By Mafugi Ceesay
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has set up a review committee to determine whether or not the National Assembly election could be held in the Fonis on April 9.
This was revealed by Pa Makan Khan, IEC Director of Communication and Training, who was contacted by The Alkamba Times (TAT) on the possibility of postponing the election because of the humanitarian situation in the border area.
“Pretty soon, the Electoral Commission will decide on the election in the Fonis. It’s an issue of urgency and once we are done we will reliably inform the media accordingly,” Pa Khan told TAT.
The ongoing fighting between the Senegalese army and the MFDC separatist rebels in Casamance southern Senegal has internally displaced thousands of villagers in the Fonis,
According to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA SITREP, the conflict has displaced around 10,000 people in the Fonis, including a high influx of refugees from the Casamance into the frontier communities in the Fonis.
Consequently, parliamentary candidates, as well as concerned local authorities in the Fonis are calling on the IEC to postpone the April 9 parliamentary race.
