Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance
| Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance | |
|---|---|
| Participant in Casamance conflict & the Guinea-Bissau Civil War | |
|
Flag of the MFDC | |
| Active | 1982–present |
| Ideology |
Casamance nationalism Jola interests |
| Leaders | Augustin Diamacoune Senghor |
| Area of operations | Casamance |
The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (French: Mouvement des forces démocratiques de Casamance, MFDC) is the main separatist movement in the Casamance region of Senegal, founded in 1982. It was supported by Guinea-Bissau President João Bernardo Vieira until he was overthrown in 1999. It relies mainly on the Diola ethnic group. Its armed wing was formed in 1985 and is called Atika (Diola for "Warrior").
Its leader was Father Augustin Diamacoune Senghor, who died on 13 January 2007. Senghor signed a peace agreement with the government of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade in 2004. However, several factions of the MFDC refused to participate in the peace deal and continued their fighting. This division has deeply divided Casamance's independence movement.