Embattled United Democratic Party (UDP) Commando Momodou Sabally has described rumour he has finally decided to pitch tent with President Barrows National Peoples Party (NPP) as false .

According to Sabally, he is a member of the UDP and he shall remain a loyal and committed supporter of the great yellow party.

“Supporters, friends, foes and frenemies, I salute you all with the greeting of peace, Salam. The desperate dudes of the NPP released a malicious and mendacious audio last night, claiming that I had joined their party and given up on my run for parliament @Busumbala Constituency under the UDP ticket. The claim is false. That is the wish of President Barrow and his mafia camp but it shall not happen in a billion years inshaa Allah.

I am a member of the UDP, and I shall remain a loyal and committed supporter of the great #yellow party,” Sabally wrote.

He further reaffirmed he has also not given up on his bid to become the elected representative of the people of Busumbala Constituency.

“That battle is raging on at the courts as I write this post and we are confident of victory by the Grace of Allah. The struggle to liberate our country from subjugation to our Neighbour and the mafia cabal shall continue unabated till we restore the sovereignty of our motherland and stop the rampant corruption and cronyism that characterizes the NPP kleptocracy,” he added.

Sabally was disqualified by the Independent Electoral Commission from contesting for the National Assembly Seat of Busumbala Constituency on the grounds that his name was adversely mentioned in the Janneh Commission of Enquiry, a decision he has challenged in the courts of law.

The Gambia took Africa by storm this year when reaching the Cup of Nations quarter-finals. yesterday the scorpions edged Chad 1-0 in their first step toward reaching the 2023 finals.

The Scorpions left it late in Yaounde with United Arab Emirates-based forward Steve Trawally scoring in the 89th minute to win the preliminary round first leg.

The Gambia, a small west African country surrounded by Senegal, made a spectacular Cup of Nations debut two months ago, beating Mauritania, Tunisia and Guinea before losing a last-eight clash with hosts Cameroon.

Before tackling Chad, Belgium-born Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet warned his players to avoid becoming “one-tournament wonders”.

“We want to qualify for the 2023 and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 World Cup,” said the coach who has guided national teams in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

He cited the example of Madagascar, newcomers who stunned Nigeria when reaching the 2019 Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Egypt only to miss out on the latest edition.

Chad hosted Gambia in the Cameroon capital because the landlocked central African does not have a stadium that meets international standards.

Gambia is also affected by a Confederation of African Football (CAF) clampdown on venues with sub-standard pitches, dressing rooms or facilities and will stage the return match on Tuesday in Morocco.

Mauritius is the only nation among the 10 in the preliminary round that has been permitted to play at home.

On the sidelines of the ongoing 48^th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Summit in Islamabad, Pakistan, The Gambia on Tuesday provided a detailed update on the case it filed at the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Myanmar for the acts of genocide perpetrated against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

The Gambia, represented by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow chaired the Adhoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations Against the Rohingya where it outlined an updated status on the case, especially the recent hearing in February 2022.

The minister revealed that The Gambia won a lawsuit in the United States against Facebook to have access to the social media accounts used by the Myanmar military to spread anti-Rohingya hate propaganda online.

“The lawsuit has successfully obtained contents of Facebook accounts that were controlled by Myanmar’s military, and which Facebook removed from its platform after Facebook determined that the accounts were used to spread anti-Rohingya hate propaganda in violation of Facebook’s terms of services,” Minister Jallow stated revealing that the ruling is a big boost for the Gambia’s evidence collection efforts.

The Attorney General added that a 4-day hearing was held on Myanmar’s Preliminary Objections to the Court’s jurisdiction from 21-28 February 2022. The Gambia had opposed the objection and a ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.

On support for the financial status of the legal case, the Attorney General urged OIC member states to step up and show strong solidarity with the cause of the Rohingyas by contributing voluntarily to meet the legal expenses of the case.

The OIC Secretary-General, H.E. Hissein Brahim Taha, praised the pivotal role of The Gambia in leading the Organization’s efforts on the international stage to ensure that Myanmar is held accountable for the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslims.

While reiterating that the Rohingya case is one of the top priorities on the OIC’s agenda, he pointed out that the case sends a strong message to the international community about the Organization’s collective and coordinated work to support the Rohingya people.

Ghana’s government will pump $2 billion into the economy to “rescue the cedi” currency, the presidency wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, adding that it will cut political appointees’ salaries by up to 30% as part of measures to ease its financial problems.

