Fighting surges between Casamance rebel factions

Fighting between rebel factions in the Casamance area of southern Senegal has spread along The Gambia border area since the weekend, according to rebel leaders and aid agencies. Low-level fighting between rival wings of the Movement of the Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) started in the eastern area of Casamance in mid-May. On Friday, fighting spread to Djibidione, 80 kilometres north of the Casamance capital Ziguinchor, according to Senegalese military and rebel sources. The MFDC emerged as a separatist movement in Casamance, which is separated from the rest of Senegal by the sliver of land that makes up The Gambia, in the early 1980s. Though a peace deal was signed between the Senegal government and MFDC leaders last year, some hardliners have refused to give up the fight. The latest unrest appears to be the result of a clash between hardliner, Salif Sadio based in southern Casamance close to the Guinea-Bissau border, and a rival MFDC leader Magne Dieme, who is based in northern Casamance. Though the two factions signed a truce on Friday, fighting resumed on Wednesday morning in villages near Seleti, a frontier town with Gambia 70 kilometres northwest of Ziguinchor. According to Lang Djiba, leader of the political wing of the MFDC in Ziguinchor, Sadio’s faction has seized 17 villages along the Gambia-Casamance border from Dieme since the weekend. He told IRIN between 5,000 and 6,000 villagers had fled. Djiba also said at least 100 rebels have been killed in fighting, and over 100 others wounded, mostly from Dieme’s faction. However, by 5 p.m. on Thursday the UN refugee agency said a mission to the Gambia side of the border found just five people who had fled fighting into Gambia. And a separate mission to border villages close to Seleti by the UN children’s agency UNICEF and the Red Cross (ICRC) was also unable to find large numbers of displaced people. “It is true that there is fighting happening around Seleti, but at the moment it appears no civilians are involved. No-one has come seeking attention, no civilians appear to be injured, and displaced have not started arriving in Ziguinchor,” said Rosaline Idowu, UNHCR regional representative in Dakar. The commander of the Senegalese military in the Casamance region, Commandant Thiam, confirmed that Sadio had seized several towns along the Gambia border. Thiam also said that the army would not get involved in fighting between the rival factions. “We have kept our forces away,” he said, adding, “we do not want them to be charged with interfering.” The attacks on MFDC leader Dieme could be a backlash for his support to the Guinea Bissau army in March this year, according to observers. Dieme’s faction reportedly supported an offensive by Guinea Bissau troops to expel Salif Sadio’s fighters who had taken positions in Guinea Bissau territory. MD/NR/SS