Sixty-six Gambian troops Wednesday evening returned to the country from Darfur, Sudan where they have been on a peacekeeping mission since last year.
Major Sidia Danso led an advance batch of troops that arrived at Banjul International Airport at 6:25pm Wednesday.
The Fatu Network’s Fatou Camara III reports from the airport the troops had their temperatures taken as soon as they came down from the plane.
They will be bussed straight to a quarantine centre, she added.
Two officials of Access Bank accused of stealing up to 21 million dalasis have arrived back in The Gambia after their arrest in Senegal, police confirmed Wednesday.
Juldeh Jallow and Sarjo Corr allegedly emptied Access Bank safe deposit boxes at the bank’s branch in Barra and fled to Senegal.
Senegalese outlet Senego reported on Wednesday Senegalese detectives were ordered by the country’s attorney general to hand them over to The Gambia.
The duo have now arrived in the country, police spokesman Superintendent Lamin Njie told The Fatu Network, adding they are currently helping the police in their investigations.
Gambian men continue to contract coronavirus more than their women counterparts, according to data compiled by the ministry of health.
According to the ministry of health’s latest report, men have dominated women in all but one age category.
In the 31 to 40 years age category, 500 men have tested positive for coronavirus compared to 315 women.
Also in the 41 to 50 years age grouping, 331 men have contracted coronavirus compared with 179 women.
But the women lead in the 21 to 30 years category as well as 20 years and below category where women are leading by 412 and 134 compared to 404 and 131 respectively.
Senegal will hand over two officials of Access Bank who allegedly emptied safe deposit boxes and fled to Senegal.
The two top officials at the bank’s branch in Barra are mired in an elaborate heist that some people liken to the popular drama movie Money Heist.
Police spokesman Superintendent Lamin Njie confirmed to The Fatu Network the incident had happened and that it was under investigation.
At least 21 million dalasis is said to be involved, and Senegalese media reported on Wednesday the men will be handed over to Gambian authorities at the advice of Senegal’s attorney general.
According to Senego, the two men Sarjo Corr and Momodou Juldeh Jallow were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) in Dakar, relying on Liberation newspaper.
The paper also reported that 80,000 dollars was found on them at the time of their arrest.
By AFP
Mali’s junta, which seized power two weeks ago, will hold transition talks with political parties and civil society groups this weekend following mounting pressure for a quick handover to civilian rule.
“These meetings aim at drawing up a roadmap for the transition, to define the outlines and organs of the transition and to define the charter of the transition,” the junta said in a statement Tuesday.
The August 18 putsch has prompted Mali’s neighbours along with ally and former colonial ruler France to call for a swift transfer of power, amid worries over instability in a country struggling with an Islamist insurgency, ethnic violence, endemic corruption and economic malaise.
The military rulers have this time invited to the talks the June 5 Movement, which spearheaded a protest movement that led to the toppling of president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The movement was not invited for transition talks last Saturday when the junta called off discussions at the last minute.
The other players invited to the talks on Saturday and Sunday include former rebels, unions and representatives from the media.
The June 5 group has demanded that the military rulers give it a role in the transition to civilian rule, which the military has promised without setting a timetable.
Mali’s influential imam Mahmoud Dicko, a key player in the mass opposition protests that led to Keita’s ouster, said the junta did not have “carte blanche”.
“We will not give a blank cheque to anyone to run this country, that’s over,” he said.
“We led the fight,” he said. “People have died and the soldiers who have completed (this fight) must keep their word.”
The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States regional bloc has been piling pressure on the junta to hand over power quickly, fearing that the crisis could impact neighbouring states.
ECOWAS mediator and former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, said last week that the coup leaders wanted a three-year transition period.
This was rejected by the bloc, which has demanded an immediate civilian transition and elections within 12 months.
ECOWAS slapped sanctions on Mali after the coup, including a closure of borders and ban on trade and financial flows.
