Late October, news came in that Nigerian police in Lagos had seized a ship carrying 13 containers with heavy arms and ammunition. Estimated price tag: some 20 million US dollars. Origin: Iran. Destination: the Gambian presidency. Now, two months later, relations between Senegal and Iran have reached breaking point.
Part one, by Bram Posthumus and Sheriff Bojang
Three questions. First, why would Iran send arms to West Africa? Second, does the Gambia, a small country along the river of the same name, need such a copious quantity of arms? Thus: third, who were they for?
Gambia's ambiguous role
Let us begin with that last question. Since 1982, there has
been a low-intensity conflict going on in the southern Senegalese region
of Casamance, which shares a border with the Gambia and another with
Guinea Bissau. Northern Guinea Bissau was a rear-base for the Casamance
rebels for years but recent incursions into Senegal from there have been
rare. While still a nuisance, the rebel force itself is weak and
splintered.
So what of the Gambia? Its role in the Casamance has been ambiguous.
It has tried to facilitate peace talks but it has also been a shelter to
the rebels and arms have reached Casamance through the Gambia before.
So the news of this particular shipment caused consternation in Dakar,
especially since the stated destination was the home village and
permanent residence of Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, Kanilai – a few
kilometres from the Casamance border.
Mutual suspicion
Gambian diplomats have denied that their country was the destination for
the arms and the country has now also severed ties with Iran. But
Senegal remains unimpressed and suspicious. That feeling, by the way, is
mutual.
[related-articles]But even though the arms saga has further soured the mood between Dakar and Banjul, things still do not add up. As we said, the rebel movement in Casamance is hardly worthy of the name and such a quantity of arms and ammunition would be wasted on them. So: who were these arms for?
Part two of this story will be pubished on Friday 24 December
