A gang of suspected separatist rebels shot dead on civilian and another injured in an attack in Senegal's restive southern province of Casamance, local officials said on Monday.

"An armed gang, of unknown numbers ... burst into the villages of Medina Peul and Palone on Saturday night," a local leader of the neighbouring village of Simbandi Balante told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

The attackers are believed to be members of the Casamance Movement of Democratic Forces (MFDC), a rebel group which has been fighting for independence from Senegal since 1982, implicated in robberies and terrorising the local population.

Another local official said the assailants "killed a villager and injured another. They stole kitchen utensils and cattle."

A military source confirmed the attack, saying the attackers had fled towards the border with Guinea Bissau.

On August 25, suspected rebels blocked off about 50 vehicles and robbed passengers, injuring four people.

The outbreak of violence follows several months of calm in the region, a once-popular tourist destination with long, white, palm-fringed beaches which has suffered from the long-running conflict.

A surge in violence at the end of 2010 and early 2011 left about 20 soldiers dead, the army said.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet