Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bissau (Fides Service) - Caritas Guinea-Bissau is helping at least 30,000 people completely isolated because of fighting around the towns of Varela and Suzana in northern Guinea Bissau near the border with Senegal.
In recent weeks the Guinea Bissau military launched various operations around the town of Sao Domingos to oust Senegalese Casamance separatist rebels hiding from Senegalese army troops. All parties operating in the border area are known to have planted anti-personnel mines to defend their positions.
Some 11,000 people who fled Sao Domingos took refuge in Suzana and Varela. Now they and about 21,000 local people are completely cut off in an area surrounded by the Senegal border to the north-west, fighting and mine fields to the east and the river to the south.
“The people feel totally abandoned, not one state official has come to see how they are or explain what is happening or offer protection” says Salesian Fr. Jose Fumagalli head of Suzana Catholic mission.
“The displaced persons have been taken in by local families but supplies of food and other prime necessities like medicine have almost run out” the missionary said. “Many people want to leave but we know the road is mined even thought it has not been officially closed”.
Caritas Guinea-Bissau said it has supplied food supplies, clothing, medicine, mattresses, soap and cooking utensils for 8,500 people. Caritas managed to get the supplies to the area up river on a small fleet of canoes.
Caritas also intends to supply vehicles for taking farm produce to market to prevent a total collapse in the local economy.
“These people live under extremely hard conditions and to survive they must sell the little they produce, palm oil, ground nuts, smoked fish for example” says Fr Fumagalli.
At the end of last week the Guinea Bissau army announced it had rid national territory of Senegalese rebels led by Salif Sadio a group which broke away from the Casamance Democratic Force Movement MFDC. Since 1982 the separatist MFDC movement has fought for independence for the Casamance region of Senegal a slice of land set between the Gambia and Guinea Bissau.
Despite a peace agreement between the government of Senegal and MFDC, several breakaway rebel gangs continue to create instability in the area. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/4/2006 righe 41 parole 448)
