A Senegalese soldier who had been missing since armed clashes in Djinaki, southern Senegal, on April 13, 2025, has been released.
The announcement was made Tuesday by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces (DIRPA), confirming the successful outcome of mediation efforts.
The soldier, who was being held by an armed group, was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on November 11, 2025.
According to the press release from DIRPA, the soldier “is in good health and has been transported to Dakar” by military authorities.
The soldier went missing during an incident in Djinaki, a village in Lower Casamance near the Gambian border, where a military detachment was attacked on the night of April 13, resulting in one casualty and one person missing.
Casamance has historically been affected by an independence rebellion led by the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) since 1982. However, the intensity of this conflict has significantly decreased in recent years due to ongoing peace efforts undertaken by the Senegalese state.
While welcoming the success of the mediation, the Senegalese Armed Forces reaffirmed their commitment to continuing operations aimed at securing the population and their property within Military Zone No. 5.
AC/fss/abj/APA