Laurence Dollimore
TENSIONS are mounting in Sevilla following the death of an African street seller at the weekend.
Mamour Bakhoum (pictured above), 43, from Senegal, drowned after allegedly throwing himself into the Guadalquivir River during a police intervention on Sunday.
The father of multiple children, including a one-year-old girl, was a much-loved figure among the Senegalese community.
Hundreds gathered in the centre of Sevilla on Monday to protest against his death, with many accusing the police of ‘not telling the truth’ about the incident.
The Pro Human Rights Association of Andalucia has now demanded ‘an end to the raids and persecution of street vendors’.
In a statement, the association said Mamour ‘died, solely, for trying to earn a decent living as a street seller’ and called for ‘an independent investigation and the clarification of all the circumstances surrounding the dramatic death.’
The group said the city’s mayor Jose Luis Sanz is the ‘politician responsible for Mamour’s death’, citing his decision to crackdown on street sellers since coming into office.
It claimed that ‘institutional criminalisation of poverty is costing human lives’ and that ‘criminalising street vending, which is one of the practices that the most disadvantaged people often resort to, is a direct attack against the most vulnerable groups’.
In 2018, in Madrid, a person of African origin who also worked as a street vendor died from a heart attack following a long police chase.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese community in Sevilla has cast doubt on the official version given by the city’s Policia Local force.
During a spontaneous demonstration held this Monday on the Paseo de las Delicias, many demanded an impartial investigation, including several members of the Association of Senegalese of Sevilla.
The organisation said in a statement: “With deep sadness and indignation, the Association of Senegalese of Sevilla regrets the tragic death of Mamour Bakhoum, a young member of our community, in worrying circumstances after a chase with the local police forces.
“This event has generated deep pain and unanswered questions, causing great commotion among his relatives and our community in general…
“We demand clarity about the facts. The testimonies of the friends present at the time of the incident contradict the official version that states that Mamour threw himself into the water voluntarily.
“These statements point to several irregularities and demand a serious, impartial and transparent investigation that clarifies the exact circumstances of his death and guarantees justice.”