The West African country is facing rampant inflation, a depreciating local currency and a heavy debt burden that has dented investor confidence and could build up into a debt crisis. The cedi has weakened by about 20% against the dollar this year, exacerbating its problems.

The announcement from President Nana Akufo-Addo follows the central bank’s decision on Monday to hike its main lending rate by 250 basis points to 17%, the largest increase in Ghana’s history.

Ghana was long seen as a rising star among Africa’s emerging market economies, but underwhelming oil revenues and supply chain disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic have dampened expectations.

The presidency also wrote on Twitter that the cabinet had agreed to reopen land borders within two weeks, lifting measures imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source:  Reuters

The Chief Executive Officer of The Gambia OIC Secretariat, Mr. Yankuba Dibba is taking part in the 48^th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Islamabad, Pakistan.

CEO Dibba is part of a high-level Gambian government delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Momodou Tangara. Other members of the delegation include the Minister of Justice, Hon. Dawda Jallow, the Gambia Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the OIC Mission, H.E. Omar G. Sallah, and other senior officials from the foreign affairs ministry and The Gambia OIC Secretariat.

The two-day summit officially commenced on Tuesday 22^nd March 2022 with the inaugural session chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, His Excellency Imran Khan. The theme of the high-level discussion is ‘’Partnering for Unity, Justice, and Development’’ and addressed current global issues such as the plights of the Palestinian and Kashmiri people, the conflict in Ukraine, Islamophobia, COVID19, among other pressing peace and security issues affecting the Muslim Ummah.

Several speakers including the Foreign Minister of Niger,  Hon. Hassoumi Massoudou – the outgoing Chair of the OIC-CFM, addressed the session before handing over the Chair of the 48th session of the OIC-CFM to Pakistan represented by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in his keynote address at the inaugural session highlighted Pakistan’s role and contribution towards OIC and deliberate on the challenges faced by the Muslim world.

The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Secretary-General OIC Hissein Brahim Taha, President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman Al-Jasser, Chinese State Councilor, and Foreign Minister, Wangi Yi also addressed the session. The Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres addressed the gathering via a video link.

More than 100 resolutions will be considered during the two-day session.

Following the opening session, The Gambia, represented by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Dawda Jallow chaired the Meeting of the Ad hoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for the Human Rights Violations Against the Rohingya.

Drug Law Enforcement Agency of Gambia (DLEAG) operatives stationed in Central River Region on 21 March 2022 conducted a sting operation that resulted in the apprehension of three suspects in Kudang and Jarreng.

According to DLEAG, the raid was part of an ongoing operation aimed at dismantling areas deemed notorious for the open abuse of illicit drugs as well as apprehending dealers engaged in selling prohibited drugs.

33-year-old Edrissa Jagne and 41-years-old Lamin Suso were apprehended in the evening hours of Monday 21st March 2022 at Jareng village with18 wraps of suspected cannabis sativa respectively.

35-year-old Juldeh Touray was also arrested on the same day with three (3) parcels of suspected cannabis sativa.

The team equally raided several joints and hotspots notorious for the dealing and open abuse of prohibited and controlled drugs.

DLEAG says it will continue to raid drug hotspots and make necessary arrests to curb the sale and abuse of illegal drugs in the country. The law enforcement agency notes that it will continue to update the public as events unfold.

All three suspects are in custody as investigations continue.

The race to grab places at the TotalEnergies 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire begins this week with the preliminary round which will decide the six teams to advance to the group stage of the qualification tournament.

The preliminary round consisted of the twelve lowest-ranked countries among the 54 entrants: Somalia, Mauritius, Gambia, South Sudan, Chad, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Lesotho, Djibouti, Eswatini, Botswana and Eritrea.

Even before the matches kick-off, Botswana have already booked their place in the qualification group stage after Eritrea withdrew from the competition.

With the exception of Gambia and Mauritius who made their maiden AFCON appearance in the last edition in Cameroon and in 1974 respectively.

Tom Saintfiet, the Belgian coach who transformed Gambia from minnows to Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finalists this year, desperately wants to avoid the fate that befell Madagascar.

Debutants Madagascar took the 2019 Cup of Nations in Egypt by storm, stunning Nigeria in a group match, then eliminating the Democratic Republic of Congo before falling to Tunisia in the quarter-finals.

