Independence referednum proposed amid continuing violence in Casamance

Casamance separatists in Senegal have demanded that a referendum on independence be held by the end of the year. The call comes following increasing acts of violence attributed to separatist rebels in the region.

Casamance is a peninsula in southern Senegal which is almost completely separated from the rest of the country by The Gambia. It is home to the Jola people.

The Senegalese government has expressed concern over recent rebel attacks which have resulted in a number of deaths among the Senegal national army. Security Forces have said that the rebels have secured heavy weaponry including assault rifles, mortars and rocket launchers. On December 28th a Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) assault on the town of Bignona left seven soldiers dead. A number of rebels are said to have been injured. A military source confirmed to local papers that the army was taken by surprise and that questions are being asked as to how the guerrilla's have obtained heavy artillery. A caché of weapons destined for Casamance en-route from Iran were seized in Legos, Nigeria.


A leader of the MFDC has written to the African Union to ask for them to help organize an independence referendum for the region. This has been flatly rejected by the Senegalese government who have said that the situation in Casamance is not comparible with southern Sudan, which voted for independence earlier this month.

Renewed violence in Casamance has left 15 Senegalese soldiers dead since the start of the year.

Russia sends extra troops to Kabardino-Balkaria

After a series of attacks and sabotage operations in Kabardino-Balkaria, the Russian Defence Ministry has announced that it is sending more troops, including members of the Federal Security Service (FSB formerley KGB), to the province.

In recent weeks separatist rebels have carried out a number of attacks on troops and police. One police officer was killed in a gun attack in Nalchik yesterday while a senior civil servant was also killed. A bomb also exploded outside a liquor store and a car bomb was defused at a hotel in the city. On Friday, five people from Moscow were gunned down in the Baksan district. Russian authorities have stated that the five were tourists while rebels have claimed that they were in fact undercover members of the security forces.

The insurgency, which originally flared up in Chechnya, has spread to neighbouring republics over the past two years.

Kabardino-Balkaria is a popular skiing resort for Russian tourists

Attacks continue in Kabardino-Balkaria

Attacks against Russian security forces have continued in Kabardino-Balkaria with a number of incidents in the last two days.

Separatist rebels have claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a police checkpoint in Nalchik which left one police man dead and another injured. According to the rebels, a team of their fighters approached the checkpoint and opened fire with a machine gun hitting two police officers, the rebels then made their getaway. The incident is said to have occurred on Lenin Avenue at around 7.30pm.

At around 9pm on the same day a squad of separatist gunmen entered a gym in the Khasanya suburb of the city and shot a man to death. Rebels claim the dead man worked as a member of the local government although this has not been confirmed.

Acts of sabotage are also widespread.

Spain's Attorney General to ask judges to ban pro-Independence Party

Spain's attorney general is going to ask the courts to ban the new political party "Sortu", claiming that it is nothing more than a re-packaged version of Batasuna - the political wing of the Basque separatist group ETA.

The Supreme Court will rule next week on whether they party should be legalized. Sortu claims it rejects all forms of violence however Spanish police have said that there is ample evidence to prove that it is the political wing of the banned Basque militant group. Batasuna was banned in 2003 after it was accused of acting as the political arm of ETA.

Basque local elections take place this coming May. ETA declared a ceasefire in September and in January confirmed that the ceasefire is intended to be permanent.

US soldier back in custody over murder charge

US Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins has been returned to the brig to serve the last five years of his eleven year sentence for murder.

Hutchins was released eight months ago after his murder conviction was overturned by a military court who ruled that his 2007 trial was unfair. The US Armed Forces court of appeal ,however, overruled that decision last month.

Sgt. Hutchins was charged with commanding an eight-man unit which abducted a 52-year old Iraqi man from his home in Hamdania, Al Anbar province, before binding his hands together and shooting him to death in a ditch. While most of the soldiers shot him, another fired a confiscated AK-47 assault rifle into the air before throwing the weapon into the ditch with the body, so as to give the impression that the dead man had attempted to ambush them. The identity of the deceased is unknown but he is not thought to have any connection with insurgent forces.

The other soldiers involved all served less than 18 months despite some receiving sentences of up to 14 years.

Hutchins' lawyer said that he will appeal for early release.

Police injured in Dagestan bomb attack

A number of police officers have been injured in a double bomb attack in the city of Kizlyar, Dagestan.

The first bomb exploded inside a liquor store in the early hours of yesterday morning, there were no injuries. Premises which sell alcohol are frequently targeted by Islamic militants in the area. Following the blast a number of police units arrived on the scene.

About 20 minutes later a second bomb, which was concealed nearby, exploded. It is reported that a number of police officers suffered shrapnel wounds although an exact number is not known.

Dagestani militants have issued warnings to other premises in the town which sell alcohol to cease their operations.

Explosion rocks southern Isolella, Corsica

A huge explosion ripped through a holiday home on the southern Corsican peninsula of Isolella at around 9pm last night.

The firefighters who reached the scene of the blast quickly were not able to approach the building until a bomb disposal team could confirm that there were no more devices in the area. At the time of writing the fire is still raging. The owner of the property has been identified as a radiologist from Paris. He was not in Corsica at the time of the attack. So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack although Corsican separatist groups are suspected.

This is the 17th bomb attack on the island since the beginning of the year.