Three killed in Senegal clash

DAKAR - Three soldiers were killed and many wounded as the Senegalese army clashed with separatists in the southern Casamance region, military officials said.

Seven soldiers had been killed in Casamance in December in clashes with rebels suspected to be members of the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), Xinhua reported.

The MFDC has been waging armed struggle against the Senegalese government over independence of Casamance. The conflict that began in the early 1980s has been one of the longest in Africa.

Casamance was one time Senegal’s most popular tourist attraction. The industry has been ruined by the conflict, with tourists staying away from the region for security reasons.

Though a number of peace accords were signed between the government and the rebel group, the latest in December 2004, fighting resumed in 2009.