President Macky Sall has made a vow to preserve the rain forest in the south of Senegal despite the insecurity underlined by recent clashes with separatist rebels in the area, APA learnt from media sources.
“We will preserve our forest, whatever the price to pay,” Sall curtly replied to the German press who invited him to comment on the release of soldiers taken hostage by Salif Sadio, the leader of the armed wing of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC).
The group based in southern Senegal has lasted for four decades funded by illicit trafficking of contraband items, particularly timber.
Clashes broke out inside The Gambia, a country partially landlocked by Senegal, on January 24th between Senegalese soldiers of the West African Mission in Gambia (ECOMIG) and MFDC rebels.
Four soldiers were killed, while seven others taken hostage were released after three weeks.
In a video of him talking to journalists, which was circulated on social media, Salif Sadio said that the Senegalese soldiers had crossed the border and attacked his bases.
The Senegalese army said that the fighting occurred “as part of an action to secure and fight against illegal trafficking, particularly against the criminal exploitation of wood on the border with Gambia.”
According to the Senegalese newspaper Le Quotidien, Macky Sall was delighted to see these compatriots regain their freedom, thanking all those who made this possible.
He thanked in particular the mediators of the Italian community Sant’Egidio, the International Red Cross and the Ecowas mission in Gambia (ECOMIG).
In all these actions, President Sall indicated that Senegal would not allow for any reason “indiscriminate felling of trees” in its forests, especially those of Casamance.
Casamance has been the scene of one of the oldest conflicts in Africa since independence fighters went underground after the repression of a march in December 1982.
After claiming thousands of lives and devastating the economy, the conflict has persisted at low intensity.
Senegal is working to normalise the situation and is resettling displaced persons.
ODL/cgd/lb/as/APA