Joint Statement

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Country/entity: Senegal
Casamance
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Joint Statement
Date: 9 Apr 2021
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Senegal-Casamance Conflict (1982 - )
Since 1982, the separatist movement known as the Movement des Forces Democratises de la Casamance (MFDC) has fought the Senegalese Government for independence. Despite a great level of ethnic diversity, 60 per cent of Casamance’s population belong to the Diola and the conflict is often labelled the Affaire Diola by the Senegalese state. Cultural differences include higher proportion of Animist practices, particularly around the regional capital of Ziguinchor, and an egalitarian socio-economic approach. Attempts by the Senegalese government at state-building, first favoured the French and then Wolof languages to the detriment to other national languages - policies that were rejected by the residents of Casamance. Attempts at co-opting regional elites also occurred at the expense of the Diola, due to the lack of hierarchal practices in local culture.

Land grievances emerged following the nationalisation of communally-owned land in 1964. Moreover, a lack of investment, led to problems in the local labour market, particularly following an influx of northerners in to the southern region.
In the early 1980s tensions peaked following student and football protests, leading to a large protest on December 26,1982, and hundreds of arrests. When sentencing commenced the following December, violence increased.
Mediation attempts saw the signing of a ceasefire between the MFDC’s military-wing, Atika, which split into two factions, Front Nord and Front Sud.

The first ceasefire was signed in 1991 with little participation from the broader MFDC and violence erupted again in 1992. A second ceasefire was signed in July 1993 by a more representative group from the MFDC, however, the situation escalated once more four months later following the release of the Chary report, by the French historian Jacques Chary, which dispelled the significance of Casamance’s independent historical governance.
Fighting and human rights abuses increased between 1995-1998 until another peace process began in 1999. However, the conflict remains unsolved and has internationalized to Gineau-Bissau and Gambia.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Casamance process
Parties: Agreement does not have signatures, but the text lists the delegation from the State of Senegal and a delegation from the Provisional Committee of the Unified Political and Combatant Wings of the Movement of the Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC)
Third parties: Agreement does not have signatures, but the text lists representatives of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue as facilitators.
Description: In this very short agreement, the representatives of Senegal and those of the MFDC agree on basic principles of the negotiation process: willingness to resolve the conflict through dialogue, confidentiality of negotiations, courteous and constructive exchanges.

Agreement document: SE_210409_Joint-statement-Praia.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1,
They adopted a Joint Declaration on the following axes to guide negotiations between the Parties:
1. Solemn proclamation of the willingness of the two Parties (State of Senegal and the Provisional Committee) to resolve the conflict in Casamance through dialogue;
2. Full confidentiality on negotiations, apart from general communiques decided upon by mutual agreement;
3. Establishment of mutual trust through respect and courtesy, without any aggressive language during exchanges, negotiations and other forms of contact between the two Parties;
4. Work to promote constructive behaviour, avoiding any criminal action on the ground that could generate tension.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: Page 1,
They adopted a Joint Declaration on the following axes to guide negotiations between the Parties:
...
4. Work to promote constructive behaviour, avoiding any criminal action on the ground that could generate tension.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: Page 1:
A delegation from the State of Senegal and a delegation from the Provisional Committee of the Unified Political and Combatant Wings of the Movement of the Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) met in Praia, Cabo Verde, on April 8 and 9, 2021, in the presence of representatives from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) who served as the facilitator.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: HD Centre website, https://www.hdcentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Joint-statement-Praia-09.04.21.pdf (Accessed on 26/4/21)

Joint statement

A delegation from the State of Senegal and a delegation from the Provisional Committee of the Unified Political and Combatant Wings of the Movement of the Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) met in Praia, Cabo Verde, on April 8 and 9, 2021, in the presence of representatives from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) who served as the facilitator.

They adopted a Joint Declaration on the following axes to guide negotiations between the Parties:

1. Solemn proclamation of the willingness of the two Parties (State of Senegal and the Provisional Committee) to resolve the conflict in Casamance through dialogue;

2. Full confidentiality on negotiations, apart from general communiques decided upon by mutual agreement;

3. Establishment of mutual trust through respect and courtesy, without any aggressive language during exchanges, negotiations and other forms of contact between the two Parties;

4. Work to promote constructive behaviour, avoiding any criminal action on the ground that could generate tension.

Praia, April 09, 2021.