– Call for reforms –
Civil society platforms have meanwhile called for deep reforms, especially on electoral laws and the administrative machinery.
The powers of the president, the prime minister and parliament need to “be clearly defined”, said Abdourhamane Ben Mamata Toure, a lawyer and a former director at France’s prestigious Ecole nationale d’administration (ENA) which trains future bureaucrats.
One of the criticisms levelled against the toppled president is that he hogged power.
Keita, 75, was elected in 2013 as a unifying figure in a fractured country and was returned in 2018 for a second five-year term.
But his popularity crashed as he failed to counter the raging eight-year-old jihadist insurgency and brake Mali’s downward economic spiral.
Thousands of lives have been lost, hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes and swathes of the country have been abandoned to armed Islamists by the state.
Gambia Democratic Congress will make medical care fo children, elderly and pregnant women free if it forms government.
GDC last Sunday launched its website and manifesto as it gears up for presidential elections next year.
And according to the opposition party’s manifesto, medical care for children, elderly and pregnant women will be free if the party takes power.
The party also said it will build a major hospital in each region with a network of referral health centres.
The major hospitals will be fully equipped with resources, including a fully functional radiological services and operating theatres, the party said.
Ebou Jobe has yet to recover his passport after his bag was stolen by two men last month.
Jobe, 26, was returning home in Bijilo from his mother’s place in Fajikunda on August 22 when two men at Sukuta traffic light begged him for a ride.
It was around 9.30 when everyone was scrambling to get home before the 10pm curfew kicks in.
Ebou was then left to regret according the two men a ride as they discreetly took his bag.
He is planning to travel back to Canada next week.
The Fatu Network has gathered police are helping in finding the bag.
The nation’s coronavirus fatalities rose to 97 on Wednesday after a 65-year-old woman died of the virus.
The ministry of health said Wednesday one new COVID-19 related death recorded bringing the total number of deaths to 97.
The deceased was a 65-year-old woman whose sample was collected and tested posthumously and the results returned positive for COVID-19, the health ministry said.
George F Gomez, a man who made a name for himself in the entertainment industry as well as sport has died. He was aged 82.
Tributes poured in for the former Executive Secretary Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) who died late Tuesday.
One commented: “This is going to be a huge loss for the Gambia. Undoubtedly he is a state man.”
Another commented: “He was a national treasure indeed, unmatched in his enthusiasm for the common good as was keenly observed during the July 1981 mayhem. His performance on the football field at box bar stadium, his athletics prowess and above all his warmth won my deep admiration for this one gentleman of a kind .May he rest in peace.”
Gomez was the former chairman of the National Sports Council and the President of the then Gambia Football Association (GFA). He was also former Hospital Administrator at Royal Victoria Hoapital.
The Brikama Magistrates Court has convicted Muhammed Bah and Ebrima Kebbeh of theft and burglary.
They were charged with breaking and stealing, burglary and conspiracy to commit felony, police said today.
They added: “On count one, they were sentenced to one year mandatory jail term without any option of a fine.
“On Count two, they were sentenced to a fine of D10,000 in default to serve two years imprisonment.
“Hearing continues on count three and other fresh matters against them including the case investigated by the Airport CID and reported earlier on.
“The duo are notorious for breaking and stealing in Babylon, Lamin, Yundum and surroundings.”
The ministry of health on Tuesday announced four spots will be used to collect samples from people undergoing COvid-19 test.
They are, the Independence Stadium in Bakau, KMC (sample collection started and ongoing), Buffer Zone in Latrikunda, KMC (sample collection started and ongoing), Brusubi Main Roundabout, WCR, adjacent to the Petroleum Building (sample collection started and ongoing), and Brikama, WCR, behind Mbalet Junction (sample collection will start on Monday, 7th September 2020).
Samples will be collected from these sites only on week days, Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 3:00pm each day, the health ministry said.
