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Senegal: the army strikes at traffickers' bases



The National Army seized several tons of cannabis from recently conquered rebel bases along the border strip with Gambia. "The operations are continuing in several villages and the bases. Significant quantities of hemp have been seized and then incinerated on the spot," the head of the Department of Information and Public Relations told armed forces (DIRPA), Colonel Alexis Grégoire Vasse.


"In the village of Elol and its surroundings, 74 bags of hemp and 56 drums of seeds were discovered. In Massaran, another conquered rebel base, 12 bags of hemp of 50 kilograms, nine drums of 20 liters, five other drums of 5 liters filled with hemp seeds, as well as 107 cones weighing one kilogram were seized", continued the Officer. The army also seized it in Djadjoubé and North Massaran.


For more than a month, the National Army has been carrying out security operations in the southern part of the country, with the main objective of neutralizing the rebel bases belonging to Salif Sadio, a warlord of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC).


All of the bases are currently under the control of the army. Its operation is to "kill the entire criminal economy that is taking place in the area," according to DIRPA.



The Casamance conflict is an ongoing low-level conflict between the Senegalese government and MFDC. The region aspires for autonomy and has first taken to arms in the 70s. Due to a lack of precious natural resources, the rebellion is mainly funded by selling timber, cashews and cannabis.



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