By Edrissa Jallow
On Saturday 23rd April 2022 the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) alongside media personnel patrolled some fourteen (14) settlements affected by the Foni Crisis. The Office of the Vice President and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) released a Rapid Assessment Report on 18th March 2022 indicating that some 10 thousand people were affected after attacks between Senegalese soldiers and MFDC Separatists in the southern Gambia Senegal border next to Casamance.
Lieutenant Colonel Omar Bojang, the commander of the GAF QRF 1 Patrol Team told the media that the GAF conducts patrols at least five times a week in the Foni settlements to restore the confidence of citizens recent clashes occurred on the 13th of March 2022.
As a means of restoring confidence to Foni residents, the GAF accompanied the media to visit the “RED ZONES” where live bullets fell on Gambian territory during the recent clashes. From the visit evidence of the use of machinegun ammunition was observed between Jilangfaal and Bai Poll settlements. Although the GAF and Media Convoy visited fourteen (14) settlements only a few stops were made at the settlements most affected.
The patrol convoy made its first stop at Jilangfaal which Commander Omar Bojang explained is about 30 meters from the Gambia-Senegal border close to Cassamance. According to the GAF’s QRF 1 Commander the incident started at Jilangfaal on 24th January 2022 when the Senegalese patrol team followed a truck carrying logs heading towards Cassamance.
According to the Government’s joint report, “the southern region of Senegal (Casamance) is one of Africa`s longest conflicts since the MFDC separatist movement took up arms in 1982. Inadvertently, The Gambia as a result of its geographical location within Senegal has been seriously impacted by this conflict in the past four decades”.
“On the 24th of January 2022, there was a clash over timber smuggling which claimed two lives of Senegalese soldiers with seven soldiers abducted. The incident led to the displacement of 163 families with a total population of 1861 persons residing in The Gambia along the border belt with Casamance” read the report.
Left Comander Bojang and Right Commander Jatta (c) Edrissa Jallow
Photo Credit Edrissa Jallow
Lt. Colonel Bojang explained that Jilangfaal village is a common trafficking route for illegal timber loggers passing through to Cassamance and it “is where the actual problem started where the “MFDC Separatists” and the Senegalese patrol team met and they had a small confrontation”.
In reaction to the confrontation the Armed Forces launched their operation called “WOULLAH KOKKON” meaning we are all the same in Jola language, the patrol aims to secure citizen who resides along the borders of Cassamance.
“We could have registered more IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) but because of the confidence built and the assurance built by the patrol conducted by our own troops, the people had the confidence to stay” said Commander Bojang.
Lieutenant Colonel Abdoulie Jatta, the Commander of QRF 3 which recently returned from Turkey also told the media that the GAF is visiting the Foni settlements not as a result of fighting but rather to secure its citizens so “they get back to their normal lives”.
“We are motivated from the counter-terrorism school in Turkey, we spent three months training together and we want to implement what we have trained here (Gambia). It is just to provide security for our people, confidence-building and (the) People of Foni are Gambians (therefore) it is our responsibility. Our salaries are paid from their TAX so we have to provide that security that they need. So we are on the ground and we want to assure the people of Foni that we are all the same,” said Commander Jatta.
Photo Credit Edrissa Jallow
Photo Credit Edrissa Jallow
Almost all the Alkalos in the settlements visited the Convoy and informed the media of the GAF’s support through their patrols. Residents of Foni could be seen moving freely with some pictured here lounging under the tree. However, some settlements visited still had residents yet to return home.
According to some Alkalos, they lost some of their animals after residents sought refuge in the aftermath of the violence that occurred. Nonetheless, they were able to save some of them.
The GAF patrolled a total of fourteen (14) settlements in Foni, namely; Mararan, Gikess, Funtang, Balen, Karinorr, Bai poll, Jilangfaal, Tamba Kunda, Sewol, Kusamai, Gifanga, Kayanga, Batendeh and Urpart.
According to the report, “the Senegalese territory occupied by the MFDC separatist movement is bordered along the Fonis in the West Coast region of The Gambia. The Fonis comprise five districts bordering the southern Senegalese region of Casamance from Bullock to Kansambou (65km)”.
The joint report notes that “the long and porous border between the Foni and Casamance has no official border post and people along the border move in and out of the Gambia without any restriction”.
Photo Credit Edrissa Jallow
Photo Credit Edrissa Jallow
Photo Credit Edrissa Jallow