Four Senegalese soldiers lost their lives in Casamance when their vehicle struck an anti-tank mine in the midst of an independence rebellion, as reported by the army.
The incident took place on Thursday during a mission in North Bignona, near the Gambian border. The Directorate of Public Relations of the Armed Forces (Dirpa) conveyed the tragic news, revealing that three others were injured in the same incident. The details surrounding the accident were not disclosed.
For several months, the army has been engaged in security operations against rebels from the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC). The rebels seek the independence of this border region, encompassing Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
Casamance has witnessed one of the oldest rebellions on the African continent, with separatists going underground with rudimentary weapons after the suppression of an MFDC march in December 1982. Despite causing numerous casualties and economic devastation, the conflict has persisted. The last reported death of a Senegalese soldier was in January 2023, though military operations have continued.
In recent years, the Senegalese authorities have worked to resettle displaced individuals after announcing the destruction of several rebel bases, especially along the Guinea-Bissau border. President Macky Sall, in office since 2012 and re-elected in 2019, has prioritised peace in Casamance.
Despite several peace agreements signed between the Senegalese government and rebels, the situation remains volatile. One of the latest agreements was reached in August 2022 in Bissau, involving the State and rebel leader César Atoute Badiate, following mediation by Guinea-Bissau’s head of state, Umaro Sissoco Embalo.