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MFDC takes former Senegalese president to ICC
Friday, 28 January 2011 08:47
JollofN
ews - Former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf is being accused of genocide and crimes against humanity by the rebel
Movement.The aggrieved rebel complainants, in a statement obtained by the Dakar daily, are reported to be unhappy about Diouf’s handling of the Casamance
crisis while in office from 1982 to 2000. They have therefore filed a law suit against the former Senegalese leader at the International Criminal Court to answer to a series of charges, principal among them war crimes and crimes against humanity.The rebels say was responsible for unleashing a ‘death squad’ of the Senegalese military on the people of Casamance.
Citing Ameth Apakéna Diémé, a member of an intellectual wing of the MFDC, the report said the process of prosecuting the former president, who currently heads the well respected organization of Francophone countries, has already been initiated at the court.
The group also urged the present Senegalese government, whose handling of the crisis they described as less brutal than Diouf’s, to hold a referendum for self-determination in Casamance.
There have been sustained calls, recently, for an urgent peaceful resolution of the Casamance crisis. The influential Khalif General of the Mouride, during the just concluded religious festival of Magal, echoed an earlier call by the Arch Bishop of Dakar, for an end to unrest in the South of the country. The two leaders urged both sides to embark on dialogue and seek a lasting solution to the decades long crisis.
The military wing of the MFDC has recently attracted widespread criticism for what appears to be a change in course from its official goal of self rule. Its members have been associated with acts of banditry, having been engaging in armed robbery and other criminal activities of late.
On Thursday, Nettali reported one such incident where elements of the rebels set up a road block with the intension of intercepting commercial vehicles and have their occupants robbed. The rebels were however taken by surprise as the first supposed vehicle that came their way happened to be a military patrol team. They were forced to flee after a brief fighting ensued between them and the army who were aided by a jetfighter, according to the report.
A day before that, a group of gunmen believed to belong to the same MFDC was reported to have broken into a town called Goudomp. They attacked a neighborhood shop and took off with goods, food and money worth about millions CFA. Eye witnesses to that incident say the rebels numbered about fifty.
Wade accused of financing rebels
Last Monday, Senewebnews reported that an MFDC spokesman accused Abdoulaye Wade of financing the rebels and urged the Senegalese leader to put a stop to this act.
Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the passing of the founder of the Southern rebel group, Father Diamacoune Senghor, Abdou Diatta Elinkine outlined how Wade furnishes the rebels with rice and money on a monthly basis.
This follows a similar accusation by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, earlier in December.
“When you give money to your opponent, it means that you are telling him to look for weapons and continue the war," Diatta said, urging the government to put a stop to the practice.
"We are the heirs of Father Diamacoune. We do not want war,” he added, and invited the State to the table “to talk about real peace, in truth and justice."
Written by Augustine Jatta of the Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), according to a report by Wal Fadjri.
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Comments
He is expecting some thing against him as usual now using his cronies to help him distract attention. This guy is a real pig and cunny.
With the recent visit of a UN representative "to discuss peace and security in the region" he is getting ever more desperate to keep the focus away from his deeds.
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