President Adama Barrow has called on the people of Guinea Bissau to reconcile and support President Umaro Sissoco Embalo to develop their country.

According to a new release by State House, President Barrow made the remarks at a welcoming ceremony held in his honour at the Bissau Airport on his first official visit to the country.

The news release said: “He (President Barrow) reminded the Bissau-Guineans that their founding fathers, such as Amilcar Cabral, fought for independence and is about time they had moved forward and worked together.

“My special advice is for you to reconcile and develop your country. Only one person can lead at a time and others should rally behind and support.” President Barrow said, adding that President Embalo is a diplomat and can make a difference if given the chance, according to State House

The Head of ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) Madam Vabah Gayflor has commenced visits to all the Contingents under ECOMIG.

The purpose of the visit is to assess the operational, administrative and logistical readiness of the contingents as well as address challenges confronting the units in order for them to discharge their responsibilities professionally.

The visit is also aimed at reminding personnel of the ECOMIG mandate and the need for all under ECOMIG to work to ensure its success. ECOMIG is made up of three contingents drawn from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana.

The mission said in a statement signed by PRO Andy La-Anyane: “Her Excellency Madam Vabah Gayflor who is also the Permanent Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission to The Gambia commenced her visit on Tuesday 20 October 2020 by first visiting the Senegalese contingent at Kanilai and Bwiam. She continued to the Nigerian contingent located at Yundum the following day. She was accompanied by the Force Commander of ECOMIG, Colonel Cheikh Omar Tamba.

“At both locations, she was met on arrival by the contingent commanders, inspected a special guard in her honour, received detailed briefings, toured the camps of the troops and finally held all ranks durbar with the troops.

“Welcoming her to Kanilai at the commencement of her visit, the commander of the Senegalese contingent, Lieutenant Colonel Lamine Sarr expressed his appreciation for the visit and assured that his personnel are working within the ECOWAS mandate in collaboration with the Gambian security forces to ensure that their area of operational responsibility remains safe and peaceful.

“He also briefed the Head of ECOMIG Mission in The Gambia on measures put in place to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also presented a detailed brief on their operational, administrative and logistical situation.

“Similarly, on her arrival at the Yundum barracks where the Nigerian troops are located, Her Excellency Madam Gayflor was met on arrival by Colonel AN Eze, the Nigeria contingent commander who also doubles as the Deputy Force Commander of ECOMIG. She received a detailed presentation on the activities of the contingent who arrived in the Mission area last September.

“At both locations visited, Her Excellency Madam Vabah Gayflor expressed her satisfaction with the speedy manner in which both contingents have hit the ground running since they both arrived in the Mission area some few months ago. She was particularly impressed with the number of day and night patrols that both units have conducted since their inception,
ensuring that their areas of operational responsibilities remained safe.”

Dr Tamsir Mbowe’s much anticipated appearance at the TRRC ended with the top doctor stating former President Yahya Jammeh’s HIV/AIDS cure was in fact true.

The health professional was the former president’s most trusted aide in a cure programme that began in 2007 and ran for ten years.

Appearing before the TRRC on Wednesday, Dr Mbowe stood his ground throughout even as Essa Faal persistently asked him to accept that the cure was fake.

“The treatment was true,” Dr Mbowe standing his ground told Essa Faal in their final exchange on Wednesday.

The lawyer had blasted Jammeh’s cure was bogus and it was a lie.

By DailyMail

Pope Francis has endorsed same-sex civil unions, saying in a documentary that homosexual people are ‘children of God’ and that they ‘have the right to be in a family’.

His approval came midway through a feature-length film, titled Francesco, which had its premiere at the Rome Film Festival earlier today.

The film delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.

‘Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it,’ the 83-year-old said in one of his sit-down interviews for the film.

‘What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.’

Dr Tamsir Mbowe said ‘that is not true’ Wednesday afternoon when told HIV/AIDS patients died during former President Yahya Jammeh’s HIV/AIDS cure.

Dr Mbowe was the former president’s right-hand man in the programme that ran for ten years. He was the director general of the programme.

Continuing speaking to the TRRC, Dr Mbowe rejected claims patients died while undergoing the treatment.

He said: “That is not true, that is not true. I was the clinical doctor and any person who should die in that treatment must have a death certificate and I am the guy who must sign it.