Gambia Armed Forces said on Tuesday a new contingent is set to replace the Lieutenant Colonel Yero NA Jallow-led contingent which has ended its tour in Darfur, Sudan.
GAF said a new contingent dubbed GAMCOY 23 comprising 132 troops is set to leave the country in two batches between September 2 and September 23.
The army said in a statement: “The Gambia Armed Forces wishes to kindly inform the general public that its current contingent serving under the United Nations Mandate as Peacekeepers will end their Tour of Duty and will be replaced by a new Gambian contingent. The first batch of the new contingent will depart Banjul on 2 September 2020, the same day the first batch of the current Gambian contingent will also return from Darfur, Sudan. It could be informative for the public to know that the troops forming this deploying contingent underwent a month long Pre-Deployment Training in Battle Lessons, Battle Exercises, Rules of Engagement, Human Right, Cultural Diversity, Convoy Operations, Anti Ambush Drills, Searches, and Public Order Operations amongst others.
“GAMCOY 23 consists of 132 personnel of all ranks and would be led by Lieutenant Colonel Ebrima Krubally who was until of recent the Commanding Officer of 4 Infantry Battalion in Kanilai. He will be assisted by Major Abdou Jatta as his Second in Command. The contingent consists of 13 officers, 119 other ranks and 11 female soldiers. They will leave for Darfur in two batches on 2nd and 23rd September 2020 respectively.
“The normal Farewell Parade and deliberation of Statement usually presided over by His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Gambia Armed Forces could not hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequent upon this situation, this year’s farewell to our troops has been conducted in a low-key fashion at the Gambia Armed Forces Training School in Bakau on Tuesday 1st September 2020.This has been done in line with the Gambia Armed Forces high command’s adherence to the international protocols as well as the State of Public Emergency Regulations.
“The event was graced by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence Ndey Marie Njie who ably represented the Honorable Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff Gambia Armed Forces Major General YakubaDrammeh, the Service Commanders, men and women of the Gambia Armed Forces.
“Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Defence, Honourable Sheikh Omar Faye, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence Ndey Marie Njie expressed confidence in the preparedness of the troops. She pointed out that the training that the troops received will no doubt adequately prepare them for the multidimensional challenges in the contemporary peacekeeping environment which has been very dynamic and complex. She advised them to always remember the confidence reposed on them as ambassadors of the Gambia Armed Forces in particular and the nation in general.
“In a similar vein, The Chief of Defence Staff Gambia Armed Force highlighted some contributions made by the Gambia through deployment of troops to Darfur. He echoed messages of discipline, respect for diversity, professional behavior and the exhibit of the highest sense of being an ambassador of the Gambian people. He said the Gambia has become an epitome of hope for the people of Darfur despite her size owing to the professionalism of the Gambian contingents. Furthermore, the season General Officer went down memory lane recounting his days in the mission area noting it is a pride and honour to serve humanity.
“He further stressed that the Gambia Armed Forces would therefore not tolerate any member found wanting of crimes relating to sexual abuse, theft or harassment of civilian populace. He was quick however to note that the Gambia is widely respected in the United Nations missions around the world and that he has high hope on the men and women being deployed. Major General Drammeh premising on the enviable track record already established by the Gambian troops sent to Sudan over the years, on behalf of the His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief Mr. Adama Barrow, asks for the prayers of the nation as this rotation unfolds.”
Police on Tuesday confirmed that a theft incident had occurred at Access Bank and that an investigation had been opened into it.
Reports emerged Tuesday of two Access Bank senior officials in Barra emptying safe deposit boxes at the bank’s branch in Barra and bolting.
Multiple sources told The Fatu the two officials fled to Senegal where they have now been arrested.
Police spokesman Superintendent Lamin Njie confirmed to The Fatu Network the incident had happened and that it was under investigation.
At least 21 million dalasis is said to be involved.
