The Senegalese government has cut its diplomatic relations with Iran following an admission made by the Iranian foreign Affairs minister that the arms that intercepted in Nigeria were bound for the Gambia on January 19, 2010.
According to the a statement t relayed on the state television the Senegalese government has decided cut its diplomatic relations with Iran with effect from February 22nd, 2011. ‘Our country have noticed that the sophisticated weapons which use by members of the Movement for Democratic Forces of Casamance were sold them through the Gambia government by the Islamic Republic of Iran’ the statement from the Senegalese foreign ministry reads.
The weapons were allegedly supplied to the MFDC rebels in President Jammeh home village of Kanilai, situated in the border near the southern region of Casamance.
It could be recalled that after the news of the intercepted arms broke out the Senegalese recalled its ambassador to Iran, which a diplomatic raw between the Gambia and Senegal. In early December last year a presidential statement, read by Yahya Jammeh’s Secretary General, mounted an aggressive attack on Senegal and its government, particular President Abdoulaye Wade and his predecessor, who the Gambian authorities alleged harbor hatred for the country.
However, in recent weeks over ten Senegalese have been killed by separatist rebels in Casamance, public opinion in Senegal points to an increasingly acrimonious feeling towards Gambia, calling on the Senegalese authorities cut ties with the Gambia, over increasing tension in the Southern Senegalese region of Casamance.
The Senegalese foreign minister, Mr. Madické Niang recently returned from Banjul on a one day working visit, during which he held talks with the Gambian vice President Dr Isatou Njie Saidy and his counterpart. However, Africanews is unable to confirm the focus of their discussions, but according to local reports the consultative meetings between the two countries slated for this Wednesday in Dakar, Senegal.
Casamance request for referendum
A political leader of the Casamance Movement of Democratic Forces (MFDC), the main separatist group, recently wrote to the African Union to ask the pan-African body to organize a self-determination referendum.
The region, separated from the rest of Senegal by Gambia, the separatist have been request for independence since 1982. Several attempted peace accord between the Senegalese government and the MFDC have been hampered by the separatist rebels split into factions.
Senegalese Government rejection

The Senegalese government on Monday rejected the idea of holding an independence referendum in its restive southern Casamance as requested by separatist rebels in the region.
The government spokesman Mustapha Guirassy said that such an idea was "beyond the realms of possibility".