The Casamance Separatism: From Independence Claim to Resource Logic
Abstract
In the 1980s, Senegalese ethnic harmony was tarnished by the emergence of the "Mouvement des Forces Democratiques de la Casamance" (MFDC). The major demand of this organization was the independence of Casamance, a southern province of Senegal. In the initial years of the movement (1980-1990), the MFDC capitalized upon the grievances of the local populations and received support from them. In the first half of the 1990s, MFDC began to receive substantial support from neighboring countries and came to rely less upon the support of local constituents. It escalated the violence not only against the state, but also against local populations, which reinforced its growing dependence upon external patrons rather than popular support. In the 1990s, the government of Senegal worked to cut off both external and internal support to the MFDC by improving its relations with neighboring countries and by practicing a politics of "charm" vis a vis the local populations. In response, the MFDC has become engaged in the illegal exploitation of natural resources. As the MFDC has shifted from one support base to another, it has pragmatically altered tactics and objectives. This demonstrated adaptability of the MFDC has important implications for one's understanding of post-Cold War civil conflicts, and for governments' efforts to resolve them. It suggests that the distinction between "greed" and "grievance," which motivates much of the recent scholarly debate on ethnic conflict, is largely a false one, and that governments must address both in their efforts to resolve such conflicts. This thesis presents a comparative analysis of the MFDC insurgency in three different time periods. Chapter two presents the MFDC as popular secessionist movement from 1982 to 1990; Chapter three demonstrates the shift to externally supported and more generalized violence from 1990 to 2000; and Chapter four shows the shift to profit-driven insecurity from 2000 to the present.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA451368
Entities
People
- Wagane Faye
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School