening
The day will begin with a warm welcome, exchange of glances and smiles. Each guest will receive the honors due to him. In this symphony of exchanges and know-how, crucial topics such as project financing, the fight against illegal immigration and investment strategies will be discussed in depth. A second, equally important phase will consist of a sharing of experiences among Senegalese entrepreneurs, with the intervention of APIX Senegal, which will present opportunities for local and diaspora investors.
IBC, an effective participatory network
The IBC is not content with promises or fine words. She has achievements, including a farm in Diembering, which covers 16 hectares and combines agricultural training, poultry farming and product processing. Thanks to a 100,000 euro grant, this farm employs more than 500 young people and women who are trained to become development engines for an autonomous and prosperous Senegal. Through this tour, the IBC is boosting and mobilizing funds for concrete socio-economic projects. The Link Sunugal International tour is an invitation to build, hand in hand, an autonomous and solidary future for Senegal. The IBC invites everyone to write together a new chapter for Senegal.
AGRICULTURE
IVORY COAST – The country celebrates its local meals
On October 25, 2024, in Abidjan, under the high-level signs of Place Palmeraie, Place Marcory, Auchan Latrille and Hyper U Sococé, the aromas of freshly baked bread and soumbara flavours blend into the freshness of Grandes et Moyennes Surfaces (GMS). Between warm scents and perfumes, Dr BAH-KONE Ranie-Didice, Executive Secretary of the National Council for the Fight against Expensive Life (CNLVC), took his time. There is nothing more sacred than this reunion with these products drawn from our lands.
A baguette of bread, a whole story
For this fifth edition of the Festival des Farines Locales, there was a crowd, but also a rich selection of breads and pastries made from local flours: fonio, cassava, mil, soya, sorghum. Every passer-by had a bite, a smile on his face. Each piece of bread tells a story, from the field in remote villages to the expert hands of bakers and the purchase. Each aroma emanating from these crispy breads originates in the heart of the Ivorian terroirs.
October, Festival of Local Flours
This festival is part of the fifth edition of the Month of Local Consumption, initiated by the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). Every year, October becomes a month dedicated to the promotion of food heritage, where consumption habits are tinged with a renewed awareness. In addition to their taste, these products demonstrate the importance of incorporating more local raw materials into the diets of Ivorians. By reducing dependence on often expensive imported products, this initiative could help to boost and strengthen the domestic economy.
Month of Local Consumption, an asset for the sub-region
This festival is not unique to Côte d’Ivoire: it is an initiative of WAEMU. Thus, all populations in the member states are invited to cultivate a local way of life, reducing their dependence on imported products and building a strong and resilient regional economy. Dr. Ranie-Didice Bah-Koné said the event is an invitation to reinvent our recipes, to reconnect with the very essence of the land that feeds us: “This festival is a tribute to the country’s recipes.”
For a resilient economy
This WAEMU initiative aims at food self-sufficiency in Africa, to reduce its dependence on external aid. This festival embodies the hopes of a sub-region ready to take back control of its destiny with its own resources, regain self-sufficiency and celebrate the wealth of a continent with almost unlimited resources. The Local Consumption Month and the Local Flour Festival have demonstrated that Côte d’Ivoire has the resources to achieve food self-sufficiency. Simply trust the talents and know-how of its craftsmen.
BUSINESS
SENEGAL – The Senegalese delegation at SIAL Paris 2024
From 19 to 23 October 2024, the International Food Show (SIAL Paris) brought together in Paris Nord Villepinte the world’s agrifood players. More than 7,500 exhibitors from 205 countries presented their products and innovations, making this edition a must-attend event for professionals in the sector. Among them, the Senegalese delegation, led by Madjiguène Ndoye, delegate of Promosalons Senegal, marked its presence at this international showcase of the agri-food industry.
A Senegalese Delegation Inspired by Food Professionals
The strong Senegalese delegation, led by Madjiguène Ndoye, created a remarkable buzz during this event. Representing Senegalese professionals through public and private institutions as well as the Association des Commerçants et Industriels du Sénégal (ACIS), she highlighted the dynamism of Senegal on the world agri-food scene. Madjiguène Ndoye, PROMOSALONS representative for Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mauritania and Guinea Conakry, has worked to increase the visibility of Senegal and the sub-region. The delegation took advantage of each meeting opportunity to share and build business partnerships and discover innovations in the sector.
The SIAL, Growth Engine for Agri-Food in Africa
This edition of SIAL has proven to be much more than a show. It is a true catalyst for agri-food innovation and sustainability, highlighting more than 400,000 products. Discussions on ecological practices and food safety were at the heart of the event. Senegal, as an emerging country in this sector, has taken the opportunity to learn from best practices. The Senegalese delegation demonstrated the country’s commitment to align with global trends, such as organic farming and local processing of raw materials. This sustainable approach could play a crucial role in the country’s food resilience, which faces many climate and economic challenges.
Senegal to Conquer New Markets
SIAL Paris wanted to welcome as many African companies as possible, including the Senegalese delegation, because the African continent challenges the global agri-food scene. The presence of the delegation, led by Madjiguène Ndoye, opened up new business opportunities and attracted foreign investment. Senegal’s participation in SIAL Paris 2024 marks an important step in the country’s desire to establish itself on the international agri-food scene. By combining innovation, sustainability and competitiveness, Senegal aims to become a major player in agriculture in Africa.
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