By Lex 18
Lexington police have charged two suspects in connection to the homicide investigation of 56-year-old Sabel Jallow, who was found dead Monday in her Masterson Station home.
Dalton Carpenter and his girlfriend Jessica “Nicole” Hoskins, who was contracted as Hoskins’ guardian, are both being held in the Clay County Detention Center.
Both have been charged with auto theft. Carpenter has active warrants for murder and tampering with physical evidence that will be served Tuesday, Lexington police said.
The investigation found that Carpenter and Hoskins, who lived in the home with Jallow, were involved in an altercation with the victim. Carpenter is accused of causing traumatic injuries to the victim, killing her.
Lexington police discovered Jallow’s body at about 9:30 a.m. inside a home on Majestic View Walk. Upon further investigation, officers found that Jallow’s SUV was missing from the home.
Investigators determined that Jallow lived in the home with Jessica “Nicole” Hoskins, 18, and was contracted as Hoskins’ guardian by an agency.
Hoskins was not at home when police responded to the scene, and surveillance video from a neighboring home showed Jallow’s vehicle leave the street at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Lexington investigators later discovered that Hoskins has ties to the Manchester area and contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s office at about 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Shortly after, officers found the SUV in the driveway at Hoskins’ mother’s house on Curry Branch Road. Hoskins and her boyfriend Dalton Carpenter, 19, of Paris, Ky., were both inside the home.
Jallow’s husband said Hoskins did not have permission to drive the SUV.
Hoskins and Carpenter were both interviewed about the homicide on Monday afternoon.
A warrant was issued for theft of a vehicle and both Hoskins and Carpenter were arrested and taken to Clay County Detention Center.
The over two months detention of nine elders of Perai Tenda came to an end on Tuesday following their release on bail by the Basse High Court.
Judge Landing Sanneh on Tuesday set the elders free on bail following a prayer by a lawyer for the accused persons. The Fatu Network understands bonds were set at 200,000 dalasis alongside one Gambian surety who must deposited his or her ID Card with the Registrar of the Court.
The matter was adjourned to 5th October 2020.
It comes after the people of Perai railed at the continued detention of their elders amid a petition by the people of the village to the Inspector General of Police demanding the release of the elders.
Youth of Perai Tenda and Waliba Kunda squared off on July 5 over a land which both villages claim ownership of. Many were injured during the violence which saw machetes, knives and sticks deployed. The elders were arrested and detained shortly after over arson and other allegations.
Guinea President Alpha Conde has accepted his party’s nomination to run in October’s election, the party said on Monday, taking advantage of a new constitution to seek a third term that his opponents say is unconstitutional.
Conde, who was first elected in 2010, pushed through a change to the constitution that was approved by a referendum in March that was boycotted by the opposition. Talk of a potential third term sparked widespread protests that have killed at least 30 people over the past year.
Conde’s supporters say the constitutional change acts as a reset button on the two-term limit.
The ruling Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) nominated Conde earlier this month to represent it in the Oct. 18 poll. At the time, Conde said he took note of the nomination, but he stopped short of formally accepting it.
“We have the immense privilege and joy of informing the Guinean population that (Conde) has granted our request: President Alpha Conde will be our candidate,” the RPG and allied parties said in statement read on national television.
Conde is a longtime opposition leader whose election raised hopes for democratic progress. But his efforts to stay in power have raised concerns Guinea will go the way of other African countries whose rulers have refused to step down long after their mandates expired.
Guinea is Africa’s largest producer of the main aluminium ore, bauxite. It also has significant reserves of iron ore, including the massive Simandou reserve, the largest known deposit of its kind with more than 2 billion tonnes of high-grade ore. (Reuters)
Madi Jobarteh on Tuesday appeared elated as he announced he has tested negative for coronavirus.
“I Am COVID Free! Alhamdulilah,” Mr Jobarteh wrote Tuesday.
He quickly added: “Text from Ministry of Health: “Your Covid19 test performed in Western 1 is Negative”.