But as quickly as the Malagasy rose, they crashed, failing to make it to the 2021 Cup of Nations and winning only one of six World Cup qualifiers.

Saintfiet wants Gambia, a small coastal west African nation surrounded by Senegal, to build on a great run in Cameroon, where they upset Tunisia and Guinea before losing a last-eight clash with the hosts.

“We do not want to be remembered as one-tournament wonders — we want to qualify for the 2023 and 2025 Cup of Nations finals and for the 2026 World Cup,” he told reporters in Gambia.

Gambia play Chad on Thursday, one day after qualifying for the 2023 Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast kicks off, and the Belgian is worried, even though they are facing rivals ranked 180th in the world.

“Our matches against Chad will be tougher than those against Guinea and Tunisia,” insisted the 48-year-old who has coached national teams in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

“We have a lot to lose while Chad has nothing to lose. They can call on professionals based in France and Belgium and are a good team.”

While Saintfiet is wary of Chad, they are one of 10 countries among the 54 in Africa who have never qualified for the Cup of Nations.

Sadly, neither the first leg, nor the return match next Tuesday, will be played in the respective countries because no Chadian or Gambian stadiums meet international standards.

Chad hosts the first encounter in the Cameroon capital, Yaounde, while Gambia will use the Moroccan coastal city of Agadir for their ‘home’ fixture.

The Gambia Government through the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Finance and Economic Affairs held a joint stakeholder meeting yesterday with major importers of essential commodities and seriously discussed issues over the rising prices of essential goods.

During the ministerial meeting, The Gambia Government acknowledged the external circumstances emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic and the current situation in Ukraine as significant economic factors affecting the global supply chain. While that is true, The Government expressed concern over the recent increment of prices of basic commodities in the domestic market. Government notes that this pattern is disproportionately getting frequent and warns that such brutal daily retail price increases are totally unacceptable.

Specifically, there is worrisome evidence of multiple price increases of a commodity within the day (price of the same commodity costing, say D100 in the morning and rises to D125 in the evening within the same locality). This behavior is an example of price gouging which is not in line with the principle of free market economics.

Consumers should not be taken advantage of in these challenging times particularly, as we approach the Holy month of Ramadan. Government has not increased any duty or taxes relating to these essential commodities and expects the retailers to be reasonable in their pricing and failure to comply may require Government to deploy tools to address the anomaly.

Government through GRA, GCCPC and other state security apparatus will embark on a strong monitoring of retail prices to ensure that consumers are not exploited. The Gambia Government is therefore, calling on all the retailers of essential commodities to be fair in their pricing failing which shall result in the prosecution of violators under the Competition Act, 2007.

Members of the public are assured of Government’s continued commitment in ensuring that essential commodities are available and affordable to the population. In attendance were representatives of The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA), The Gambia Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC), as well as representatives of Clearing and Shipping Agencies.

By: Christian Conteh

Gambia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment has warned traders to desist from taking advantage of consumers in these challenging times, particularly as the nation approaches the Holy Month of Ramadan.

In a press release dated 22nd March 2022 the ministry noted that the government has not increased any duty or taxes relating to these essential commodities and therefore expects retailers to be reasonable in their pricing.

The ministry informed traders that through the GRA, GCCPC and other state security apparatus they will embark on strong monitoring of retail prices to ensure that consumers are not exploited.

“The government is therefore calling on all the retailers of essential commodities to be fair in their pricing. Failure to comply will lead to prosecution of violators under the Competition Act of 2007.”

Although the government acknowledges that external factors including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia -Ukraine war have had an effect on global prices, it notes that the increase in the price of essential commodities in the domestic market is disproportionately getting more frequent on a daily basis, which it says is unacceptable.

It emphasises its continued commitment to ensuring that essential commodities are available to the Gambian population.

By: Sainabou Sambou

President Adama Barrow on Saturday 19th March 2022 embarked on a meet the people tour. The tour according to the NPP Leader was to interact with the people and use the moment as a period to campaign for his NPP and Coalition candidates in the April 9 National Assembly Elections.

Gambians around the Kanifing Municipality have expressed divergent views about President Barrow’s ongoing tour. Alasana Sallah a vendor at the Serrekunda market describes the president’s tour as a political one. He said the president should not have gone for the tour he should rather solve the problem between the rebels and the Senegalese soldiers who ran into the Gambia.

He further noted that there is no price control in the Gambia and that is a problem that must be solved before heading to campaign for his candidates.

