Authorities in Rio de Janeiro announced on Tuesday the cancelation of next month’s carnival street celebrations due to an increase in Covid-19 cases brought on by the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

It is the second year running that the coronavirus has forced the Rio Street parade, which was due to take place from February 25 to March 1, to be called off.

“The street carnival in the form that took place in 2020, which did not happen in 2021, will not take place in 2022,” Mayor Eduardo Paes said in a live broadcast on social media platforms.

The street parade by musical bands called “blocos” is different to the better-known procession by samba schools that takes place in Rio’s Sambadrome.

The Sambadrome can hold 70,000 people in a stadium that allows authorities to control those that enter.

Amongst the options available to them are proof of vaccination, a negative covid test and the wearing of masks for those in attendance.

“The street carnival, given its nature and its democratic aspect, makes any type of control impossible,” said Paes.

In 2020, there were an estimated seven million revellers for the days-long street parades, according to the Riotour travel agency.

Although previous meetings between Rio authorities and the blocos failed to reach a compromise, new talks are planned for Friday where the musical groups association president Rita Fernandes told AFP they will make “a more decentralized proposal.”

The arrival of the highly contagious Omicron variant, coupled with an increase in social gatherings over Christmas and the New Year, has seen covid cases soar in Rio.

New covid cases jumped from 21 on December 14 to 458 just two weeks later.

So far, though, the rise in cases has not led to a significant increase in hospital admissions or deaths.

Four fifths of Rio’s population have had at least two vaccine doses while almost a quarter have also been given a booster shot.

Some 67 percent of the South American country’s 213 million population are vaccinated with two doses, while 12 percent have had the third.

Almost 620,000 people in Brazil have died of coronavirus, second only in the world to the United States.

Source: AFP

This past year saw an inundation of climate disasters worldwide. Changing weather patterns have led to extreme events like hurricanes in the US Northeast and floods inundated cities across Europe, which caught many residents off guard. Fire pummelled communities and sent emissions through the roof across Turkey, Siberia, and the western US. The intensity of many of this year’s events has destroyed public and private property displacing millions around the globe.

Christian Aid, a UK-based charity focused on addressing global poverty, released a report last week outlining some of the worst disasters this year–and the billions of dollars in damage they have caused. Out of the 15 climate-related disasters described in the study, ten have cost more than a billion dollars worth of damages. This will be the sixth year out of the last ten that have cost over $100 billion due to global natural catastrophes.

Hurricane Ida, which struck various states across the East Coast in late August into early September, was the most expensive climate event of the year—racking up damages and cost about $65 billion. Several months after this storm, thousands of displaced people, including 14,000 in one Louisiana parish alone, were still looking for suitable shelter. The report reflects a 13 percent increase in the price pinned to the most damaging climate disasters. Still, these estimates came from insured losses, which means actual damage could be significantly higher.

“This report gives a sense of the climate suffering which has taken place around the world in 2021,” Mohamed Adow, director of Nairobi-based think tank Power Shift Africa, said in a release. “It’s a powerful reminder that the atmosphere will not wait for us to deal with the COVID pandemic.  We need to act at scale and with urgency if we’re going to fend off these kinds of impacts into the future.”

Researchers at Christian Aid also noted that millions of people were displaced because some of the singular billion-dollar disasters forcibly displaced tens of thousands at once, like the floods in British Columbia in Canada. The South Sudan floods that went on for weeks displaced more than 800,000 people. More than 1,000 people have died as a result of these disastrous storms.

Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s climate policy lead and a lead author of the study, told PopSci that the uptick of costly climate events means that poor communities are going to be disproportionately affected. Not only are populations being internally displaced, but it will take those communities longer to access safe housing and other necessities after a disaster.

“There are a lot of people in developing countries in camps three years afterward, trying to struggle on and carry on and relying on aid … not being able to rebuild their lives to have access to education, [or] decent health care,” she explains. “They might have better access to [resources] if the country wasn’t continually losing a huge proportion of its GDP to these kinds of climate impacts.”

Earlier this year, lower-income nations called out the lack of accountability from wealthy, high-emitting countries at COP 26. Financial support, a form of reparations for poorer countries for highly-affected governments, was written into the Paris Agreement. However, wealthier countries have not followed through on that pledge to fund resiliency for vulnerable nations.

