A Senegalese soldier was killed and four were wounded during an operation against separatist rebels in the southern region of Casamance, an army official said Tuesday (Jan. 17). Casamance, Senegal’s southernmost region, is almost separated from the rest of the country by the tiny state of The Gambia. At the time of the incident, the Senegalese forces destroyed hemp fields, according to local media. Senegal’s President Macky Sall has said that ending the rebellion is a priority, and in recent years the government has begun returning Casamance residents displaced by the conflict. Officials also accuse the rebels of illicit trafficking of cannabis and wood, and of seeking refuge in The Gambia or in Guinea-Bissau to the south.

Source: Ethiopian News January 18, 2023 00:01 UTC