The coordinator of the Sub-Regional Coordination of Civil Society Organizations for Peace in Casamance (COSPAC), a guest on the program "Les Grandes Lignes" with the Southern Media Group (GMS) this past weekend, revealed the presence of forces other than those of the MFDC in the so-called resource-rich areas of Casamance. Henri Ndecky also addressed the reorganization within the independence movement, mentioning the case of the MFDC/Coalition in the context of the release, on November 11, of the soldier who had been taken hostage.

"At the MFDC, there is a renewal. Young people have taken over. Fatoma, in 2013, was not 50 years old. At the (Southern Front), Vieux Andry is a young man. There is a new generation coming with a different mentality and a different strategy," explains the coordinator of COSPAC.

Henri Ndeky praised the coalition's stance in securing the soldier's release and its openness to peace. He believes it is necessary to accelerate the pace and move towards negotiations with all factions, particularly the MFDC/Coalition, composed of young people who have reportedly taken the reins and extended an olive branch.

The COSPAC coordinator asserts that it is imperative to move towards negotiations to put an end to this conflict once and for all. Henri Ndecky urged the local population to become more involved to prevent the seizure of resources by foreign forces in the so-called "rich" areas of southern Casamance.

"In the South, there are localities where we have natural resources. In this area, we talk about combatants, while there are other forces that are lurking in the shadows, which are using this situation to take advantage of the resources. Hence the interest of the populations to understand that for the development of their villages and their areas, they need to commit to the return of peace in Casamance," explained Mr. Ndecky, for whom this process should not only concern the southern regions, but the whole country and the sub-region.

Henri Ndecky also addressed the likely return of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh in this dynamic of seeking peace in Casamance.