“The president is using the state resources to campaign for his candidates which is wrong, he could have put those resources into something else,” he said.

Abdoulie Ceesay a vendor of second-hand clothing said President Barrow’s meet the people tour is very important because he wants to know the problems that the people are faced with.

He said President Barrow has all the right to campaign for his national assembly candidates and there is nothing wrong in doing that.

Binta Njie is also a vendor at the busy Serekunda market she expressed her dissatisfaction with the president’s decision to embark on a meet the people tour.

She said president Barrow should not go and campaign for his national assembly candidates, but the candidates should do that for themselves.

“He is using the state resources for this tour, we all know that when the president goes for a day’s tour, he uses a lot of money.” Adding that everything is hard in the country and the price of essential commodities are increasing.

“Everything is expensive and Ramadan is approaching, a cup of cooking oil is twenty-five dalasis (D25), a cup of sugar is twelve dalasis (D12) things are very expensive,” she said.

She further noted that there is war in the Casamance Region and the president should talk about it because the rebels say The Gambia has interfered in their war. She noted that the rebels normally run into The Gambia for safety so President Barrow should talk about that and prevent war in The Gambia.

Mass Corr another vendor also shared his thoughts about the president’s tour. He said the president has the right to meet the people and know their problems.

He further noted that the cost of living is very hard in the Gambia and the president should do something about price control rather than campaigning for his national assembly candidates.

By Amara Thoronka

Gambia Police have advised citizens and non-citizens residing in the country to be vigilant in their dealings or transactions with unknown persons, especially when converting foreign currencies into local notes.

This comes after police in the Senegambia area arrested a man suspected of being in possession of fake CFA bank notes.

Police have identified the accused as Malick Sey, a 20 year old resident of Kololi who went to a bureau and attempted to change the said fake CFA notes into Gambian dalasi.

The accused is said to have entered a bureau to convert 50,000 CFA into dalasi. The bureau attendant had already given him D4,500 but soon detected that 20,000 CFA out of the 50,000 CFA was counterfeit. Malick Sey (the accused) was already on his way out when the bureau attendant raised an alarm.

According to police statement, the accused started running no sooner he heard the alarm but was quickly apprehended and taken into custody.

Sey is being charged with possession of fake money contrary to section 340 of the Criminal Code, and is said to appear in court soon.

The Gambia Police expressed commitment to protect lives and property and maintain law and order.

By: Christian Conteh

Disqualified National Assembly Nominee Momodou Sabally has been given the go-ahead to start the ball rolling as he seeks to challenge his disqualification by the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)

The UDP Commando had on Friday approached the courts with an ex parte motion praying that the court squashes the electoral body’s decision to reject his nomination.

An ex parte motion is usually reserved for urgent matters where requiring notice would subject one party to irreparable harm. That is to say, the motion can be submitted to the court without informing the other party immediately.

In its ruling on the motion, the high court agrees that the motion has merit and therefore the process of filing papers, serving the various parties and arguing the matter in court is clear to commence.

The Returning Officer at the Independent Electoral Commission’s Brikama Branch is the 1st respondent, the Chairman of the IEC is the 2nd respondent whilst the Attorney General and Minister of Justice is the 3rd respondent.

UDP aspirant for Busumbala Constituency in the forthcoming National Assembly elections on the 9th April 2022 was disqualified and his nomination rejected by the IEC on the grounds that his name was adversely mentioned in the Janneh Commission of Enquiry Report, which makes him ineligible to hold elected public office under Gambian law, a decision the high court now has a duty to look into.

Rescuers at the site of a plane crash in southern China found burnt wreckage and personal belongings of those on board, but no sign of any survivors.

China Eastern flight MU5735 was carrying 132 people when it nosedived 30,000ft into hills in Guangxi.

The cause of the Boeing 737-800’s crash is being investigated. Recovery work has been hampered by difficult terrain.

There has been an outpouring of grief in China, where families of those on board are waiting anxiously for news.

Although the search for survivors is continuing, there’s been no word of anyone found alive, and neither local media nor the authorities have reported any finding of human remains.

Hundreds of responders have been sent to the crash site in Wuzhou to scour the steeply forested slopes where debris from the crash was strewn.

Rescuers have so far found parts of the 737’s wreckage. State broadcasters showed images of the charred remains of letters, bags, wallets and identity cards belonging to those on board.

