By Nelson Manneh
Villagers in the border villages of Foni who mainly survive from farming, continue to live in trauma as the Senegalese military continued to raid remnants of the separatist Movement for Democratic Cassamance (MFDC) movement based in Cassamance.
The villagers who are farmers raised more concerns regarding the coming farming season and the ongoing military raids in neighbouring Cassamance.
“If the situation continues like this it will affect all our farming endeavours because we survive by what we grow and harvest, because with the current situation, most of us are scared to return to our farms because of insecurity,” the villager told this reporter.
The Alkalo of Jakin village Ousman Tamba said dispite the current situation, he has seen some people clear their farmlands for the coming farming season; that in his own village, people are scared to return because their lands are close to the border.
”This is the time that we should start clearing our farmlands but most of us are afraid to do so, because even to go to our own forest to fetch firewood is not secure for us,” he said.
Isatou Bojang who hails from Tamba Kunda village was met by this reporter gathering firewood a few meters away from her compound. According to Isatou, she is scared of going to the forest to fetch firewood.
“Normally before the raining season starts, we go to the forest and fetch firewood that we used throughout the raining season. But this year, we are not doing it because of the ongoing military raid in Cassamance,” she said.
Ms. Bojang said for the coming raining season, they are yet to clear their farms because they are in very close proximity to the border.
“We are farmers and we depend mainly on what we grow. We want the Government to establish a temporal military post to secure us otherwise this year it will be very difficult for us,” she said.
Many people who spoke to this reporter made similar comments regarding this coming farming season if the situation continues.