“When we say fulfill your pledge, it’s not a matter of charity … It’s a matter of paying a clean-up fee,” said Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, in an interview with BBC Africa this past fall when he demanded that high emitting nations pay up the more than 100 billion pounds.

Kramer agrees that better policy globally, along with solidarity and financial support for vulnerable communities, could mitigate the cost of future disasters.

“If we’re throwing billions away to mop [after the climate disasters], why aren’t we spending those billions instead to try and avoid all of this happening anyway?” she says. “We’ve got to try and minimize the problem … that’s going to take political will.”

The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has cautioned the country’s main opposition the United Democratic Party (UDP) to respect the laws and institutions created by the country’s constitution.

The NPP gave this caution whilst responding to UDP’s statement on the Supreme Court Ruling on the election petition.

The statement which was put out by Seedy SK Njie, Deputy Spokesman of the NPP said that consequent to the recent statement issued by A N M Ousainu Darboe, UDP and what it describes as ‘some unfortunate statements circulating in social media seeking to denigrate the recent decision of the Supreme Court’ in the election petition brought by United Democratic Party (UDP), the National Peoples Party (NPP) has deemed it necessary to release this statement.

The statement noted that the candidate of the NPP Adama Barrow won the said election by a very convincing number (Adama Barrow received 457,519 votes whilst A N M Ousainu Darboe received 283,253 votes) and the election was monitored by several international and national election observers who all commended the conduct of the said election.

The statement said that following the said loss, the UDP has made several unsubstantiated claims in a bid to have the verdict of the Gambian people set aside. One of the claims made related to the registration of non-Gambians.

“The registration of voters by IEC was very transparent and complaints about this should have been made to the revising court as required by the Elections Act. The Supreme Court would not, therefore, have been the proper forum to determine this issue.

On the other issues raised in the petition, NPP answered same and was satisfied that they would have prevailed at trial despite the 2000 pages of documents submitted by UDP.”

The NPP said, despite the above allegations it is satisfied that the Supreme Court of The Gambia carried out its constitutional mandate in dealing with the UDP petition.

“The Supreme Court could not legally proceed with the hearing of the petition on its merits without the UDP complying with the preliminary issues of law which would give the Court the jurisdiction and the mandate to proceed with such a hearing,”

The statement reminds the UDP that it was their (UDP) failure to comply with the law that caused the striking out of the petition and prevented the hearing on the merits.

Meanwhile, the NPP and His Excellency President Adama Barrow the statement reiterates have always accepted decisions of the courts including the Supreme Court decisions whether for or against the government without seeking to vilify the courts in any way.

The party, therefore, calls on all other political parties to act in a similar manner. Indicating that,

“Our judges must be allowed to give their judgments based on their oaths of office and their understanding of the law.”

“All of us need to respect our laws and the institutions created by our Constitution to ensure that we live in a peaceful and democratic country where we can continue to approach our courts with our grievances. We must not encourage our citizenry to ignore the laws and our institutions and must have respect for the Rule of Law,” the NPP statement maintained.

By: Christian Conteh

The mood was sombre, the silence deafening a group of people who identified themselves as victims sat at one end of the Gambia International Conference Centre at Bijilo as a list of names was read out from the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) Report.

The names were of people who had been brutally murdered and their alleged murderers. Former President Yahya Jammeh’s name was mentioned on almost every list. The TRRC report holds him responsible for these killings either due to his actions and or inactions.

Sulayman Ndow, Mahawa Cham, Ceesay Bujiling, Mamut Ceesay, Ebou Jobe, Ndure Cham, Mustapha Colley, Tumani Jallow and Abdoulie. The list goes on and on.

“Yahya Jammeh, Gen. Sulayman Badjie and Bora Colley bear joint responsibility for the killing of Ello Jallow. Yahya Jammeh, Gen. Saul Badjie, Nuha Badjie, Mustapha Sanneh, Momodou Jarjue (Rambo), Nfansu Nyabally, Omar Jallow (Oya) and Sulayman Sambou were responsible for the murder of Mustapha Colley,” the report states.

At the back of the hall, a lady, probably in her mid-30’s sat alone, isolated from the rest of the attendees. I couldn’t help but notice her puffy eyes and tears rolling down her cheeks. She later identified herself as Fatima (not her real name). She accused the Jammeh regime of killing her husband.

