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Against the Tide of History: Landmines
in Casamance
(27 minutes) Senegal/USA
Director: Moussa Bocoume
Producers: Witness and Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des
Droits de l’Homme (RADDHO)
Description:
MFDC and the Senegalese government have entered into peace negotiations
that will hopefully bring an end to the 22 year armed conflict. The suffering
inflicted on the people of Casamance continues because an effective de-mining
campaign has yet to be implemented and the rights of landmine victims
are poorly protected by the government of Senegal. Witness and partner
organization Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de
l’Homme (RADDHO), have jointly produced Against the Tide of History:
Landmines in the Casamance to advocate for urgently needed global pressure
on the Senegalese government to comply with their international obligation
under Article 6 of the Mine Ban Treaty (which Senegal signed and ratified
24 September 1998) to provide medical, social and psychological assistance
to landmine victims. Told through the voices of landmine victims themselves,
the film follows their lives in Casamance, contrasting local initiatives
to support these victims with the government’s lack of substantive
aid to them and their families, and the denial of both MFDC and the government
as to their involvement in using landmines.
Biography:
Moussa Diallo Bocoume was born in Bignona, Senegal. He is currently preparing
a PhD on African cinema. Mr. Bocoume worked with the great African filmmaker
Sembene Ousmane and he is also a film critic, having written numerous
articles on cinematography in African cinema. Aware of the state of human
rights and democracy in Africa, Bocoume joined Rencontre Africaine des
Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO), a highly respected human rights organization
based in Dakar where he has successfully spearheaded a program to integrate
the use of video in the work of RADDHO to promote and protect human rights.
Against the Tide of History is Bocoume’s directorial debut.
Contact Information:
WITNESS
80 Hanson Place, 5th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217
E-mail: menaka@witness.org
URL: http://www.witness.org/
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