'Senegalese Army Up to Banjual Border'



The Independent (Banjul)

July 19, 2002
Posted to the web July 19, 2002

Banjul

After three weeks of intensive search for the MFDC rebels in Casamance, the
Chief-of-Staff and commander of the Senegalese Army General Babucarr Gaye
has revealed that his soldiers will go up to the Gambian border where many
rebels fighters are thought to be seeking refuge.

'We can't overcome the rebels if we do not control our border with The
Gambia' said General Gaye, who believes that the rebels are using The Gambia
as a launching pad for sporadic operations against Senegalese army patrol
units in Casamance.

In an interview with the Senegalese daily newspaper LE SOLEIL during his
visit to Ziguinchor General Gaye said that the operation, which began in
Kolda has been conducted successfully and they were going to shift their
theatre of operations up to the Gambian border to complete their objective
of neutralising the rebels. He said Senegal's border with The Gambia was
very porous and provides a safe haven for rebels, fleeing the rage of the
Senegalese army attacks.

General Gaye confirmed as he spoke that his men were on the Gambian side of
the border, which they consider as a base for MFDC rebels.

According to General Gaye they had encountered some difficulties in their
operations especially when some unidentified armed men tried to stop them in
the locality of Djibidione where several of his men were wounded in the
clash. He revealed that an army truck was destroyed after driving over a
land mine. He said the MFDC had suffered 'great' losses but denied media
reports that more than 500 people suspected to be MFDC supporters were
arrested. He added that the Senegalese army was embarking on a three-pronged
strategy namely to devise a mechanism to secure the population in the
troubled region, to help reconstruct abandoned villages and to permanently
thwart and stop the free movement of rebels from the Gambian side of the
border.





Beran S. Jeng


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