“They killed my husband, Jammeh killed him, and I will not rest until justice is served,” she said.

When asked about the details of what happened Fatima declined, saying she was not psychologically prepared to share the horrifying story again.

Fatima is one of the several victims of Jammeh’s 22-year dictatorial rule in The Gambia who seek justice.

Several women who came out to publicly testify particularly about being sexually violated during the era under review were met with the major challenge of stigmatization prompting a statement from the TRRC in 2019 appealing to all members of the public to be more sensitive to the pain of these vulnerable women and to respect their privacy and integrity.

The TRRC was established to investigate crimes committed in The Gambia under the leadership of Jammeh from 1994 to 2017. The report resulted in a three-year-long investigation during which the commission heard testimonies from over 300 witnesses. In summary, the report has called for the prosecution of Yahya Jammeh and his cohorts.

The Gambia telecoms company Gamtel have confirmed that there was a total internet outage affecting the entire country on Monday.

An internet outage hit the nation early Monday pushing citizens into communication blackout.

According to Gamtel in a tweet, the issue was due to ‘technical issues’ on the backup links.

“The isolation was due to technical issues on the backup links,” Gamtel said.

Firecrackers have set a house on fire during the celebration of New Year. The incident happened around midnight when people started blasting firecrackers in the normally peaceful and quiet neighbourhood.

A stray firecracker landed on a thatched house, ignited and razed down a portion of a plush two-storey property in Harare’s northern suburb of Greystone Park, Zimbabwe as people celebrated the crossover into the New Year.

The fire consumed much of the house’s thatched roof while household property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed, although no fatalities were recorded. When The Sunday Mail visited the house, it was all rubble and smoke at the property.

A resident at the property, Mr Breit Spark, said:

It happened at midnight, I was sleeping when I heard a loud bang of a firecracker exploding and moments later I found the house had caught fire — I am very certain it was a firecracker that ignited the house.

We got assistance from neighbours who came quickly to assist with getting some of the furniture out.

Were it not for the kindness and assistance of neighbours and the dedicated hard work from the fire department, things could have been much worse.

Harare City Council fire chief officer Mr Clever Mafoti confirmed the incident adding “our team responded swiftly to the incident and managed to save some section of the house.” He added:

We could not establish the cause of the fire during that time because our primary objective in such incidents is to save life and property. We will wait for our investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.

In 2019, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said members of the public wishing to launch fireworks and firecrackers during the crossover are obliged to first notify neighbours and secure police clearance, noting that the fireworks pose a serious danger to humans and animals.

Source: Sunday Mail

The 33rd Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday in Cameroon, having been delayed a year by the coronavirus pandemic. Here, BBC Sport Africa runs the rule over Group F, which includes Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania and debutants The Gambia.

Fixtures

Wednesday, 12 January: Tunisia v Mali, Mauritania v The Gambia

Sunday, 16 January: The Gambia v Mali, Tunisia v Mauritania

Thursday, 20 January: The Gambia v Tunisia, Mali v Mauritania

The Gambia

Momodou Bah (Sports journalist, The Gambia): The Gambia will be one of two debutants in Cameroon, having surprised the continent’s football giants with their historic qualification in March.

The tiny west African country started their campaign in the preliminary stage in October 2019 and finished top of their qualifying group, which included higher-ranked and acclaimed opponents in Gabon, DR Congo and Angola.

Since his appointment in July 2018, Tom Saintfiet has turned around the fortunes of the Scorpions, registering their first competitive victory in over five years against Benin that November. Nonetheless, the former Togo and Namibia coach has been heavily criticised for his style of play and his selection criteria.

Tunisia and Mali are favourites in the group but with four of the six third-placed teams guaranteed a knock-out spot, The Gambia will fancy their chances of progressing.

FC Zurich forward Assan Ceesay has been a lethal goal poacher while Musa Barrow (Bologna), Ablie Jallow (FC Seraing), Omar Colley (Sampdoria) and former Manchester United starlet Saidy Janko are expected to play a huge part.

 Tunisia

Souhail Khmira (Tunisian sports journalist): Given Tunisia’s performances in World Cup qualifiers and the Arab Cup in Qatar, going far at the Nations Cup is not going to be an easy task.

Boss Mondher Kebaier has been criticised for failing to get satisfactory results, and his choice of players has repeatedly been questioned by fans.

