The Gambia and Senegal trade statements over contested border incident

The Gambia said Friday it was deeply concerned after what it called a profoundly provocative border incursion by the Senegalese Armed Forces at a military post in a contested border zone.

In a statement from its government spokesman, The Gambia alleged that a section of the perimeter fence at Bulock Military Border Post in the West Coast Region was demolished without prior consultation on Thursday. The government called the action unacceptable, but said it remained committed to resolving the matter peacefully through dialogue and diplomatic channels.

The Gambia called on the Senegalese Armed Forces to exercise maximum restraint and said future concerns about the shared border should be handled only through established bilateral mechanisms.

Senegal's foreign ministry referred on Friday evening to encroachments affecting Senegal's territorial integrity. It said the area in question had been discussed for several years by the competent authorities of the two countries.

The Gambia follows the Gambia River in West Africa and is surrounded by Senegal except for its Atlantic coast.