Thousands displaced in Gambia after renewed separatist fighting in Senegal

Thousands displaced in Gambia after renewed separatist fighting in Senegal

More than 6,000 people have fled their homes in Gambia and Senegal following clashes between Senegalese soldiers and separatists near the Gambian border earlier this month, Gambia’s government said Tuesday.

The Senegalese military launched an operation on March 13 against rebels fighting for independence in Casamance region, which borders Gambia.

A further 5,626 people were displaced within the Gambia itself after Senegalese bullets landed in border villages.

Formed in 1982, Casamance’s separatist movement has been largely dormant since a ceasefire in 2014.

But it has continued to finance itself through timber trafficking between Senegal and Gambia and launches occasional attacks, Reuters reports.

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