2006年VOA标准英语-Top Casamance Official Assassinated, Say Senega

By Jordan Davis
Dakar
31 December 2006

Senegalese officials say they are investigating the killing¹ of a top politician

El-Hadj Oumar Lamine Badji (File photo)

in the country's southern Casamance region. Separatist groups in Casamance have waged a two-decade long battle for independence. For VOA, Jordan Davis reports from Dakar.

Officials say armed men entered El-Hadj Oumar Lamine Badji's home in the early morning hours. The attackers allegedly set the home ablaze² and slit³ Badji's throat. He was the president of the Casamance regional council.

Army spokesman Colonel Antoine Wardini says his troops arrived on the scene soon after.

Wardini says the attackers had fled, but witnesses reported seeing a number of armed men dressed in civilian⁴ clothes. Officials say the identity of the attackers is still unknown.

The armed separatist group known as the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance has waged a battle for the region's independence since 1982.

Rebels and the government signed a peace deal in 2004, but further talks have been delayed since then. Some rebel factions⁵ saw the agreement as a betrayal.

Reacting to the news of Badji's killing on state radio, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade⁶ said he believed opponents of the peace process were behind it. Badji was a leading member of Mr. Wade's Senegalese Democratic Party.

Mr. Wade made peace in Casamance a key campaign promise when he was elected seven years ago. He is up for re-election in two months. 

Battles between Senegalese forces and Casamance rebels during the past two decades have left hundreds dead, and landmines⁷ are scattered⁸ across the region. In recent weeks, gunmen ambushed⁹ a Senegalese army convoy¹⁰ involved in de-mining operations, killing two people and injuring 14.

Casamance is an isolated¹¹ region of Senegal, cut off from the rest of the country by The Gambia.

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

3 slit   

n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂

参考例句：

• The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。
• He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 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

6 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。

7 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。

8 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

9 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

11 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。