Senegal: Protest planned in Ziguinchor in coming weeks

Event

On Wednesday, January 17, the Convergence pour le Désenclavement et le Développement de la Casamance (CDDC) political pressure group announced that it will hold a protest march in Ziguinchor (Ziguinchor region) on a yet-to-be-determined date in the coming weeks. The group is reportedly planning the march to protest the perceived government mismanagement of natural resources in the southern Casamance region, including its insufficient response to deforestation through the legal and illegal timber trade.

In response, Senegalese President Macky Sall has requested that the Senegalese government suspend all logging permissions and the issuance of additional logging permits in Casamance. It is currently unknown how the announcement will affect the planned CDDC protest action, if at all. Associated protests, a heightened security presence, and consequent transportation disruptions are expected in Ziguinchor and other areas in the Casamance region in the coming weeks.

Context

The announced protest action and subsequent presidential suspension of logging activities come after unidentified gunmen killed 14 people in the Bayotte forest near Ziguinchor on January 6. Officials initially thought that the attack may have been related to a separatist militant group that has fought for Casamance independence since 1982; however, the latest reports indicate that the attack was likely related to the illegal timber trade in the region.

As of January 17, at least 22 people have been arrested in connection to the murders. Military forces were deployed into the region to investigate the incident and find the assailants.

Advice

Individuals in the affected areas of Senegal are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all protests and demonstrations due to the potential for violence, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.