THE GAMBIA: FURTHER REPORT OF FIGHTING NEAR

UNCLAS BANJUL 000253 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DAKAR PASS RAO, DAO, AND ODC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS PREF SG GA SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: FURTHER REPORT OF FIGHTING NEAR GAMBIAN BORDER WITH CASAMANCE REF: BANJUL 250 ¶1. (SBU) Reftel contains GOTG report of April 21 outbreak of violence, possibly involving forces of dissident MFDC commander Salif Sadio, in the Casamance region near the border with The Gambia. Subsequently, on April 25, a knowledgeable source, present in the Gambian village of Ndemba Jola, located near the Casamance village of Grande Kanao, reported hearing gunfire across the border in the Casamance "throughout the night" of April 24-25. The source believed that besides small arms fire, heavier weapons, e.g.,mortars, were used by the combatants. ¶2. (SBU) On April 25, Pol/econ contacted official with Concern Universal, NGO assisting residents of Gambian villages along the border with Casmance, and asked about possible refugee flow resulting from the latest clashes. The official said he had gotten reports of "a few hundred" refugees entering The Gambia following April 21-22 fighting. He added that, as yet there had been no push from the Red Cross for urgent assistance and cited the lack of such a request as an indication that the Red Cross and local authorities viewed the refugee influx in recent days as manageable. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: We have been unable to reach knowledgeable GOTG officials today, April 25, to get their latest assessment of the border situation, but will continue our efforts to reach them. END COMMENT STAFFORD