For many rebel soldiers who fought in Senegal’s 40-year armed conflict in the Casamance region, the decision to pick up a weapon was straightforward — they believed their cause was noble, and violent resistance was justified. The decision to put down those weapons has been far more difficult.
Peaceful civilians caught in the middle have reason to be hopeful — in 2023, one of the largest factions of rebels put down their guns and embraced peace, setting an example for the thousands of rebel fighters who remain armed and in hiding. What changed? AJWS partner organization COSPAC rose up with a bold declaration: Peace is the only way forward.
COSPAC isn’t actually one organization — it’s a coalition of grassroots groups across Casamance, uniting for one cause: to bring peace to their region. COSPAC members include activists, religious leaders, civil servants, leaders of women’s groups, and now, maybe most profoundly, former rebel soldiers.
Men like Fatouma Coly, the former commander of the Diakaye Faction, and his brother-in-arms Chéring Coly. Men who left their families to live in rebel camps in the jungle and fight the Senegalese military for decades, but are now committing themselves to peace, and convincing others to join them.
Chéring still remembers the moment he decided to join the rebellion: October 30, 1986, at 9 a.m. That’s when he walked out of downtown Ziguinchor, past a police station, and toward a rally point at the edge of the jungle, where he knew rebel comrades would find him.
“There were no cell phones; we had no vehicles. I entered the rebel camp and was interrogated so they knew I wasn’t a spy; that I supported our cause. And then my training began,” he remembers.
Chéring believed, like so many people in Casamance, that their region — geographically and ethnically distinct from the rest of Senegal — was unjustly discriminated. Casamance was far less developed than much of Senegal, while producing much of the country’s food. Some rebels sought independence for Casamance; others just wanted the same opportunities as all Senegalese citizens.
After a peaceful citizen protest in 1982 erupted into violence and mass incarceration, thousands of men from Casamance were recast as rebels, escaping into the bush to organize and fight back. Rebels led guerilla-style attacks on army encampments; soldiers struck back. Neither side has ever claimed victory. Thousands of civilians have been displaced.
“Living in the bush isn’t easy, but we felt it was noble,” says Fatouma. “We felt we were making a sacrifice to save our countrymen and seek justice for our community.”
Slowly but surely, rebels became the only segment of Casamance society that still believed in armed resistance. COSPAC mediators — venturing into the bush to meet with rebels — took on the unenviable task of convincing the rebels to continue their struggle for equality, but through negotiation instead of guerilla violence.
“When COSPAC entered our realm, something was unlocked for us. We already knew violence wasn’t moving anything forward. Combatants were no longer unified — the movement had become so fractured. We knew we needed change. We trusted COSPAC to help,” reflects Chéring. “It took a long time, but we’ve accepted: Peace is the only way forward.”
In 2023, the militia that Fatouma had commanded for years, including hundreds of men, agreed to put down their weapons and return home. To rebuild their own lives, make amends with their families, and, thanks to COSPAC’s platform, become advocates for peace. Former members of the militia now join COSPAC forums and workshops, and help mediate with remaining rebels.
“Regret… I am filled with it,” says Fatouma. “We are ashamed we waited so long. When we entered the rebellion, we did so to save people. But instead, I know I brought so much pain. Casamance has suffered enough. Any war begins with weapons, but it’s time this one ends at the negotiating table.”
Sitting beside his former commander, Chéring adds, “There’s a proverb we say in Diola culture: If you get lost in the bush and you don’t know where to go, you must return to where you came from and start again. This is our attempt at a new start.”