Meanwhile the families and friends of the 123 passengers and nine crew have gathered at each end of the flight – with relatives visiting China Eastern’s offices in Yunnan province and waiting at Guangzhou International Airport.

The China Eastern Airlines flight from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, had been due to land in Guangzhou on Monday afternoon.

Authorities have yet to identify passengers and crew members, but some relatives have spoken to local media or shared their grief online.

One woman reported the loss of her newlywed husband on her WeChat account. Her earlier posts included videos of the couple’s holiday trips.

Other passengers included a group of six people, one of them a teenager, who were on their way to Guangzhou to attend a funeral, a local newspaper reported.

Another woman interviewed said her sister and close friends were part of that group, adding that she had also been booked on the flight but ended up switching to an earlier plane.

“I feel very anguished,” she told Jiemian News.

Reuters quoted a man at the airport who said he was the colleague of a passenger named Mr Tan.

After confirming that Mr Tan was on board, he had to break the news to Mr Tan’s family. “They were sobbing. His mother couldn’t believe this had happened,” he told the news agency. “Her boy was only 29 years old.”

He added that arrangements were being made by the airline to bring families to the crash site in Wuzhou.

Pictures show distraught families waiting in a cordoned-off area at Guangzhou airport, being assisted by airline staff.

One unverified clip circulating widely on Chinese social media shows a man slumped in his seat crying and lamenting the loss of his children who were on the flight.

Flight MU5735 had been in the air for over an hour and was nearing its destination when it suddenly plummeted from its cruising height.

Chinese state TV outlets have broadcast footage which appears to show a jet in a near nosedive to the ground. The footage was captured by a car’s dashcam. The BBC has not yet been able to verify the clip.

Flight tracker data showed the Boeing 737-800 jet dropped thousands of metres in three minutes.

According to FlightRadar24, the plane was cruising at 29,100ft (about 9,000m), but two minutes and 15 seconds later it was recorded at 9,075ft. The last sourced information on the flight showed it ended at 14:22 local time, at an altitude of 3,225ft.

The airline and China’s aviation authorities are investigating the crash. Boeing, the US maker of the plane, said it was also assisting. But emergency teams are still trying to locate the plane’s black box, cockpit voice recorder and any other equipment that could help identify the cause of the crash.

China Eastern Airlines, one of the nation’s big three state-owned carriers, has grounded all its Boeing 737-800s, and set up a hotline for people seeking information on those on board.

Aviation experts say the Boeing 737-800 model has a strong safety record, with thousands in service around the world. The aircraft that crashed was less than seven years old.

Investigators are expected to look at several possible causes – including deliberate action, pilot error, or technical issues such as a structural failure or mid-air collision.

BBC

An estimated 6,000 people have taken refuge in the Gambia after fleeing the violence in the past week between the army and rebels in Casamance, in the south of neighbouring Senegal, the Gambian authorities announced on Saturday 19 March.

The Senegalese army announced that it had launched an operation on March 13 against rebels in Casamance, a region separated from northern Senegal by the Gambia. The army had indicated that “their main objective is to dismantle the bases” of rebel military leader Salif Sadio, located along the northern border with the Gambia.

The number of people fleeing the violence since March 13 now stands at 6350, including 4508 displaced people, said the Gambian National Crisis Management Agency, in an official document transmitted Saturday to AFP.

“Because of the situation in the Casamance region of Senegal, the Foni Kansala area has become a safe haven for both refugees and IDPs,” the statement read in part. “These people can no longer stay in their homes because of the proximity of the fighting and overall implications of the ongoing conflict.”

Foni Kansala, located in the Gambian territory, borders Casamance and is close to the area where fighting is taking place between the Senegalese army and rebels of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), which has been fighting for independence in that region since 1982.

Senegalese President Macky Sall has made “definitive peace” in Casamance the priority of his second term.

Source: AFP

By: Christian Conteh

The Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission TRRC has denied the application for amnesty requested by the country’s former Vice President, Isatou Njie-Saidy.

According to the committee, “she did not give a full, truthful disclosure” to the commission about her involvement in the crimes she stands accused of. TRRC said Madam Njie- Saidy described her role as passive, contrary to the commission’s findings.

The findings revealed that during the 10th and 11th April 2000 student demonstrations, as vice president pursuant to instructions from the Former President Yahya Jammeh, she instructed Baboucarr Jatta to deploy the army, did not take responsibility and is one of the people who bear the greatest responsibility for the incident.

