By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
A report and infographic released by the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the Office of the Vice President has confirmed that attacks between Senegalese soldiers and the MFDC Separatists affected almost ten (10) thousand people in the Foni region.
The Foni Incident report states that “on the 13th March, around 13:45 GMT the Senegalese launched a military operation in the southern region of Senegal (Casamance) impacting all the Gambian border communities in Foni and the nearby districts. The districts affected in Foni are Kansala, Bintang Karanai, Berefet, Jarrol and Bondali.
According to the Foni Incident Rapid Assessment Report “the attack and clashes are in Senegal [but] bullets have landed in The Gambia, causing panic and displacement of populations along the Gambian border villages and some Senegalese villages in Casamance moving into The Gambia”.
In some instances what appears to be shell casings from ballistic weapons have been shown on TV demonstrating that some heavy artillery weapons have been used in the region. This has been demonstrated on Paradise TV’s Cafe Arjana morning program and other TV stations.
The NDMA is under the office of the Vice President which works closely with the Office of the President. Vice President Dr Isatou Touray announced that the government has allocated D5 million to address the Foni Crisis last week.
The report published by NDMA also indicates that the Gambia Government via the Office of the Vice President and NDMA have allocated $95,000 USD which is equivalent to the D5 million GMD pledged last week.
The NDMA Infographic published on Tuesday 22nd March 2022 has revealed that 9,973 people have been affected by the Foni Crisis. The infographic depicts “who is affected by the continued conflict on the southern border belt of The Gambia”. According to government statistics 5,626 persons have been displaced internally due to the conflict with 691 persons seeking refuge.
Speaking to an officer at the NDMA I was made to understand that there are 3,656 “Host Families” who are defined as the families/ households who have made space for displaced people or refugees in their homes.
With regards to women and children, the NDMA infographic states that at least 2,029 children under the age of five are currently displaced with a total of 375 lactating women. The NDMA Infographic also notes that 7,044 students have been affected by the Foni Crisis. It can be recalled that schools in the Foni Region have stopped classes due to the Foni Crisis.
News reports circulating yesterday from various media houses including Paradise TV indicate that the IEC will review its plans to hold the upcoming 9th April 2022 Parliamentary elections in Foni.
According to the Commission, they “will review the current state of affairs in Foni viz-a-viz the Casamance crisis and take appropriate actions to ensure the election is conducted in a peaceful environment”.