What’s behind the prolonged conflict in Casamance?

Africa Daily - A podcast by BBC World Service

Casamance has seen a long-running conflict between the Senegalese government and rebel groups, which want independence. This unrest in Senegal's coastal region of Casamance has been ongoing since 1982. The last attempt at a peace deal was in 2004 and in 2014 the leader of the rebel movement declared a unilateral ceasefire. But some fighting keeps happening in the area. Casamance is separated from the capital, Dakar, by The Gambia. It is home to numerous ethnic groups, including Christians, while northern areas are dominated by three, largely Muslim communities. Today Alan Kasujja is asking what’s behind the long running conflict in Casamance. He’s been speaking with the BBC’s reporter Thomas Naadi who recently visited Casamance, the border area between Senegal and The Gambia about the conflict, the people affected by it and the future of Casamance.