Similarly, the committee denied the application for amnesty for former Defence Minister Edward Singhatey on technical grounds. His initial letter the TRRC said had the phrase ‘without prejudice’ and was signed by his lawyer.

The committee however requested his lawyer remove ‘without prejudice’ from the amnesty application and allow his client to endorse the letter himself.

The legal representative responded, removed ‘without prejudice’ but went on to again sign on behalf of his client. The committee said it cannot review the application as it contradicts the process of applying for amnesty.

Meanwhile, the TRRC approved amnesty and recommends clemency for former AFPRC Vice-Chairman Sana Sabally who admitted responsibility for the killing of about a dozen soldiers in 1994.

The reason for their consideration is because Sabally already served time in prison for false crimes levelled against him, gave a full disclosure during public hearings, showed remorse, initiated and participated in reconciliation with the perpetrator.

The committee also noted that his crimes precede the Rome Statute and therefore the law cannot be applied retrospectively.

Amnesty was also recommended for Zakaria Darboe and Major Bubacarr Bah.

By: Sainabou Sambou

Horticulturists around Kairaba Avenue have raised concern about the shortage of water which they say has had adverse effects on their gardens.

Tijan Jatta is one of the gardeners he says lack of water for their garden is making business quite difficult for them. He noted that there are very few taps in his garden and most times the taps run dry and it is difficult to water the garden.

“We do not have garden tools. We have also applied for water to be brought here but the government agency responsible for that has done nothing about that. We have not had support in any way. Sometimes we find it difficult to pay for a truck to bring garden soil for us,” he said.

He appealed to the government to help them with the water supply so that they can do their work properly, indicating that the work they do is part of national development.

He further mentioned that they were informed that the OIC road project which is expected to see an expansion in roads is about to start and they do not know whether they will be asked to leave their various place where they sell.

Sainey Keita also owns a garden, he has been a gardener for twenty-five years. He confirmed that over this period lack of water has been their major problem. He noted that they do not have an alternative source of water like a borehole to use when the taps run dry.

“Water is not our only problem here we lack garden tools and fertilizers too. We also find it difficult to hire a truck to bring garden soil for us.”

Business he said is not doing as well as it should because customers do not patronise them as much as they use to do. 

“We have lodged a complaint to KMC asking for their help with enough water supply. We wrote to KMC because they are in charge of this place and they are the ones who gave us the notice that the OIC road project is about to start, we pay our taxes there too,” he said.

Sainey Keita noted that Mayor Bensouda has promised that after the campaign period and when he is re-elected, he will help provide enough taps that will help them water their gardens.

Pateh Bah another gardener also expressed dissatisfaction about the shortage of water and urged the government to support them.

By: Sanna Jallow 

Residents in Wellingara Village in the Kombo North District, West Coast Region have continued to complain about the constant water shortage in their community, a problem that has lasted for decades and is making life difficult for them.

Aja Sowe, a native of Wellingara confirmed that the lack of water is getting worse, indicating that they have been like that for years.

“Sometimes we go to the community borehole from morning to evening without getting a single bottle of water because people are many and the water available is not enough for all of us,” she lamented. 

She added that the consistent water shortage is making lives difficult for her to do some domestic work at her house likewise others.

“There are few compounds in our area that have boreholes in their houses that is where most of us fetch water from,” she said.

She called on the institutions responsible for providing water to come to their aid so that they can get water frequently, noting that no human can live without water.

Amie Janneh another resident in the community said she has been staying in Wellingara for years now, confirming that the shortage of water is getting worse by the day. She said they have a tap in their compound but the only time they will get to see running water is around 5 in the morning.

“If you don’t fetch water at that time, you will not get water for the rest of the day. We have been complaining about this for many years now but still, nothing has been done to settle the problem,” she said.

She said that the worst part of the problem is that at the end of every month they will receive a water bill from the National Water and Electrical Company (NAWEC). On her part, Isatou Ceesay said sometimes due to the shortage of water it is very difficult for them to adhere to proper hygiene measures which she says is not good for their health. 

“We are really tired with this situation, we appeal to the bodies responsible to come to our rescue,” she said. 

Water is an important element of human existence. Drinking water helps prevent dehydration, change in mood and cause your body to overheat which can lead to constipation and kidney stones.  

Fourteen killed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Red Cross has said, as a community leader blamed a notorious armed group for the bloody attack.

