Taken hostage on April 13, 2025 by the MFDC/Coalition which claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, the Senegalese army lieutenant-doctor was released on Tuesday, November 11, after seven months of captivity.

The release of the soldier, without demands or conditions, as highlighted in the statement by Commander Mamady Coly of the MFDC/Coalition, was unanimously welcomed and is seen as a sign of appeasement and consolidation of gains in favor of peace, according to several observers.

Elected officials from Bignona recall that "on April 13, 2025, a member of the national army was detained by members of the MFDC during clashes that took place in Djinaky. When we learned through the DIRPA (Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces) that the soldiers had been released, we welcomed it with great satisfaction. We were involved at one point in the efforts to secure the release of this soldier, who is an army officer and also a doctor, and who holds a very important position not only in the army but also in the community," declared the mayor of Bignona, Bakary Diatta.

In Djinaky, the area where the soldier was captured, his release is a relief. Alphousseyni Diémé, the mayor, said: "This is very good news at the end of the year. We have been struggling with this kidnapping since April 13, 2025, in Djinaky. And it came as a bit of a surprise, especially since there was a genuine process of appeasement underway in the area, which reached its peak on May 23, 2023, in Mongone, with the agreement for the surrender of weapons reached by the Diakaye faction."

The mayor of Kafountine, in the same district of Kataba 1, for his part, "commends all those who were involved in securing the release of this soldier. Today, we are in an irreversible dynamic of consolidating peace in Casamance. A dynamic that we support from every point of view, because the consequences of this kind of incident are enormous."

Break with acts harmful to peace

With the release of the military doctor, a new chapter must begin for the establishment of lasting peace in Casamance. This region deserves a genuine surge of peace and social cohesion. This is the opinion of these elected officials from Bignona, a department that has paid a heavy price for the crisis.

"In Kafountine, we are suffering the consequences. These are acts whose consequences at all levels are not fully understood. Whether from the point of view of investment or economic activities. Today, the work being done is to dispel this stereotype of insecurity in Casamance. And we hope that such incidents will not happen again. We wish that both parties and communities will commit to this dynamic of consolidating peace and economic development in Casamance," pleads the mayor of Kafountine.

In Djinaky, it is considered that the signing of the Mongone agreements must be consolidated by a continuous investment from stakeholders, according to Alphousseyni Diémé.

The mayor of Djinaky asserts that the lull in violence has revitalized economic and social activities in areas that were once at risk. "More than ever, our activities were geared towards social cohesion and the return of displaced persons. The Diomaye Plan for Casamance will facilitate their resettlement with the amenities that will allow them to properly resume their lives. This includes civil registration, housing, and other infrastructure such as water and electricity, which are currently being implemented through various projects," emphasized Alphousseyni Diémé.

For him, this peace comes through electrification, opening up isolated areas, and basic infrastructure such as schools and health posts, among other things.