BANJUL, March 15 — The Gambia confirmed the displacement of several communities in the west coast region of the country following a military operation launched by the Senegalese armed forces against the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) in southern Senegal.
“Given its proximity to The Gambia, several communities and villages particularly in Foni Bondali, Foni Kansala, and Foni Bintang Karanai Districts have been affected by sounds of heavy gunfire amid reports of shells landing in these Gambian border villages,” the government’s spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh said in a statement on Monday.
Foni Bondali, Foni Kansala, and Foni Bintang Karanai are Gambian villages lying along the southern border with Senegal.
Gambian President Adama Barrow has demanded more vigilance, robust border patrols, and intensified security on the Gambian border for the safety of citizens and safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity against any potential foreign threat, the statement added.
In January, four Senegalese soldiers were killed during clashes with rebels allied to the MFDC. Late on Sunday, Senegal’s army announced that it had launched a military operation against insurgents in the southern region of Casamance, which borders The Gambia.
The MFDC has sought an independent republican status from Senegal for more than three decades. The fighting has caused thousands of deaths and injuries. – XINHUA