The attack took place in a displaced people’s camp in the country’s northwestern Ituri province on Saturday, the humanitarian aid group reported.

Among the victims were five women aged between 25 and 32 and a two-year-old girl, according to a list shown by the Red Cross to the news agency AFP.

Jean D’Zba Banju, a community leader in Ituri’s Djugu area, said the perpetrators belonged to the CODECO armed group, which has been blamed for a string of ethnic massacres in the area.

“CODECO militiamen entered Drakpa and started to cut people with machetes. They did not fire shots in order to operate calmly,” Banju told AFP on Sunday. “The victims are displaced people who had fled Ngotshi village to set up in Drakpa,” he said, adding that five others were wounded.

Gold-rich Ituri province has been plunged back into a cycle of violence since late 2017 with the rise of CODECO, which has since split into rival factions. The group is a political-religious sect that claims to represent the interests of the Lendu ethnic group.

Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu have been under a state of siege since May 6, an exceptional measure to combat armed groups including CODECO and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The ISIL (ISIS) armed group bills the ADF as its local affiliate.

Despite the crackdown, and support from the Ugandan military since late November, attacks have continued and more than 1,000 civilians have been killed from May 2021 to January this year, figures from the Danish Refugee Council show.

In the region of Beni, which neighbours Ituri, “four young people were killed in an ambush by ADF rebels on Sunday, three kilometres (1.8 miles) from Eringeti,” said Sabiti Njiamoja, an official from the office of the governor of North Kivu province.

President Adama Barrow has received a report looking into the country’s development programmes and planning frameworks from a 14-member Eminent Persons Group established by the Ministry of Finance.

The group includes former senior civil servants and experts working abroad. The chairman of the group Mr. Alieu Ngum led the presentation of an Advisory Paper on an Institutional Framework for the Coordination of Planning and Implementation of Development plans in The Gambia.

Reacting to the presentation, President Barrow thanked the group for their work in contribution to the formulation of a successor programme to the National Development Plan 2018 -2021. The group was launched in December 2021 to provide guidance on how the government could adapt and coordinate its existing institutions to implement the next development plan dubbed Green Recovery Focussed Development Plan (GRF-NDP) and a Long Term Vision (LTV).

Speaking to the media following their meeting with the President, Mr. Ngum, said the recommendations in the report will help the government to put together a robust planning, coordination and implementation of its development agenda. He expressed appreciation of the government’s development outlook noting particularly its focus on mobilizing resources locally to complement other available resources.

Members of the group include; Mr. Alieu Ngum, Mr. Crispin Grey Johnson, Mrs. Lucy Fye, Prof. Gibril Faal, Mr. Babucarr Sarr, Mrs. Haddy Lamin Njie, Mr. Abdou Sara Janha, Mr. Mustapha Darboe, Mrs. Fatou Ndey Gaye, Mr. Abdou Njie, Dr. Kalilu Bayo, Mrs. Habibatou Drammeh, Prof. Aminata Sillah, and Mr. Mamour Jagne.

The presentation was witnessed by the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Honourable Mambury Njie, and his senior management team.

By: Dawda Baldeh

President Adama Barrow leader of the National People’s Party (NPP) led coalition on Sunday arrived at the meeting venue in Kerr Ardo Village, Lower Badibou North, Nawleru, in Central Badibou and Farafenni Upper Badibou, Illiassa Constituencies. The president and his team were accorded a warm welcome by the party’s National Assembly Aspirants and supporters.

He expressed his profound gratitude to the supporters for their huge turnout and described the welcome as a clear indication of NPP’s victory in the parliamentary election. He told the electorate that his government is aware of the challenges the country is faced with and promised to address them.

The NPP is heading to the parliamentary election with 40 National Assembly Aspirants including Honorable Alagie Jawara, Aspirant for Lower Badibou, Modou Jobe, Central Badibou and Sankung Dampha for Illiassa Constituency.

He further noted that there cannot be any meaningful development without collective efforts and urged the National Assembly Aspirants to campaign peacefully.

Hamat NK Bah, Minister of Tourism and Culture said the development of the country should be everyone’s business and gave special advice to business operators.

The president was commended for the development initiatives in the country by various speakers. President Barrow ended his second set of meetings in Illiassa Constituency where he reminded the people of their duty towards national development.

The tour will continue in other parts of the country where the president is expected to hold similar meetings with the electorate.