Ceasefire violation was not reported in 2013. After Macky Sall won presidency in 2012, the government started to negotiate with the MFDC. Sall’s government was serious about finding a solution in Casamance. One of the obstacles however was the split in the MFDC. The MFDC splintered into four different groups and the strongest group was led by César Atoute Badiate who had 80% of combatants estimated between 1200 and 2000. Nevertheless, ceasefire held in 2013.¹

Violence persisted into 2012.² According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), clashes continued between government forces and the MFDC.³ Press characterized the conflict as low-level.[fn]”An Aging President Overstays His Welcome and Damages His Country’s Reputation,” Africa.com Blog, January 30, 2012.[/efn_note]

A news report from 2011 stated that despite a number of cease fires, renewed violence “over the past year” had occurred.⁴ Negotiations were hampered by the MFDC splitting into various factions.⁵ Levels of violence in the Casamance increased in 2011, and an estimated 83 people were killed as a result of the Casamance conflict.⁶ According to a news report, negotiations between the government and the various political and military factions of the MFDC were deadlocked.⁷

Fighting between the Senegalese army and separatists occurred in early 2010 due to military operations that were intended to remove rebel bases.⁹ At that point, no meeting between the government and the MFDC had taken place since 1 January 2005.¹⁰ A rebel leader responded, stating that the MFDC would welcome negotiations on neutral territory, in another country. The Prime Minister stated he wanted talks to take place in Senegal.¹¹ There were no further reports in the press on negotiations.

In October, the Senegalese army attacked a rebel base near the Gambia border.¹² Fighting was also reported in December.[fn]”Rebels Attack Southern Senegal Village,” States News Service, December 28, 2010.[/efn_note]

Violence persisted in 2009 between the MFDC and the government.¹³ “[T]he region remains plagued by occasional violent crime, political killings, and bouts of fighting between the army and the splintered MFDC,” according to a UN news report.¹⁴ Fighting appeared to intensify later in 2009, killing at least 15 Senegalese soldiers.¹⁵

Instances of fighting were reported in 2008.¹⁶ The MLPC (a splinter group of the MFDC) and the MFDC itself were reported to be fighting each other.¹⁷ The MFDC also appeared to be fighting with government troops as well. The program coordinator of ANCRAC commented (on the demining effort) that “[w]e need to first find a peace agreement between the MFDC and the government of Senegal.¹⁸

Occasional fighting continued throughout 2007.¹⁹ In December, the Presidential envoy in charge of the Casamance peace process was shot dead in an attack.²⁰

In 2006, fighting increased in the Casamance, spanning the Guinea-Bissau and Gambia border regions.²¹ Guinea-Bissau’s forces joined with Senegalese armed forces to fight the rebels. Fighting also appeared to take place between rebel factions.²² At least two splinter groups from the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC)—that is, the Movement for the Liberation of the People of the Casamance (MLPC) and the Revolutionary Front for Social Equilibrium in Senegal (FPRES)—were involved in the fighting.²³

According to a news report in April 2005, the level of violence was greatly reduced by the peace process.²⁴ Most of the Casamance region was calm, with only isolated incidents of violence connected to criminals and rebels.²⁵