Senegal: Civilians continue to be displaced in Senegal's long-running conflict

Displacement of civilians caused by intermittent clashes between Senegalese government forces and rebels of the separatist Mouvement des forces démocratiques de Casamance (MFDC) continued to be reported in 2002 and 2003. Due to the fact that the southern Casamance province is virtually cut off from the rest of the country by the Gambia, most people fleeing the violence have sought refuge in neighbouring Gambia and Guinea–Bissau. But at the end of 2002, an estimated 5,000 people remained internally displaced, according to the US Committee for Refugees. Both parties to the conflict have been guilty of human rights abuses against civilians, including extrajudicial executions, "disappearances", torture and forced displacement.