Army says 19 die in clashes with guerrillas

Government troops killed 15 separatist guerrillas in clashes on Thursday in the southern area of Casamance, news reports said quoting an army statement.

The army said it lost two dead and two civilians killed in an exchange of fire with insurgents of the Mouvement des force democratiques (MFDC), who are fighting for the independence of Casamance. Another 18 people were wounded, one seriously, Reuters said.

This was the worse reported fighting in Casamance since Senegalese President Abdou Diouf met on 22 January with the political head of the MFDC, Abbe Diamacoune Senghor, to try end the 15-year war.

Since 1982, the MFDC has been demanding autonomy or independence while accusing the government of neglecting the Casamance largely inhabited by the Jola ethnic group. Many Jola women work as house help in the nation's capital, Dakar, and other major towns.

The army said that several of their positions came under mortar fire but that they were able to push the guerrillas back and that some had fled into neighbouring Guinea Bissau. Two shells slammed into the regional airport in the city of Ziguinchor just as a private aircraft with tourism ministry officials aboard, AFP reported.

The agency reported heavy weapons fire near Ziguinchor, the Casmance capital, on Tuesday and Wednesday. No casualties were reported.

The renewed fighting broke out as MFDC leaders met in neighbouring Gambia to try heal internal rifts and work out a coordinated approach for peace talks with the government.