CARONGUE, SENEGAL – It never ceases to surprise us just how widespread terrorism is.
It’s geography quiz time! OK, OK, I bet this was NOT your favourite subject in school but still it is kinda important to have a general knowledge. Agreed? Ok here we go!
a) Where is Senegal and b) why is it being attacked by terrorists?
If you guessed ‘West Africa‘ to a) and ‘How the hell should I know’ to b) you get a passing grade – congrats!
Senegal is a little odd in that it completely surrounds another West African nation, The Gambia (NB why does this country have a definite article in front of it?). And it has been beset since the 1980s by a terrorist movement called the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) which is apparently angry at the uneven distribution of natural resources. The part of the country where the group is active is precisely the portion south of The Gambia.
On this day in 2011
Three Senegalese soldiers were killed and six wounded in Carongue, 70 km north of Ziguinchor, the region’s main city. The attack was merely the latest in a string of similar incidents in one of West Africa’s longest-running conflicts.
They attacked an army observation post. They killed three soldiers and wounded six, three of whom are in a serious condition.
Unnamed Senegalese security source
As recently as February 2022 (i.e. 11 years after this operation) the MFDC was still very active. So there! You learned about Senegal, The Gambia, Casamance and terrorism all in one blog. How’s that for improving your geographic prowess?
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