On the conflict in southern Senegal
Part 2 - the current situation
In 2014, a split occurred in the Movement: some of the leaders agreed to a peace agreement.
However, the paramilitary wing, although gradually losing its positions, refuses to negotiate and continues to fight. And the ceasefire has been repeatedly violated on both sides of the conflict.
In 2017, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who had supported the Senegalese separatists since the 1990s, was overthrown in a military intervention by the combined forces of the Economic Community of West African Nations, whose troops still remain in the country. Casamance's rebels have lost an important ally. 🔻However, the separatists are still able to secure funding. The rebels are directly involved in the smuggling of expensive timber. ▪️In 2012, West African Rosewood was declared Nearly Extinct in The Gambia, while the country remains one of the largest exporters of this wood species to China. The reason is that most of the rosewood exported through the Gambia comes from Casamance, which is much closer to the Gambia than to the major Senegalese ports. ▪️According to local environmentalists, Senegal has lost more than 1 million trees worth $10 billion since 2010. 🔻At the moment, despite the sluggish nature of the conflict, it remains a serious problem for the government of Senegal. ▪️The current President of Senegal, Macky Sall, promised to deal with the crisis in the south of the country within two terms. Casamance, due to its agricultural and resource attractiveness, began to develop actively, and the southerners began to integrate into the political life of the country. The President is actively negotiating with representatives of the Casamance Democratic Forces Movement to establish a lasting ceasefire. ▪️However, the region still remains a "powder keg" under the president's chair. In January 2023, a popular politician of Kazaman origin who is set to run for president in 2024 was charged with rape. This event caused a flurry of criticism towards Sulla, and a wave of protests swept the southern regions. Against this background, armed clashes between the government and the separatists do not stop. ▪️Maki Salla still has a year left before the new elections to strengthen his own position in comparison with the growing opposition. 🔻The problem of the southern region is still difficult to solve. Despite numerous raids on the positions of the forces of the "Movement", partial "isolation" of the south from the north remains. Also among the population of the country, fatigue from the policies of the current government of Senegal is growing. Dealing with the nearly 40-year-old insurgency problem appears to be key to Sall's ratings boost.
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In 2017, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who had supported the Senegalese separatists since the 1990s, was overthrown in a military intervention by the combined forces of the Economic Community of West African Nations, whose troops still remain in the country. Casamance's rebels have lost an important ally. 🔻However, the separatists are still able to secure funding. The rebels are directly involved in the smuggling of expensive timber. ▪️In 2012, West African Rosewood was declared Nearly Extinct in The Gambia, while the country remains one of the largest exporters of this wood species to China. The reason is that most of the rosewood exported through the Gambia comes from Casamance, which is much closer to the Gambia than to the major Senegalese ports. ▪️According to local environmentalists, Senegal has lost more than 1 million trees worth $10 billion since 2010. 🔻At the moment, despite the sluggish nature of the conflict, it remains a serious problem for the government of Senegal. ▪️The current President of Senegal, Macky Sall, promised to deal with the crisis in the south of the country within two terms. Casamance, due to its agricultural and resource attractiveness, began to develop actively, and the southerners began to integrate into the political life of the country. The President is actively negotiating with representatives of the Casamance Democratic Forces Movement to establish a lasting ceasefire. ▪️However, the region still remains a "powder keg" under the president's chair. In January 2023, a popular politician of Kazaman origin who is set to run for president in 2024 was charged with rape. This event caused a flurry of criticism towards Sulla, and a wave of protests swept the southern regions. Against this background, armed clashes between the government and the separatists do not stop. ▪️Maki Salla still has a year left before the new elections to strengthen his own position in comparison with the growing opposition. 🔻The problem of the southern region is still difficult to solve. Despite numerous raids on the positions of the forces of the "Movement", partial "isolation" of the south from the north remains. Also among the population of the country, fatigue from the policies of the current government of Senegal is growing. Dealing with the nearly 40-year-old insurgency problem appears to be key to Sall's ratings boost.
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