On 30 December 2004, President Abdoulaye Wade announced that he would sign a peace treaty with two separatist factions of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) in the Casamance region.Harsch, Ernest, "Peace pact raises hope in Senegal" , Africa Renewal, Vol. 19 #1 (April 2005), p. 14. This will end West Africa's longest-running civil conflict. As of late 2006, it seemed the peace treaty was holding, as both factions and the Senegalese military appeared to honor the treaty. With recognized prospects for peace, refugees began returning home from neighboring Guinea-Bissau. However, at the beginning of 2007, refugees began fleeing again as the sight of Senegalese troops rekindled fears of a new outbreak of violence between the separatists and the government."Refugees: General Peace Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Senegal and MFDC", Peace Accords Matrix, University of Notre Dame.
