MFDC clarifies position

The spokesman of the Mouvement des forces democratiques de Casamance (MFDC), has denied that his group, which has been fighting since 1982 for self-government for Casamance, southern Senegal, is suffering from internal division. Alexandre Djiba was reacting to a media report that the MFDC’s external wing had rejected all decisions made by the movement at a meeting early this month in The Gambia, including the replacement of Rev. Augustin Diamacoune, as secretary-general. Diamacoune was given the largely ceremonial post of president of the MFDC. Mamadou Nkrumah Sane, who was purportedly speaking on behalf of the MFDC’s external wing, was reported by Radio France Internationale to have said that his group still recognised Diamacoune as its secretary-general. Djiba told IRIN from Banjul, The Gambia, that Sane’s statement carried no weight because he was neither the spokesman of the France-based external wing nor an official of the organisation. He also said Sane’s rejection of Diamacoune’s new post was irrelevant as that position was an honorific one and did not grant any authority to Diamacoune. “Diamacoune has no authority, he only has an advisory role”, Djiba said. At the end of its 5-9 August meeting, the MFDC elected Jean-Marie Biagui as secretary-general. Djiba said that, as a member, Sane had the right to speak, but the MFDC would no longer tolerate anyone who attempted to destabilise it. He said a prominent member has already been suspended from participating in any MFDC-related activities. Djiba, who was reinstated as spokesman last week, said the group’s focus right now was on proposed peace talks with the central government in Dakar. Martin Mane of the Groupe de reflexion et d’action pour la paix en Casamance, an NGO that has been working towards peace in Casamance, told IRIN that his group was also focusing on the talks. He said that if the government granted amnesty to all combatants and satisfied their material needs, including food - one of the main reasons why they have been attacking villages and travellers - that would go a long way towards facilitating the talks. “Civilians are the biggest losers,” he said, because both MFDC fighters and government soldiers commit abuses against them.