By Adama Makasuba
A Foni incident Rapid Assessment Final Report has said about thousand people have been displaced by the current clashes between Senegalese troops and MFDC rebels and more people are expected to be affected.
According to the report, only 9,973 people from 932 households were able to be assessed and registered in the first 72 hours.
“The affected five districts in Foni (Kansala, Bondali, Jarrol, Berefet and Bintang Karanai) have a population 67,360 people according to the Gambia Social Registry data of 2021, with a total number of 7,078 households. However, the population movement predominantly affected Kansala and Bondali districts.
“The 13th March clash led to the displacement of most of the population in the border villages in the two districts. The estimated total number of people affected by the current clashes is expected to increase,” the report said.
“However, as a result of the continued clashes and displacement and re-displacement of the population, only 9,973 people from 932 households were able to be assessed and registered in the first 72 hours.Assessment teams had to suspend registration because of the unsafe environment along the border between Gambia and Senegal,” it added.
“Currently, there is no established official IDP camp. However, the displaced population are hosted within the communities in Foni. Hosting was done voluntarily as these families co-existed harmoniously and were engaged in similar social activities 241 households are registered as host families in the entire Foni districts affected. The total population of the host families is 3,656. Some families that felt their security was not guaranteed with the local host families within Foni, moved to the Kombos (Urban Settlements), hence they were not captured in this assessment as they could not be traced during the rapid assessment. An average of 2-3 displaced households are hosted by each host family.
“On the 13th March, around 13:45 GMT the Senegalese launched a military operation in the southern region of Senegal (Casamance) impacting all the Gambian border communities in Foni and the nearby districts. The districts affected in Foni are Kansala, Bintang Karanai, Berefet, Jarrol and Bondali. The population displacement is as result of the clashes between Senegalese soldiers and the MFDC separatist movement. While the attack and clashes are in Senegal bullets have landed in The Gambia, causing panic and displacement of populations along all Gambian border villages and some Senegalese villages in Casamance moving into The Gambia,”the report affirmed.
