Foni NAM Urges Government to Substitute Senegalese Troops
By Modou L. Badjie
Addressing member of the National Security Council during their recent visit to the border communities of Fonis’, Hon. Bakary K. Badjie, the National Assembly Member for Foni Bintang, has appealed to the Gambian Government to replace Senegalese forces stationed in Bwiam with troops from Ghana or Nigeria serving under the ECOMIG mission.
He doesn’t quite understand why the Senegalese are still in Foni despite the chaos that accompanies their presence, and wonders why the government cannot replace them with their Ghanaian or Nigerian counterparts.
“I don’t know why it is difficult for the Government of the Gambia to do that for us,” the Lawmaker wonders.
He expressed concerns over the mounting instability caused by the Senegalese Government’s efforts to eradicate rebel bases in the southern part of its territory. A strategic military base erected in the Foni region has been deemed crucial for dismantling the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) fighters, escalating tensions in Gambian border villages.
Between 2021 and 2023, the Senegalese Armed Forces clashed with the MFDC separatist along Gambia’s Southern border. The heavy bombardment of these border villages forced many to flee for safety.
The hostile actions of the Senegalese troops towards locals, whom they accuse of harboring MFDC fighters, have exacerbated the situation. Disturbingly, certain incidents escalated to the point of Senegalese forces shooting and abducting Gambians from within Gambian territory, and transporting them to Senegal.
However, the Foni lawmaker emphasised that it is not the residents’ responsibility to prevent separatist fighters from entering the country. Instead, he stressed the role of the Gambia Armed Forces, noting that it is the primary objective behind establishment the armed forces.
Badjie’s plea for the substitution of Senegalese troops with those from Ghana or Nigeria comes amidst growing tensions and implications for the security of Gambian border communities.
The ongoing Casamance conflict, a low-level struggle between the Senegalese Government and the MFDC since 1982, continues to affect the border corridors. Despite the leader of the MFDC calling for peace in 2014 and declaring a unilateral ceasefire, the conflict persists, described as guerrilla warfare.