ETAT-MAJOR GENERAL DES ARMEES

ETAT-MAJOR DE L’ARMEE DE L’AIR

PLUS HAUT
EN PERSEVERANT

Concours direct d’admission d’élèves sous-officiers d’active à l’Ecole de l’Armée de l’Air

Coefficient : 02

Gunmen Kill 13 in Restive Southern Region of Senegal

DAKAR, Senegal — Gunmen in Senegal on Saturday killed at least 13 people who were gathering
firewood in the forest, the military said. It was the worst attack in years in the restive Casamance
region in the country’s south, where a separatist insurgency has dragged on for more than three
decades.
The deaths led to fears of renewed unrest in the area, which had been relatively calm for the last
several years. Col. Abdoul Ndiaye said late Saturday that seven others were wounded in the
attack, which happened four miles outside the town of Ziguinchor. The military said it had stepped
up its presence near the town. Casamance is separated from the rest of Senegal by the nation of
Gambia. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, a separatist group that operates in the
region, began fighting for independence in 1982. The armed wing of the group agreed to a cease-
fire in 2014, and the last major attack blamed on the group was in 2013 when rebels took 12
employees of a South African bomb disposal firm hostage. The victims, all Senegalese citizens,
were eventually released. Saturday’s deaths came just hours after the release of two prisoners
belonging to the separatist group, following negotiations that were mediated by the Community of
Sant’Egidio.
The separatists have long argued that their region is culturally distinct from the rest of Senegal,
and has suffered from inattentive governments in the country’s capital, Dakar.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/world/africa/senegal-casamance-gunmen-kill-13.html?
 I- READING COMPREHENSION (8 marks)
A- Find in the text words that have the same meaning in the indicated paragraphs: (2
marks)
1- unstable = ........................................ (paragraph 1) 2- increased = ......................................
(paragraph 2)
3- revendication = ................................ (paragraph 3) 4- finally = ........................................
(paragraph 4)

B- Say whether the following sentences are true or false and justify from the text: (2 marks)
5- Recently the Casamance region has not been absolutely stable. ...........
........................................................................................................................................................
6- The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance asserted their involvement in the attack.
..............
........................................................................................................................................................
C- Complete the table with information from the text. (2 marks)
Number Victims Activity or occupation
7- Killed 8-
............................................. .............................................
9- 10- South African bomb disposal
.............................................
............................................. firm

D- Match the following titles with the correct paragraph numbers. (2 marks)
Titles Paragraphs
11- The reasons for MDFC's Paragraph....................
rebellion ..
12- Horror in Casamance Paragraph....................
..
13- The activities of MDFC Paragraph....................
..
14- Concerns and worries Paragraph....................
..
II- LINGUISTIC AND COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE (7 MARKS)
E- Put the verbs between parentheses in the correct tense or form. (2 marks)
The restive Casamance region 15................................... (to be) stable for several years now.
However 13 people .16.................................... (to kill) yesterday when they were gathering
firewood. Had the MDFC claimed the attack the Senegalese army 17................................... ( to
respond). The authorities are looking forward to 18................................. (to find) the guilty.
F- Complete the following passage with the correct link-words in the box. (2 marks)
although – instead of - also - that's why – despite
According to rebels Casamance is discriminated 19.................................. they are fighting for their
independence. Casamance is one of the poorest region 20.................................. its natural
resources. 21................................., the infrastructures are in decay and there is no political will
from the government to develop the region. The authorities are wasting money in political
campaigns 22.............................. investing in projects for the creation of job opportunities for the
youth.
G- Complete the dialogue between a rebel and a journalist with the correct questions and
tags. (3 marks)
Journalist: 23.............................................................................................................?
Rebel: No, we didn't kill the 13 people gathering firewood.
Journalist: however, your fight seems to be unstoppable, 24.......................................?
Rebel: No, it doesn't.
Journalist: 25.............................................................................................................?
Rebel: we are fighting because Casamance is culturally distinct from the rest of Senegal, and has
suffered from inattentive governments in the country’s capital Dakar, 26......................................?
Journalist: 27............................................................................................................?
Rebel: we have been fighting for thirty years.
Journalist: 28............................................................................................................?
Rebel: The government should invest in the creation of job opportunities and build new
infrastructures so as to correct the injustice and discrimination.
III- WRITING (5 marks)
Choose one topic and write about 200 words.
Topic 1: You are from Casamance, so write a letter to the Minister of Interior to complain about
insecurity in the region and suggest solutions.
Topic 2: Insecurity is gaining ground in almost all over the country. What are the causes of this
increase? Which solutions can be brought to fight it?