By John Ikani
Senegal has deployed its army to counter rebels in the southern Casamance region, near its southern border with The Gambia.
This offensive is launched less than two months after the death of four Senegalese soldiers and the capture of seven others by the rebels in the border area with Gambia.
The seven soldiers, members of the West African military mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG), have since been released.
A statement by the military chief of staff said the operation was aimed at preserving the integrity of the country’s territory.
“In the framework of their mission to secure people and goods, the army on Sunday 13 March 2022, launched an operation with the main objective of dismantling the bases of Salif Sadio’s MFDC faction,” the statement said.
“This operation also aims to destroy all armed bands participating in criminal activities in the region,” it said.
Local media say civilians are fleeing the area as the military bombards the bases of Salif Sadio, who leads an MFDC faction.
What you should know
There has been a low-level separatist conflict in Casamance for the past 40 years.
Casamance was a Portuguese possession for several hundred years until it was ceded to colonial France in 1888. It became part of Senegal after the country gained independence in 1960.
The region, which has a distinct culture and language, is separated geographically from the rest of Senegal by the Gambia River.
Casamance rebels, who are accused of trafficking timber and cannabis, have traditionally sought refuge in Gambia or Guinea-Bissau, which also borders Senegal.
The conflict had been mostly dormant until Senegal’s army launched a major new offensive last year, designed to drive out the rebels.
Senegalese President Macky Sall has made achieving “definitive peace” in Casamance a priority of his second term.
