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.