The government imposed an indefinite 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew throughout the country June 8 to stem anti-Senegalese violence brought on by a soccer rivalry with the GambiaÂ’s nearest neighbor. A June 7 qualifying match in the African Nations Cup between the Gambia and Senegal in Dakar ended in victory for Senegal. Senegalese hooligans later attacked the Gambian players and supporters, beating many and smashing car windows. Word of the beatings brought rioters out June 8 in Banjul, Serekunda and Farafenni who vandalized and looted Senegalese shops, set up roadblocks to find Senegalese nationals and beat them when discovered, and ransacked Senegalese businesses in the markets of the major towns. Some observers feel that the anti-Gambian violence in Dakar may have roots in alleged Gambian support for separatists in the Senegalese region of Casamance.
