From Mark Donaldson 10JUL2010: As a side note while in Dakar, Senegal I recall the time was 1988/1989 when the border wars with Mauritania started over the growing of millet (I'm prorbably wrong on the spelling) by the Mauritians on the Senegal side of the river. What was published as happening by state dept. was not what the embassy staff had witnessed when traveling to that zone. First hand accounts by staff had witnessed the mutilation of both men and woman from Mauritainia. Men had their genitals hacked off and women with severed breasts being thrown back across the river. Dakar was in a state of unrest afterwards for a period of about 2 weeks. Special passes were issued to embassy stafff so we could get to work. I can remeber at one point hearing gunfire and smelling C.S. gas for about 2 days coming over my compound wall. This was due to the Seneglese rioting against the Mauritian shopkeepers in Dakar. The Mauritians were finally given a safe haven at the soccer field in Dakar before being moved back to Mauritania.  This is funny as a side note because the majority of Senegal is in a proverty state, and because of this the Mauritanian shop keepers in Dakar would sell them (1) cigarette, or half a loaf of bread, etc because they didn't have the money for a full pack or loaf.