The Senegalese government and members of the separatist movement in the southern region of Casamance have signed an agreement that could lead to an end to more than four decades of violence.
The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) has been fighting for self-rule since 1982 in response to neglect by a government dominated by mainland Senegal. Bissau-Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embalo facilitated negotiations between the new Senegalese government and the rebel group. Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, himself from Casamance, signed on behalf of the government. He was quoted by state broadcaster RTS as saying that the agreement was ‘a very big step towards peace in Casamance’.
Casamance is separated from much of the rest of Senegal by its smaller neighbour, Gambia. Its fertile nature and rich vegetation, in contrast to the more arid mainland, make it the breadbasket of Senegal.
But its people, dominated by the Diola ethnic group, have been crying out for decades about the unequal distribution of resources.
MFDC was first set up as a pressure group to draw attention to this neglect. In 1982, after a march by the group was violently dispersed, its members took to the bush and armed themselves. Thousands of lives were lost in the unrest, which spilled over into neighbouring Gambia and Guinea Bissau.
The MFDC was founded under the leadership of a Catholic priest, Father Augustin Diamacoune Senghor, who died in 2007.The group was supported by the former president of Bissau-Guinea, Joao Bernardo Vieira, until he was overthrown in 1991.Although violence has declined over the years, there have been sporadic clashes. In particular, there has been friction between Senegal and The Gambia, where there have been reports of Senegalese troops entering The Gambia in pursuit of MFDC fighters. At one point, Senegal accused former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh of supporting the group, leading to accusations that Senegal was behind Jammeh’s ouster after his 2016 election defeat ended in political deadlock. The group has since splintered into different factions, making repeated attempts at peace talks difficult.
The last major talks were held in 2022, also in Guinea Biassa.
“We cannot take Senegal’s stability lightly, regardless of who is in power,” President Embalo was quoted saying.
“If there is a problem there, we will be directly affected, and vice versa,” he added. Sonko’s administration, which came to power in March 2024, had made the issue of Casamance among its top priority. The Prime Minister himself has been Mayor of Ziganchor, the largest city in the region, prior to attaining national power.
The talks are the first between the separatists and the new government to be made public.
The agreement aims to end hostilities, demobilise fighters and facilitate their social reintegration.
The parties reaffirmed their commitment to the previous agreement.
Sonko said that peace in Senegal was in the interest of the entire region.
“Guinea-Bissau and Senegal must work together to promote peace in the Casamance, because the instability of this region affects us all,” he said at the signing of the peace agreement, according to a report by state broadcaster RTS.
