Senegal has officially sealed a peace agreement with the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), putting an end to one of Africa’s longest-standing separatist conflicts.

The accord, facilitated by Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was unveiled during a joint press conference in Bissau, where Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko was present.

The Casamance conflict, ongoing since 1982, has led to widespread violence and economic decline in the region.

This milestone paves the way for lasting stability in Casamance, a region cut off from northern Senegal by The Gambia.

Prime Minister Sonko expressed President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s gratitude to Guinea-Bissau for brokering the discussions, which took three days to conclude.

"We had to close the work on the negotiations between the MFDC and the state of Senegal," he stated.

The MFDC’s decades-long struggle for independence has gradually shifted toward reconciliation.

Last May, around 250 fighters surrendered their weapons in Mongone, signaling progress. With this peace deal, the region moves closer to security and economic revival.