“I have never signed any death certificate for this in that treatment. Four or five died at the sanatorium. They were having TB and one Saudi citizen died because of some cardiac problems.”

By Sarjo Brito

GDC NAM for Niamina East Honourable Omar Ceesay have accused Barrow’s NPP of using local Chiefs and Alkalolu for party politics. The young MP said the President has easily forgotten the advice he gave to local government authorities during his Presidential campaign in 2016.

“Can someone remind the President. How soon he has forgotten about his advice to Alkalolu and chiefs during the 2016 Presidential campaign to desist from campaigning and to refuse to be used by the former president Yahya Jammeh for political purposes,” Ceesay said.

The young MP also alleged that the party have been desperate and struggling to produce a candidate in the upcoming Niamina West by-elections as the final day for nomination nears.

“The argy-bargy confusion, pandemonium and ridicule under which they are going through within the party currently warranted the NPP authorities to summon all the Alkalolu and chief of the said constituency to the governor’s office at Janjanbureh to help select/elect a candidate that could stand against the GDC as well as to campaign for the NPP,” he said.

Meanwhile NPP’s Seedy SK Njie says Ceesay’s claims untrue and unfounded.

“It is the lowest of the low for Omar Ceesay to be making such allegations. NPP in fact had 12 applicants, one withdrew, and one died, and we are now left with 10 applicants who will be contesting for the primaries on Thursday. The only reason we delayed the selection was to honour and mourn the demise of one of the applicants. Politics is no child’s play,” Njie said.

Dr Tamsir Mbowe blasted back at Essa Faal by asking the lawyer why he didn’t take it upon himself to confront former President Yahya Jammeh when he expelled a UN diplomat in 2007 after she criticised his HIV/AIDS cure.

Continuing his testimony on the former president’s HIV/AIDS cure on Wednesday, things got a little tense between Essa Faal and the top doctor when the former asked him whether he protested Jammeh’s decision in expelling the diplomat.

“Why should I, is that my concern, am I working for the UN?” Dr Mbowe told Essa Faal.

Faal then insisted: “Dr Mbowe, you’re minister of health, you had conversations with the UN ambassador about the treatment programme your boss was doing and she criticised the programme to you and she was expelled from this country. You know that is the highest action that a state can take against a diplomat. Do you agree with that?”

Dr Mbowe replied: “I don’t know of that. Whether that is the highest crime or the lowest crime or action or. I don’t have any problem with that.”

Faal still insisted: “But you’re a national leader Dr Mbowe, you cannot escape that. You’re minister of health.”

“Essa, you’re a Gambian, why didn’t confront the president or write to him and tell him what you’re doing is wrong or is right?” Dr Mbowe fired back.

“I was not minister of health,” Faal responded.

“No, no, no but you’re a citizen. If you’re a concerned citizen…,” Dr Mbowe responded.

Gambia For All has warned it will condemn any attempt by any entity that tries to put pressure on ‘our hard working security forces for political gain’.

Stating its position on Hamat Bah’s hugely controversial comments, the BB Darbo-led party said in a statement: “It feels like De-ja-vu A la Jammeh. Gambians fought an epic struggle against dictator Yaya Jammeh; to bring back sanity and national unity in our once harmonious republic. Here we are again witnessing state encouraged bigotry, and malicious verbal vandalism rearing its ugly head.

“It is observed with deep regret, that such inflammatory language disrespectful of Gambian citizens, is uttered by none other than a Secretary of State, from a podium erected at the most respected institutions in the country, the people’s state house, and in plain view or hearing of the Head of state.

“People should be reminded that civilized societies not only have laws against driving under the influence “DUI”, but there are also laws against Speech under the influence “SUI” calculated to cause communal disharmony.

“The good people of the Gambia have endured a lot in the last 23 years and are trying to heal. Transitional instruments have been set up to foster nation building and national reconciliation, and that includes a comprehensive security reform.

“If the minister suddenly feels so aggrieved by what he describes as tribal profiling, the right thing befitting his status as a Cabinet minister is to direct that complaint to his Cabinet colleague, the minister of the Interior, to mount an investigation into a practice many Gambians will find abhorrent.

“The Gambia for All (GFA) strongly believes in the unfettered rights of all Gambians to live in peace with dignity, and free from all forms of discrimination. At the same time, we will condemn any attempt by any entity that tires to put pressure on our hard working security forces for political gain.

