"An important person asked me to be a candidate," says Sori Dembele, 48, head of the list in Villiers-le-Bel (Val-d'Oise). Former education assistant, elected in 2014, he could have continued with the various outgoing left team. After six months of reflection, he finally gave in to the advances of "this influential person from Villiers-le-Bel", whose name he never said. In any case, not in front of the press.
However, during his public meetings, he made no secret of it. Quite the contrary. "This is why I accepted Adama's proposal. Because I believe that in 2007, generations were sacrificed, "we hear him explain in a video he relays on social networks. That year, after the death of Mouhsin and Laramy, 15 and 16, in the collision of their motocross with a police car, the city had been ransacked during two nights of riots which left 87 wounded in the ranks security forces.
But who is this Adama Kamara, omnipresent on the campaign site without being a candidate? At 40, the child of Villiers-le-Bel, who presents himself as "entrepreneur" and "agent" of his brother (soccer player, attacker at Fulham, a team that has just been relegated to English D2) leaves rarely indifferent. Whether they admire him, fear him or hate him, there are few who stand up to him. Nicknamed "the sheriff" since adolescence, this provocative prides himself behind the scenes to maintain order according to his own criteria.
Sentenced to twelve years in prison for "attempted murder"
Those who know him well describe a complex personality. “With Adama, there is no middle ground: he is fully committed, in good as in evil. It is like a youth damaged by the street. He is very self-centered, but when he is not stubborn he has a heart. "
During the riots of 2007, he used his influence during the silent marches organized during the day. But, in the evening… Questioned by anonymous calls and testimonies under X obtained against promise of remuneration, he was arrested in February 2008 while he was campaigning for the very media lawyer Sylvie Noachovitch, head of the list of the right in front of the socialist mayor. He was finally found guilty in 2010 of "attempted homicide in an organized gang" and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for shooting firearms at police officers, acts which he has always denied.
At the time, an association was formed to support him and the other accused. Villiers-le-Bel then officially shows the face of a city united behind its young people. But on condition of anonymity, some are not dissatisfied: fed up with seeing him play the boss in the neighborhood.
"I want this youth to get into politics because it is the future"
Thirteen years later, has the situation changed? "I paid my debt," he cuts today, when this distrustful finally agrees to explain his approach. Above all, "I did a lot of work on myself," he insists. "I can't stand injustice and often the problems I had (Editor's note: contempt sentences, rebellion in assembly and violence ) were to defend others, but not in the right way. "
He swore to leave the country after his release from prison. But when he set foot in the city of his childhood in 2018, after ten years spent behind bars, it was stronger than him. "I want this youth to get into politics because it is the future, the only solution not to suffer life. I was like them before, but I understood that if we want this to change, we have to get involved. "
Take the town hall "as he took the football club"
The rumor has been buzzing for more than a year, when he confirmed it: he is convinced, he "will take the town hall as he took the football club: staying in the shade". While campaign teams have the habit of putting together a list before going to get the votes, it does the opposite. This local figure decides this time to mobilize first. And then choose your head of list.
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“I am more comfortable leaving others in the spotlight. I am better at federating and giving the possibility of being elected to people who seem more legitimate to me than me, ”he asserts. His choice ultimately fell on Sori Dembele. "He's really from here: he was my neighbor," remembers Adama Kamara. It was someone who studied, who succeeded. An example to follow. He is our standard bearer, but it is the people who will make the change. "
Education at the heart of Sori Dembélé's program
After "six months of reflection", the interested party therefore accepts. "I knew all these people on the list as tall as three apples." I am their elder, they have respect for me. They want me to bring them what the school has given me. "
And then, he no longer felt "in [his] place within the current team" confides the one who resigned at the end of 2018, after the abolition of extra-curricular activity times. “Marsac (Editor's note: the outgoing mayor ) trusted me, entrusted me with a fine delegation and I had the means of my action, he admits. But stopping the educational project ended my engagement with him. "
Education is at the heart of this teacher's program. "Our parents couldn't read," he says. It is the school of the Republic that allowed us to get out of it. Anyone who wants to can. The extra-curricular measures, I believe, allow children to discover other worlds and some to hang on. A concern he shares with Adama Kamara, in a city where almost half of the population (46.3%) is under 30 years of age. "A kid, if you follow him for almost 10 to 20 years, he takes the right path," insists Adama, father of three big boys.
Another “essential of the program”, employment, where the poverty rate is among the ten highest in France, with in particular an unemployment rate for men under 30 years old which borders on 39% according to the latest data from l INSEE. “There is work. But we make companies work elsewhere, with employees elsewhere, deplores Adama Kamara. I want a clause in all contracts with the city, that we can say to companies: if you want to work here, you recruit here. For the workforce as for the executives, because we have graduates in our neighborhoods. He also campaigned for EuropaCity, the gigantic leisure center which was to provide 10,000 jobs, which was ultimately buried by the government.
"Adama no longer has the same aura"
So, does the duo have their chances? "Adama no longer has the same aura," say some. Aren't her tumultuous past and her divisive personality obstacles? “Here, everyone has a brother or a cousin who knew the prison, decides a resident. Attacking on this niche does not hold water. "If some fear that the head of the list has given up his freedom, others are confident:" Sori is intelligent, he has placed on the list of very competent people who will allow him to maintain his independence ", wants to believe a quadra who grew up with them.
Will they really be able to mobilize the voters of this municipality of 27,500 inhabitants which holds the record for France of abstention from the last municipal elections, with only 33.29% of the votes cast?
"Anything is possible", recognizes the outgoing mayor
"With so few voters, everything is possible," worries Jean-Louis Marsac, outgoing mayor DVG, elected under the PS label in 2014 with 910 votes less than his predecessor Didier Vaillant (PS), while the number registrants had gone from 12,457 to 13,719. "Whoever manages to gather his electorate can win the bet," he continues. In Villiers-le-Bel, it is enough to mobilize 1,500 people to win the election. For the rest, "it does not call for any reaction since whatever I say, it will be interpreted," he begins, cautious. Before wondering about "the motivations of this list". "They want to change everything and fire me. Fire me, fine. But to change, we would like to know what. "
As in 2014, the left dispersed and the outgoing mayor had to face candidacies from his own ranks: Sori Dembele, the ex-PS Chandrasegaran Parassouramane who sealed a surprising alliance with Michel Dufros (become DVD after a stint far right). And Sabrina Herriche, elected by majority in 2008, then from the dissident list in 2014. Only one point brings them to agreement: they have all left the PS. Finally, a fifth list, that of Jean-Didier Dossou, should finish dispersing the votes.
> Find the results of the municipal elections in Villiers-le-Bel
