DAKAR, Senegal — A recent peace agreement between Senegal and a separatist rebel faction in the southern area of the country has been hailed by the government as a critical step toward resolving one of Africa’s most enduring conflicts. However, experts caution that the deal has not engaged all factions of the rebels and fails to tackle the underlying issues at the heart of the conflict.
The accord, signed by Senegalese authorities and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, was announced by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko during his visit to Guinea-Bissau on Monday.
Historically, previous peace agreements have not put an end to the ongoing strife in the Casamance region. This area is isolated from the rest of Senegal by the nation of Gambia and has long experienced lower developmental progress and economic opportunities compared to the wealthier northern regions. The rebels have been advocating for the independence of Casamance since the early 1980s, citing governmental neglect as their primary grievance.
Prime Minister Sonko has praised the latest peace accord as a significant milestone toward securing sustainable peace in Casamance, which is home to approximately 1.6 million residents.
The terms of the agreement include a presidential pardon for incarcerated rebels, along with amnesty and pathways for social reintegration for other fighters, as shared by Vincent Foucher, a political analyst from the National Center for Scientific Research in France, who is familiar with the deal.
However, the agreement only involves a segment of the rebel group which is less influential than two other factions. Notably, it excludes the hardline group led by Salif Sadio, who holds a prominent position among the rebels, Foucher remarked.
“I don’t see a solution yet. It continues to be a series of endless talks with a fragmented movement,” Foucher stated. “The Senegalese government appears unprepared to make the political or administrative compromises sought by the other factions that have not endorsed the peace pact.”
At the time of reporting, the Senegalese government did not provide a comment regarding these concerns.
Despite the new agreement, it remains challenging to overlook the rebels’ persistent demands for regional independence, according to Mohamed Traoré, a doctoral researcher at the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar.
“Many Casamance nationals, particularly the younger generation, still take pride in being part of the Senegalese state today, but the MFDC’s hardline continues to advocate for independence,” Traoré explained.
The rebel factions have not publicly addressed the accord.
Nonetheless, Amidou Djiba, a representative of one of the factions not included in the deal, previously this year criticized Senegal’s government for selectively choosing whom to negotiate with. Djiba expressed that this approach is counterproductive to restoring peace in the region.
