Gambiaj.com – (Dakar, Senegal) – Senegalese military authorities are pursuing discreet negotiations to secure the release of an army officer captured in April by the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), according to new reports that counter earlier rumors of abandonment.
The officer was seized in April during a military operation in the southern Casamance region, a long-standing conflict zone where the Senegalese Armed Forces have been engaged in intermittent hostilities with MFDC rebels seeking independence.
The last digital trace of the missing soldier was picked up through phone triangulation technology.
His mobile signal reportedly pinged in the vicinity of the Gambian border, particularly around the Foni region—a corridor that has long been exploited by smugglers and MFDC armed groups due to its porous nature and forested terrain.
This proximity to The Gambia has also raised cross-border security concerns, although Gambian authorities have not publicly commented on the matter.
The conflict, which began in 1982, has left thousands dead and displaced, though recent years have seen intensified efforts toward peace.
The Missing Soldier Is In Good Health
While speculation circulated that the army had given up on the captured officer, sources close to the armed forces confirmed that high-level, behind-the-scenes negotiations are underway to ensure the soldier’s safe release without jeopardizing the fragile peace process.
According to military insiders, the General Staff is “actively engaged” in efforts to resolve the matter through dialogue. Elders in the Gambian Foni are reportedly involved in the process.
“The army has elite units capable of executing ‘Éclair’ commando rescue missions,” the newspaper reported, “but negotiation is being prioritized to prevent any action that could endanger the officer’s life.”
A former commander of the southern zone supported the army’s strategic restraint, stating, “Negotiation must always be favored through specialized structures.” He praised the current command for leaving “the field of diplomacy to the politicians” in a coordinated effort to secure the officer’s release peacefully.
A former operative from the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) also weighed in, noting the complexity of deciding whether or not to launch a commando operation. “The priority,” he said, “is to maximize the soldier’s safety and minimize risks to all parties involved.”
The army has maintained total silence on the case – a deliberate choice. “Discretion is strategic in these situations,” another source added, explaining that public statements could jeopardize sensitive talks.
Encouragingly, the officer is reported to be in good condition, with his captors respecting international humanitarian law and his basic rights.
The Casamance crisis, though much reduced in intensity, remains one of West Africa’s longest-running conflicts. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s administration has expressed a firm commitment to peace in the region, with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko recently declaring the government’s readiness to “dialogue with all factions” to bring the conflict to a close.
The continued reliance on diplomacy and restraint in the officer’s case reflects both the army’s professionalism and the government’s broader strategy to resolve the Casamance issue through political means rather than protracted conflict.
