Senegal and Casamance separatist group sign peace agreement
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - Senegal on Thursday signed a peace agreement with the separatist group, Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), President Macky Sall announced on his Twitter handle.
The agreement with the provisional committee of the political and armed wing of the MFDC involves the laying down of arms.
President Sall welcomed the agreement, which was signed in the Guinea-Bissau capital, Bissau, in the presence of a representative of the Swiss-based Henry Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
The president said he was still determined to work towards the consolidation of lasting peace in Casamance, in the south of the West African country, where the MFDC has been demanding independence since 1982.
He thanked the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, for leading the mediation. Senegal was represented in Bissau by Admiral Pape Farba Sarr.
Casamance consists of the regions of Kolda, Sédhiou and Ziguinchor.
After a noticeable lull since 2012, the Senegalese army drove the rebels from their main bases on the border with Guinea-Bissau in February 2021, before clearing others in March on the border with the Gambia.
-0- PANA APS/JSG/SOC/BBA 5Aug2022
