ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal, Aug 21 (AFP) - Separatist rebels in Senegal on Wednesday said they had patched up their internal differences, and called on the government of the west African state to open peace talks aimed at ending their 20-year-old insurgency, mediators announced. The appeal was made in a statement signed by Father Augustin Diamacoune Senghor and Sidy Badji, the two rival leaders of the Movement of Democratic Forces in Casamance (MFDC), who appear ready to put aside their differences, an official of a Dakar-based human rights group, RADDHO, said. "We, Augustin Diamacoune Senghor and Sidy Badji, in the name of the MFDC, launch a solemn appeal to the Senegalese government to take all necessary measures to begin just and sincere negotiations with the MFDC in neutral territory to end the Casamance tragedy forever," the two men said in the statement. The two pledged to work together "with one voice". The armed MFDC has been seeking independence for the troubled southern province of Casamance since 1982 in a conflict that has left hundreds of dead and forced thousands from their homes and prevented development of the fertile region. The MFDC and the Dakar government have signed several agreements, none of which have been respected. The MFDC split after its political leadership agreed on a ceasefire with President Abdoulaye Wade's government in March 2001. In October last year, separatist leaders warned that the group was out of cash and claimed that a resurgence in violence in Casamance was driven by hunger among MFDC fighters. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~