“Thank you all for your prayers, best wishes & guidance! The task of nation building continues unabated! Forward…”
Mr Jobarteh last month announced he tested positive for coronavirus and had been on self-isolation.
By AP
American R&B singer Akon says construction will begin next year on his $6 billion plan to build a futuristic pan-African city in Senegal.
Akon first announced his idea for the utopian city, dubbed “Akon City”, back in 2018. The project has been described as a “real-life Wakanda,” comparing it to the technologically advanced fictional African place portrayed in the blockbuster film “Black Panther.”
On Monday, Akon said he hoped his project would provide much-needed jobs for Senegalese and also serve as a “home back home” for Black Americans and others facing racial injustices.
“The system back home treats them unfairly in so many different ways that you can never imagine. And they only go through it because they feel that there is no other way,” he said.
“So if you’re coming from America or Europe or elsewhere in the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop.”
Akon, who was born in the United States to Senegalese parents, spent much of his childhood in the West African country.
On Monday, he traveled with government officials to the grassy fields in Mbodienne some 100 kilometers (62 miles) outside the capital where construction has yet to begin.
Tourism Minister Alioune Sarr said Akon’s launch comes at a time when private investment is scarce and badly needed. International flights have resumed in Senegal, but at the moment are only for citizens and residents with a few exceptions.
Akon said the project already has secured about one-third of the $6 billion needed, but declined to publicly identify his investors, citing non-disclosure agreements. After construction begins in early 2021, the first phase of the project alone could take more than three years, he said.
Akon City is promising a bit of everything: a seaside resort, a tech hub, recording studios and even a zone dubbed “Senewood” that developers hope will help develop Senegal’s film industry.
Plans eventually call for Akon City to have its own hospital, police station and even its own cryptocurrency already named AKoin. Without giving specifics, the singer also said he’s considering franchising the concept to other countries on the continent.
Gambia Democratic Congress will scrap Police Intervention Unit when it takes power, according to the party’s manifesto.
GDC over the weekend launched its website and manifesto as the party stepped up preparations ahead of next year’s presidential elections.
According to the party’s manifesto, the PIU will be “abolish[ed], the police forces to be localised under the umbrella of local government”, once it comes to power.
The party said elsewhere in the manifesto, about the police: “A GDC government will provide: first class training to our police forces to enhance their knowledge in policing by consent, meanwhile empower the communities to work with the police forces as stakeholders and partners in keeping communities safe for everyone.
“Community groups, civil society and other stakeholders shall be given seats in newly establish local Safeguarding boards. The Safeguarding board shall comprise of the respective positions in each administrative area, police chief, major or mayoress, Chief/Alkalo, NAMs representing the area and civil society groups base in the area. These boards shall hold quarterly meetings about keeping the administrative area safe.”
Gambian women in Lebanon have asked the governemnt to stay off their business as they also slam members of the public that are attacking them.
The distressed women are pushing to return to the country as the continue to face hardship in Lebanon.
The women came out on the streets in Beirut on Monday to say they were forced to sign a fake declaration by the government.
One of them said in videos shared with The Fatu Network: “We want to tell Gambians we asked for help from the government. For nine months we have been in this country suffering. Nobody helped us. We then went to Facebook where we shared our video and Lovette Jallow came forward to help us to go back to Gambia.
“We came here for work, nobody came here for play, nobody came here for sex work. There is a lot of talk, everyone speaking their mind. We are tired. You should leave us alone. Whether it’s Saikou Ceesay and his kind, you guys should leave us alone. We now have someone who’s standing up for us.
“We didn’t come here for sex work. If it comes to sex work, it’s rampant in Gambia. Is it not sex workers that built storey houses? Is it not sex workers that are driving cars? We are living in poverty even food is a problem and we came here to live by out sweat and there is a lot of dirty talk. Keep your dirty talks to yourselves.”
