ZIGUINCHOR, 11 October 2011 (IRIN) – A new demining bulldozer is speeding up mine clearance in the Casamance region of southern Senegal, where fighting between separatists and government forces has been ongoing since 1982.
Nearly 800 people have been killed or injured by mines in Casamance since 1988, according to Mamady Gassama of the Senegalese Association of Landmine Victims (ASVM). In 2008, 60,000 people fled their homes and farms due to the threat of mines.
The conflict with the Mouvement des Forces Democratiques de la Casamance (MFDC) peaked in the mid-1990s, but despite a peace accord signed in 2004, clashes continue. The separatists are blamed for planting the landmines. (…) Lire la suite
Source : IRIN