Senegal soldier killed in clash during anti-cannabis operation in Casamance

A Senegalese soldier has been killed and six others wounded in the Casamance region during operations aimed at destroying cannabis fields near The Gambia, the army said on Thursday.

The military “confronted a group of armed individuals in the Kadialock area,” the armed forces said in a statement.

The incident happened on Wednesday and “an initial report indicates one soldier was killed and six others injured,” the statement said, adding that some of the attackers were also killed.

The army said it is continuing its operations to “combat cannabis cultivation, track down all armed groups and secure local populations and their property.”

Casamance, the southernmost region of Senegal, is almost separated from the rest of the country by the small state of The Gambia. The region has a distinct culture and language, inherited from its past as a Portuguese colony.

Authorities accuse rebels in the region of illicit cannabis and timber trafficking, and of seeking refuge in The Gambia or Guinea-Bissau to the south.

Casamance has been the scene of one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts since armed separatists retreated into the bush following protests in December 1982.

The conflict has killed thousands and devastated the local economy, though the violence has significantly decreased in recent years.

In February, separatists and Senegalese authorities signed a peace agreement after their first public talks since the new government was appointed last March.