Senegal

While much of Senegal is at peace, there has been a low-intensity civil war between the national government and the southern region of Casamance over the past 20 years, exacting a heavy toll of death, injury and insecurity upon the local population.  The region is peopled by a number of ethnic groups, which for the most part work cooperatively despite their chronic challenges, but whose relationships with groups in the rest of the country have been severely affected by the isolation resulting from the war.

Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding in the Casamance

The Karuna Center has partnered with AECOM International Development and USAID since 2004 to build the capacity of the Senegalese government, the Casamance rebel groups and civil society organizations to implement a successful peace process.  We began our work with a series of training seminars for representatives from all three groups, which became a vehicle for bringing together factionalized rebel groups for the first time in years. 
Recognizing that a successful peace process must reach communities at the village level, we have been assisting civil society leaders in developing pilot reconciliation projects for rural regions.  These projects have included the reintegration of ex-combatants who had alienated local populations through years of violence and plunder, and work with local leaders to settle land disputes with returning refugees.  The use of traditional practices of pardon and reconciliation, cultural festivals that bring disparate groups together to reinvigorate local traditions eroded by years of war, and radio programming to support a culture of peace are among the approaches supported by the Karuna Center and its partners.

The Karuna Center organized a photography project with high school students in southern Senegal called The Culture and Peace Photography Project of Casamance Province to foster positive views of Casamance culture and identity.

NGO Leadership in the Peace Process

Since May 2006, the Karuna Center has worked with representatives from a number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in the Casamance region to facilitate step-by-step capacity building in conflict analysis and resolution.  Through workshops and trainings in peace advocacy, leadership skills and coalition building, participants learn skills to promote grassroots involvement in the building of a participatory democracy and to influence leaders at the community, regional and national levels.  This is an ongoing project, evolving with the changing and often fragile status of the peace process.

See our Profile of Peace, which describes the life and work of Senegalese peace activist and Karuna program co-trainer Mathias Bassene.