Casamance, 17 March, 2022 / 8:39 pm (ACI Africa).
The leadership of the Rome-based lay Catholic association dedicated to the provision of social services and arbitrating conflicts, Sant’Egidio Community, has called on the government of Senegal to end its military operation in the Casamance region.
On March 13, Senegalese military launched an offensive against fighters allied to the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), a separatist group in the Southern region of the country, BBC News reported.
“As part of their regalian missions of securing people and property, the army launched an operation on Sunday, March 13, 2022, whose main objective is to dismantle the bases of the MFDC faction of Salif Sadio,” the military chief of staff said in a statement.
In a statement circulated Wednesday, March 16, Sant’Egidio officials express concern about the violence in the region of Casamance and call on parties in conflict to seek Dialogue.
“We are deeply concerned about the armed conflict that is currently taking place in northern Casamance,” Sant’Egidio officials say in the statement dated Tuesday, March 15.