Bakary K Badjie, National Assembly Member for Foñi Bintang, has urged the government to urgently intervene in the escalating Casamance tensions.
Sporadic clashes between Senegalese forces and heavily armed gunmen suspected to be Casamance separatist rebels have broken out near the Gambian border recently.
Witnesses reported that a barrage of gunfire rang out and were clearly heard from the direction of the border villages of Gifanga, Jakine in Foñi, causing people to flee.
In a letter seen by The Standard, NAM Badjie called on the government to take immediate diplomatic and security measures by engaging with its counterpart in Senegal to address the situation.
He wrote: “For a long time, we had not heard such heavy bombardments, and many believed that the fighting between the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) and the Senegalese armed forces had come to an end. However, recent events on Wednesday and Thursday have proven otherwise. Reports indicate heavy bombardments within the borders of The Gambia and the Casamance region.”
He said communities within the Foñi area, particularly Gifanga and Sibanor, have witnessed the landing of shells in their surroundings, adding that residents have also reported hearing sounds of heavy artillery, which has caused fear and distress among people living in these border communities.
“After a long period of calm, many believed that the war in the region was over. Sadly, recent developments show that this is not the case. This frightening situation requires urgent attention from the government to support and protect the people living along our borders.”
He added: “The people living in these communities are citizens residing within the sovereign territory of The Gambia. Therefore, we call upon our national security institutions, particularly the Ministry of Defence, to provide answers as to why, whenever conflict erupts between the Senegalese forces and the MFDC, shells continue to fall within Gambian territory, causing fear and insecurity among our people.”
