Mine kills one, several wounded

One civilian was killed and “several wounded” on Friday when a minibus set off an anti-personnel mine in Soucouta, near the southern Senegalese town of Ziguinchor, Alioune Tine, the executive secretary of a leading local human rights body, told IRIN. This was the latest in a string of incidents this week in the 18-year war between the state and the Mouvement democratique des forces de Casamance (MFDC), which wants independence for the Casamance area in southern Senegal. Tine, who heads the Rencontre africaine pour la defense des droits de l’homme, a human rights body that monitors the fighting in Casamance closely, said armed elements thought to be from the MFDC had attacked the village of Babanda, just northwest of Ziguinchor, on 7 July. In addition, the BBC reported that on Wednesday the Senegalese air force bombed suspected guerrilla targets in Casamance, along the border with Guinea-Bissau. The BBC said the air raid followed an attack by “separatist rebels”. An MDFC spokesman based in The Gambia could not comment immediately on the incidents and the Senegalese army spokesman could not be reached.