Morocco denies reports of Senegalese death after AFCON final

Morocco’s national security authority has rejected claims circulating online that a Senegalese national was killed in the country following the Africa Cup of Nations final.

The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said reports shared by some Senegalese websites and social media accounts alleging a fatal knife attack were unfounded and did not correspond to any recorded crime.

The authority stated that extensive checks were carried out immediately after the information began to circulate.

According to the DGSN, investigations confirmed that no case of intentional homicide or assault resulting in the death of a Senegalese citizen had been registered in Morocco under the circumstances described in the reports. Security services said the allegations were not supported by any official records or field findings.

The statement clarified that the only incident identified so far relates to the discovery of the body of an unidentified person from sub-Saharan Africa in the city of Salé.

Authorities said the body emitted a strong smell of alcohol and showed no visible signs of violence or resistance. Apart from minor bite marks, no injuries were found, with those marks attributed to stray dogs present at the scene.

Territorial security services have opened a judicial investigation under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor to establish the identity of the deceased.

The DGSN said fingerprints collected from the body have so far failed to match any records held by the National Laboratory of Forensic Science and Technology.

In parallel, Moroccan authorities are coordinating with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and Senegalese security services to carry out additional checks aimed at identifying the individual.

These efforts are ongoing, with authorities stressing that no conclusions have yet been reached regarding the victim’s identity.

As part of the investigation, inquiries were also conducted into the identity of a person whose documents were shared online by some Senegalese accounts and presented as the alleged victim.

Officials said the individual, a Senegalese national holding a Moroccan residence permit, was investigated due to physical similarities with the discovered body.

However, checks carried out on the ground showed that the person did not live at the address stated in the documents.

This prompted further inquiries, supported by technical analysis, to establish the precise identity of the individual concerned.

Reiterating its position, the DGSN stressed that there is no evidence of a murder or fatal assault, contrary to claims made online.

The authority said the only confirmed fact remains the discovery of an unidentified body showing no signs of injury caused by a bladed weapon.

Judicial investigations are continuing to determine both the identity of the deceased and the exact circumstances of death.

The body has been referred for a medical autopsy to establish the definitive cause of death, the statement said.