Maguette Guèye: Morocco-Senegal Transfer Stalls Amid Delays

• Maguette Guèye, a Senegalese national, has served nearly 3 years and 5 months of a 10-year sentence in Morocco for migrant trafficking.
• He is one of 57 Senegalese detainees on a list published in June 2025 for potential transfer, but has received no news over a year later.
• Guèye faces severe language barriers and isolation in prison, with his family's 50,000 F CFA only covering 20 days of food.
• A prisoner transfer convention between Senegal and Morocco was signed in 2004 and ratified by Senegal in 2025, yet transfers remain stalled.
• The Collectif national des parents de détenus sénégalais du Maroc advocates for these transfers, despite favorable opinions for about 50 detainees not leading to concrete action.

The protracted wait experienced by Maguette Guèye and other Senegalese nationals underscores significant challenges in the execution of international prisoner transfer conventions, particularly between Senegal and Morocco.

Senegalese national Maguette Guèye, currently incarcerated in Morocco, faces an uncertain future despite being on a list of detainees eligible for transfer back to his home country. Sentenced to a decade in prison for migrant trafficking, Guèye has already served nearly three years and five months of his term. More than a year has passed since the aforementioned list of 57 Senegalese detainees was made public, yet he reports receiving no concrete updates regarding his potential repatriation.

Guèye's journey to incarceration began with an arduous eight-day sea crossing, after which he was apprehended and subsequently imprisoned on February 12, though the specific year of his arrest is not detailed. His experience in the Moroccan prison system is marked by profound isolation, largely due to significant language barriers. He shares a cell with sixteen Moroccan detainees, identifying himself as the sole Senegalese individual among them. Communication proves challenging, as his French often goes unanswered by his cellmates, and the prison head reportedly speaks only Arabic, making interactions with the administration difficult. Occasionally, a fellow sub-Saharan detainee who understands Arabic assists him by interpreting.

Beyond the linguistic challenges, Guèye describes a harsh environment characterized by daily altercations and a struggle to have his concerns addressed. He asserts that foreign detainees, including himself, do not receive any particular consideration or special measures within the facility. His primary desire is to complete the remainder of his sentence in Senegal, irrespective of the specific correctional institution. Furthermore, he highlights the financial strain he endures; a sum of 50,000 F CFA sent by his family is only sufficient to cover his food expenses for approximately twenty days, underscoring the high cost of provisions.

Maguette Guèye's situation is emblematic of a broader issue concerning the transfer of Senegalese detainees from Morocco, a cause championed by the Collectif national des parents de détenus sénégalais du Maroc. This collective actively advocates for the repatriation of these individuals, including the 57 Senegalese detainees whose names appeared on a list published in June 2025, indicating their eligibility for transfer. Guèye confirms his name is on this list, yet he, like others, continues to await any substantive news.

The framework for such transfers exists in the form of a bilateral convention on prisoner assistance and the transfer of convicted persons between Senegal and Morocco. This agreement was initially signed in 2004 and subsequently ratified by Senegal in 2025. Despite this established legal mechanism, the practical implementation has faced considerable delays. Reports indicate that around fifty detainees have already received favorable opinions from Moroccan authorities regarding their transfer. However, for individuals like Maguette Guèye, these positive assessments have not translated into specific information or a definitive timeline for their departure, leaving them in a state of prolonged uncertainty.

The protracted wait experienced by Maguette Guèye and other Senegalese nationals underscores significant challenges in the execution of international prisoner transfer conventions, particularly between Senegal and Morocco. Despite the existence of a formal agreement, the operational difficulties and lack of clear communication create substantial hardship for detainees and their families. The absence of an official schedule for these transfers further exacerbates the uncertainty, highlighting a critical gap between policy and practice.

This case brings into sharp focus the human element of international prisoner transfer delays. Beyond the legal complexities, detainees like Guèye endure profound personal struggles, including cultural and linguistic isolation, daily hardships within the prison environment, and financial precarity. The situation calls attention to the need for more effective consular assistance for Senegalese citizens detained in Morocco and improved transparency in the transfer process, ensuring that bilateral agreements translate into timely and humane outcomes for those they are intended to serve.

This article highlights the practical challenges and significant delays in implementing bilateral prisoner transfer agreements, specifically between Senegal and Morocco. Lawyers advising families of Senegalese detainees in Morocco, or those involved in international criminal law and human rights, should note these operational difficulties in securing repatriation despite existing conventions, and consider advocating for improved consular support and communication for foreign nationals.

Source: Reporting via Kawtef