2007年VOA标准英语-Casamance Violence Likely to Become Issue in Se

By Jordan Davis
Dakar
02 January 2007

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade¹ attended funeral services Tuesday for a close political ally assassinated² earlier this week in the Casamance region of the country. Violence in Casamance has persisted despite a peace accord signed just over two years ago. From Dakar, Jordan Davis reports for VOA that voters in Senegal are scheduled to head to the polls in two months and the violence in Casamance is likely to become an issue in the country's presidential campaign.

El-Hadj Oumar Lamine Badji (file photo)

In a eulogy³ carried on national radio from Casamance's regional capital, Ziguinchor, Senegal's President Wade mourned Oumar Lamine Badji, killed late Saturday in his home near the regional capital. Badji was president of the regional council and a long-time political friend of the president.

Mr. Wade offered a $100,000 reward, plus a passport and an air ticket to leave the country to anyone who supplied information leading to the arrest of the killers⁴.

The president had signed a 2004 peace agreement with the political wing of the Movement of Democratic Foces in Casamance, ostensibly putting an end to a two-decade long armed independence fight.

In earlier televised remarks, Mr. Wade said Casamance is mostly peaceful but extremist factions⁶ want the world to believe the war continues.

Several armed factions in Casamance did not sign the peace agreement. It is widely believed Badji's assassination⁷ is linked to those hard-line independence groups. They are also blamed for an ambush⁸ two weeks ago against Senegalese army troops.

The violence comes two months before national elections.

Local journalist Alassane Samba Diop says the issue will provide fodder⁹ for opponents of Mr. Wade, who seven years ago campaigned on the promise of peace in Casamance within one hundred days.

Moustapha Fall Tche leads the Patriotic¹⁰ Action for Liberation party and is a member of an opposition¹¹ coalition¹² that is fielding candidates against the ruling party in the coming elections.

Tche says the government inflamed¹³ tensions in the region last year when it sent soldiers on a security mission against banditism.

Opposition politicians also say the government should do more to get rebel leaders to the negotiating table.

But Richard Reeve, an analyst¹⁴ with the British research institute Chatham House, says he is not sure the armed splinter groups are willing to talk.

"The problem with the violence is that it is perpetrated by a hard-line faction⁵ of people that are difficult to appease," he said. "These are people who want real independence for Casamance."

 

Reeve says the splinter groups do not have much popular support. Casamance residents, he says, do not want to break away, but do want an end to economic and social isolation¹⁵.

The region is mostly cut off from the rest off the country by the Gambia.

Ferry services between Ziguinchor and Dakar restarted in November. Service had been suspended for nearly five years following the Joola disaster where over 2,000 people died when a boat sank.

And the government recently unveiled ambitious plans for a high speed rail line.

Parts of Casamance are also littered with landmines¹⁶, following a 20-year civil war. The government has promised to clear them by 2009.

Rebel hardliners have told local newspapers they believe that the Moroccan forces accompanying the de-mining teams are a provocation¹⁷.

But Richard Reeve with Chatham House says removing landmines will help the government get control of the situation.

"These minefields are a very visible reminder¹⁸ that the conflict is not settled," he said. "And they protect rebel positions and possibly rebel resource interests."

Aid groups say mine removal would also mean a better quality of life for people living in Casamance. The British charity Handicap International estimates over 800 people have been maimed by landmines there.

1 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

2 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

3 eulogy   

n.颂词；颂扬

参考例句：

• He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man. 他不需要我或者任何一个人来称颂。
• Mr.Garth gave a long eulogy about their achievements in the research.加思先生对他们的研究成果大大地颂扬了一番。

4 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

5 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

6 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

7 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

8 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

9 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

10 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

13 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

15 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

16 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

17 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

18 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。