Senegalese government signs peace deal with Casamance separatists

The new government of Senegal and the Casamance rebels, who are advocating independence in the south of the country, have signed an “important agreement” aimed at establishing peace in the region.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko signed the agreement during a visit to Bissau, the capital of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

On the other hand, the agreement was signed by members of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MDFC) with the mediation of the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoko Embalo.

These are the first public talks between the separatists and the Senegalese government elected last March.

According to Sonko, the two sides “after three days of work, have concluded an important agreement that is a huge step towards peace in Casamance.”

Casamance is separated from most of Senegal by Gambia. The region has been the site of one of the longest-running conflicts in Africa.

The conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives and destroyed the economy, continues, but its scale has significantly decreased in recent years.

In 1982, unrest broke out in the region because the ethnic majority of the region, the Diola, started to experience discrimination from the Wolof, the largest people in Senegal by number.

The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance launched a campaign against the government of Senegal.

When Abdoulaye Wade became president of Senegal in 2000, he made every effort to resolve the conflict peacefully. However, his efforts were unsuccessful, and the conflict has continued since then.

The last agreement was reached in August 2022 between the Senegalese state and rebel leader César Atoute Badiate, mediated by Guinea-Bissau.

In 2024, it was reported that the Senegalese Ministry of Defense plans to purchase FA-50 light fighter jets from the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries, which could strengthen the government army’s position in the conflict.