“Gambians are proud of the ethnic harmony that exists in the country before, and since independence; any attempt to disrupt that for political gain is doomed to fail.”

Mai Ahmad Fatty and US-based Karamba Touray squarred off on Wednesday after the GMC leader accused ‘a lot of people’ of jumping to conclusion over his position on Hamat Bah’s comments.

Mai Fatty Wednesday morning wrote that a lot of people jumped to the ‘wrong’ conclusion just by reading The Standard’s ‘Mai Defends Hamat’ headline. The GMC leader said they didn’t read the story.

US-based Karamba Touray who has agreed with Mai Fatty on many issues in the past commenting on the political leader’s statement said: “Your defense of his character based on what you call your personal interactions with him despite what we all heard and saw him say is what has angered and disappointed many not how editors wrote their headline .

“You not only condoned his ugly rhetoric, you called those who took offense as bandwagon cry babies who were making an issue out of a benign statement . You also failed to condemn the President who hosted and similarly approved of the ugliness that Amat exhibited.

“People are upset because they expected better of you especially because you persistently refer to morality being the cornerstone of your party and personal philosophy when it comes to politics and leadership.”

An unmoved Mai Fatty fired back: “I disagree with you. Your anger or disappointment are noted but unacknowledged. I know of a Party Leader whose single statement is uniquely responsible for the mess we are into.

“If that abominable statement wasnt made and empowerd by you all, Barrow would have been history. You don’t have the courage to condemn that. Spare me the hypocrisy Karamba.”

Top medical doctor Dr Tamsir Mbowe has stated former President Yahya Jammeh cured the HIV/AIDS virus.

“He (Jammeh) used to use two terms: ‘I will eliminate the virus, I will cure the virus’. He eliminated the HIV virus and he cured the HIV/AIDS virus,” Dr Mbowe told the TRRC Wednesday morning when Essa Faal asked him whether Jammeh cured the deadly disease.

His testimony continues…

Foreign Minister Dr Mamadou Tangara has told a ministerial roundtable partnership and cooperation are key ingredients for offsetting problems faced by Central Sahel.

Central Sahel comprise countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – and there was high level ministerial summit to discuss challenges faced by the region on Tuesday.

The foreign minister said at the summit: “The whole question of achieving peace, security and addressing humanitarian and development challenges in the Sahel remains a pertinent issue for The Gambia. The Gambia remains strongly committed to peace, security and development in the Central Sahel and the whole Sahel, in general.

“The Central Sahel continues to face mounting insecurity, severe climate change conditions, food crisis, growing IDP population of 1.6million and now the socio-economic, health and humanitarian impacts of COVID-19. The effects of these combined factors is leaving the sub-region of Central Sahel with a population of 13.4m people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

“Consequently, as a way forward, my delegation is calling for the formulation of smarter and sustainable measures to address the challenges faced by the countries in the Central Sahel with a view to assisting them in restoring the trust and confidence of the ordinary people in the various interventions while addressing their needs.

“In this regard, addressing funding gaps of humanitarian organisations, including issues relating to governance and access to resources, youth unemployment and most importantly recognising the linkages between peace, security, human rights and development in the region, will go a long way to stabilise the Central Sahel.

“The question of fulfilling international commitments in addressing development gaps and creating opportunities for the people should remain a central pillar in our search for stability in the region.

“Furthermore, to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the interventions in the Central Sahel sub-region, the international community must ensure that sustained political and peacebuilding processes are pursued to address the root causes of conflict through active, inclusive and cohesive political dialogue in order to build the foundations for sustainable peace and conflict resolution in the sub-region.

“In addition, the importance of supporting national governments and institutions to take charge of the security and development programmes and projects of their countries is very crucial. Wide consultations and creating appropriate conditions for national and local ownership of the processes would remain very important.

“My delegation is also of the strong opinion that, increased international solidarity, partnership, cooperation, while ensuring complementarity and coherence in approaches within the international community and on the ground, will remain key ingredients for achieving success in the Central Sahel.”

Dr. Mamadou Tangara on Monday received in his office the captain of The Gambia’s international youth team, Tijan Jaiteh, who was recently appointed Goodwill Ambassador of The Gambia by His Excellency President Adama Barrow, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“Mr. Jaiteh, an accomplished football player served The Gambia for over a decade in the pitch with much candour. For the past years, he has become a familiar face in the realm of supporting the poor and the needy in the country,” the ministry said.

