Augustin Diamacoune Senghor

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Father Augustin Diamacoune Senghor (4 April 1928 – 13 January 2007) was a Catholic priest and a leading figure in the Casamance independence movement (see Casamance Conflict) from Senegal. He served as director of the Saint-Louis of Ziguinchor Seminary (Séminaire Saint-Louis de Ziguinchor) from 1972 until 1975.

Senghor was born in Senghalène, Casamance, Senegal in 1928. His father, Mathieu Diamacoune Senghor, a Serer, was one of the founding members and active militants of the Senegalese Democratic Bloc (French: Bloc Démocratique Sénégalais (BDS)) of President Senghor. His mother, Marthe Badiate is a Jola.^[1][2]

After spending five years in a Senegalese prison, Senghor became the leader of the Movement of Democratic Forces in Casamance (MFDC), Casamance's main rebel movement.

Senghor signed a peace agreement with the government of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade in 2004. However, several factions of the MFDC refused to participate in the peace deal and continued their fighting. This division has deeply divided Casamance's independence movement.^{[citation needed]}

Analysts^[who?] say that the death of Father Senghor may make reaching a permanent peace deal in Casamance much more difficult. The Senegalese government will need to find a new head of the rebel and separatist movement to negotiate with in Senghor's place.^{[citation needed]} However, this will not be easy,^{[citation needed]} as the separatist movement has splintered into rival factions since the 2004 peace agreement. Incidents of violence has also increased in 2006.^{[citation needed]} In late December 2006, the president of the Ziguinchor regional council was assassinated.^[3] The Senegalese government blamed Casamance's rebels.^{[citation needed]}