Senegalese police at the border town of Rosso have arrested a Sierra Leonean national, Mr. Alhaji Sesay, for the alleged trafficking of an 11-year-old Sierra Leonean girl who was reportedly being transported from Sierra Leone to Mauritania.
According to police reports, the minor — whose identity is withheld for protection — traveled unaccompanied by bus from Sierra Leone through The Gambia into Senegal. Upon arrival in Dakar, she was received by a Sierra Leonean woman identified as Mrs. Aminata Tarawallie, who told police she was expecting to meet a “visitor” at the request of Mr. Sesay, a resident of Mauritania.
Mrs. Tarawallie said she was shocked to discover that the “visitor” was a young child. She alleged that Mr. Sesay later instructed her to send the girl onward to Rosso, on the Mauritania border, where he would collect her. She refused, insisting that Mr. Sesay should come in person to Dakar.
Police say Mr. Sesay then traveled from Mauritania to Dakar and attempted to return to Mauritania with the girl. However, Senegalese border police intercepted and arrested him at Rosso on Monday, October 20, 2025.During interrogation, Mr. Sesay claimed that Mrs. Tarawallie was the biological mother of the child — a statement she categorically denied. He further alleged that the girl’s father in Sierra Leone had entrusted her to him to enroll in a Quranic school and for “work purposes.”
The Sierra Leone Embassy in Dakar was promptly informed of the incident and intervened to rescue the child. On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the Acting Head of Chancery, Ms. Evelyn Tanty Akakpo, visited the police station to ensure the child’s release. The girl is now in protective custody, awaiting repatriation to Sierra Leone.
The Embassy has also informed the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Freetown for immediate follow-up and coordination of the child’s safe return.
Ms. Akakpo commended the Senegalese police for their professionalism and swift intervention, emphasizing the need for continued regional cooperation to protect vulnerable persons and combat human trafficking networks across West Africa.
“This case underscores the urgent need for vigilance and stronger cross-border collaboration to protect our children from exploitation and abuse,” she stated.
Sierra Leone has in recent years faced a surge in cross-border human trafficking cases, particularly involving women and children trafficked to The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania. Victims are often deceived with promises of education, employment, or religious instruction but end up in forced labor or sexual exploitation.
The U.S. Department of State’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report ranked Sierra Leone on the Tier 2 Watch List, citing limited investigations and weak protection mechanisms for victims.
In response, Sierra Leone’s government has strengthened collaboration with regional partners, including the ECOWAS Anti-Trafficking Task Force, and continues to work with diplomatic missions to monitor and intercept trafficking networks operating across borders.
This latest arrest in Senegal underscores the transnational nature of the crime and the need for enhanced surveillance, border control, and community awareness to safeguard minors from such exploitation.
