Dakar Gendarmerie Dismantles Beggar Shelters in BOA District

On Friday 24 July, the Dakar gendarmerie carried out a large‑scale operation in the BOA district, tearing down makeshift shelters that housed foreign‑origin beggars and their families. Men, women and children had used the structures as night‑time refuge before dispersing to the city’s main thoroughfares to beg during the day. The demolition drew many local residents who gathered to watch the action.

The raid followed a wave of online activism sparked by a video posted by whistle‑blower Papa Saliou Ciss, which highlighted the spread of such camps across Dakar and intensified public pressure on authorities. Officials have previously conducted similar clear‑outs, but the phenomenon has re‑emerged in recent years. Citizens are now calling for a durable approach that blends strict enforcement of public‑space regulations with genuine social assistance for the affected people.