| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Senegal severs ties with Iran |
| 2011-02-24 |
| [Al Jazeera] Senegal ... a nation of about 14 million on the west coast of Africa bordering Mauretania to the north, Mali to the east, and a pair of Guineas to the south, one of them Bissau. It is 90 percent Mohammedan and has more than 80 political parties. Its primary purpose seems to be absorbing refugees... has cut diplomatic ties with Iran, accusing Tehran of supplying weapons to separatist rebels in its southern Casamance region, the foreign ministry said. Running guns to the rebels, huh? That's always a good way to maintain relations. Let's see how long the Senegalese attention span is... "Senegal has decided to break off diplomatic relations with the Republic of Iran," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. "We don't like them." The statement linked the Iranian weapons with an attack on Sunday in Casamance, the latest in a string of such attacks by rebels engaged in one of Africa's longest-running conflicts, which resulted in the deaths of three Senegalese troops. Those serial numbers'll give you away every time... 'Iranian bullets' "The report presented to the president of the Republic [Abdoulaye Wade] by the army chief of staff on recent developments in Casamance has shown that the Casamance Movement of Democratic Forces (MFDC) was using sophisticated weapons which caused the death of Senegalese soldiers," the statement said. Those sophisticated weapons aren't made in the guys' garages. They're bought from someplace, with money that somebody gives them or that they extort... "Senegal is outraged to see that Iranian bullets caused the death of three Senegalese soldiers." "This is not a good thing!" The row is the latest in a spate of diplomatic upsets between Iran and West African nations over alleged arms smuggling that has damaged the Iranian government's search for trade partners on the continent. In December, Senegal recalled its ambassador to Iran, saying the government of the west African country was unsatisfied with explanations given by Iranian officials over a seizure of mortars and rockets in Nigeria in October. Mortars and rockets are considered sophisticated weapons, especially in West Africa. Neighbouring Gambia ... The Gambia is actually surrounded by Senegal on all sides but its west coast. It has a population of about 1.7 million. The difference between the two is that in colonial days Senegal was ruled by La Belle France and The Gambia (so-called because there's only one of it, unlike Guinea, of which there are at least three) was ruled by Britain... has also cut ties with Tehran over the arms shipment. |
| Posted by:Fred |