It added: “In welcoming Mr. Jaiteh, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tangara, congratulated Jaiteh for the appointment and also for the trust and confidence bestowed in him by H.E. the President. The Minister used the opportunity to inform Jaiteh that as Representative of The President, he has the leverage to perform duties on behalf of The Gambia with a view to achieving the developmental aspirations of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and The Gambia in general.

“He assured him of the Foreign Ministry’s full support in continuing a long path of success for the youth and the country.

“For his part, Mr. Tijan Jaiteh, thanked the Foreign Minister for the support and assured Minister Tangara that he would continue to do his utmost best in serving The Gambia.”

State House said on Tuesday President Adama Barrow will embark on a day’s official visit to the Republic of Guinea Bissau on Wednesday, 21st October 2020.

“The President will depart Banjul International Airport at 11:00 AM,” State House said in a statement.

US-based Zakaria Kemo Konteh has blasted Mai Fatty by saying the GMC leader showed ‘spectacular’ cowardice in his opinion on Hamat Bah’s comments.

Speaking to The Standard in an exclusive interview said he did not find the tourism minister as a tribalist, pinning his conclusion on “my personal interaction, knowledge and understanding of the person of Hamat Bah”.

Zakaria Kemo Konteh whose opinion pieces The Fatu Network publishes however wrote on Tuesday: “May it be clear to you that those who hold a different view of this matter(different from yours) are guided by both context and precedence. State House meeting was not the first and only place Hamat tried to import hate and division in the presence of President Barrow. It did not arise out of vacuum.

“When matters as obnoxious, divisive and dangerous as tribal politics are pushed from the fringes to the main stream by influential actors, our least expectation of equally influential people is to muster the courage, conviction and honesty to describe such conducts for what they are. Unfortunately, you failed to meet the statesmanship of this moment. Your attempt to provide blanket cover for Hamat Bah’s naked divisive rhetoric is – contrary to your professed principles – not based on any fact but rooted in your subjective interpretation of the situation and this makes it nothing more than a mere opinion. I will go further to assert that your opinions in this case are influenced by showmanship, the desire to present yourself as a maverick politician who is not carried [by] overwhelming public sentiment.

“Also, the fact you went to great length trying to offer alternative meaning to Hamat’s diatribe but couldn’t find it compelling to prosecute or point out the threat it poses to national security makes your entire argument not only weak but abhorrently misleading..

“So years from now, you will be remembered as a politician who, when given the opportunity to condemn his colleague’s filthy tribalist statements and hold him accountable in light of the underlying threat, he decided to show spectacular cowardice and covered it up with rubbish claims!”

By Lamin Njie

A witness in the trial of Bubacarr Keita, accused of rape, said on Tuesday the man she got married to in 2014 was Bubacarr Keita, the same person as the accused.

“Yes, it’s him,” the first witness in the trial while being examined by prosecutors said a few minutes into the 25-minute session.

Bubacarr Keita, 29, is standing trial for allegedly raping his ex-wife’s 16-year-old sister last year. He has denied any culpability.

During Tuesday’s court session, the witness said while married she stayed with her husband in the compound of the latter’s father in a KM town.

“It was three bedrooms and one living room,” the witness said after the prosecuting lawyer asked her the number of rooms that made up the apartment she lived with her husband.

The witness told the high court in Bundung it was five of them that lived in the apartment – herself, her husband, her sister and her two kids.

“*Tida is my sister, we share the same parents,” the witness responded when asked about her relationship with one of the occupants of the apartment.

She then gave a sketch of how the apartment looked like thus: “When you enter the apartment, you first have the living room. The first bedroom is opposite the living room but no one sleeps in there because we felt that the children cannot sleep alone. They either sleep with us (husband and her) or my sister.

“So the second bedroom is where *Tida was occupying. That’s opposite my room. But there’s a store and a bathroom that’s in-between.”

The prosecuting lawyer then asked her to tell the court about her own room and the one her husband occupied.

“My ex-husband and I stayed in the same room; the kids were sleeping in either *Tida’s room or sometimes my room,” she said.

The case returns on Thursday.