Tunisia have always opted for a defensive style of play, which fluctuates based on their opponents.

Esperance de Tunis’s Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane is one of the players to look out for, Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United) has also shown great potential in the few matches he has played while Wahbi Khazri remains one of the most valuable assets.

Tunisia remain one of the favourites despite their underwhelming results lately, with the Carthage Eagles often managing to surprise their fans by snatching last-minute qualifications.

Mali

Baba Cissouma (Journalist at Malian journal Match): For its 12th participation in the Nations Cup, Mali wants to climb on the podium’s highest step for the first time.

The colts of coach Mohamed Magassouba were walking on water in qualifying for this tournament, and they excelled when reaching the World Cup play-offs too: winning five and drawing one of their six games, with 11 goals scored and none conceded.

The Eagles will be happy about playing in Cameroon, where they reached the finals of both the 1972 Nations Cup and the 2020 African Nations Championship.

Mali can count on the maturity and the form of the squad’s young players, nearly all of whom are African champions at Under-17 level, silver medallists at the U17 World Cup or Under-20 World Cup bronze medallists between 2015 and 2017.

Mali also has two major advantages: firstly, the arrival of a goalscorer in Ibrahima Kone of Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08, who scored five goals in World Cup qualifying, and then the stability of Magassouba, who has been in place since 2017.

Mauritania

Lassana Camara (Journalist covering Mauritania): After a half-successful test for coachDidier Gomes da Rosa at the Arab Cup, the time has come for the Frenchman to carry out a reconstruction of the team.

Da Rosa, who succeeded his compatriot Corentin Martins in November, was able to get to know his group (or part of it) and assess the temperature, pulse and rhythm of his team. It should be noted many executive players were absent during the Arab Cup, including Aboubakar Kamara (Aris), Ibrehima Coulibaly (Le Mans) and Aly Abeid (Valenciennes).

Technical staff identifying who should form the backbone of the team must have their work cut out, since many wolves with long teeth have distinguished themselves and could steal a place from certain other players.

The Mourabitounes find two old adversaries in Group F. The Tunisians are considered their bête noire while the Malians caught them cold during the previous edition of the Nations Cup in Egypt.

The Gambia will be the keystone of Mauritania’s participation. A good tournament involves a triumph against this unknown side on 12 January – at the risk of seeing the spectre of defeats resurface repeatedly.

Source: BBC

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi and First Lady Isaura Nyusi have tested positive for Covid and are in isolation.

A statement from the presidency said Mr Nyusi and his wife had decided to isolate in accordance with health guidelines after testing positive, even though they were not showing symptoms.

It said they had decided to do the tests after “several activities we’ve done over the past few days”.

Coronavirus cases have been rising in recent days.

The country has so far recorded more than 193,000 Covid-19 cases, 2,031 deaths and 158,680 recoveries.

Source: BBC

Guinea’s main opposition leader says more than 100 of the country’s political parties will present a joint demand for a return to civilian rule to the military junta that seized power in September.

Cellou Dalein Diallo told a news conference that the Collective of Political Parties had agreed a timetable for a political transition.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is demanding elections within six months.

It suspended Guinea from the regional bloc after President Alpha Condé was deposed in a coup nearly four months ago.

On Monday the United States dropped Guinea, along with Ethiopia and Mali, from a Africa trade preference agreement over human rights concerns.

Source: BBC

PDOIS chief Halifa Sallah has told supporters of the party his decision not to participate in presidential, National Assembly and other elections as candidate is informed by necessity.

In his New Year’s message, Mr Sallah said: “I will also add that my decision not to participate as candidate in Presidential, National Assembly and Council elections is dictated by necessity. There is more for me to do than to seek a mandate to be in the National Assembly, after showing my worth in that domain and other PDOIS members would still be there to hold the fort.

“It would not serve the national interest in spending another five years in legislative and oversight work in the assembly to manage or reform the system, when I stood for its change and could be conducting research and educating a generation on the rudiments of changing it for the better.

“Suffice it to say, to sit for another five years as an aspiring president in the waiting would transform me into a political careerist. I have more value to add to society than to be an aspiring president in waiting.

“History now assigns me to prepare the ground for the evolution of the party and the country so that posterity will not find us wanting in clarity and commitment to country and people. A person does not have to lead by physical appearance. One can lead by ideas and force of example. That is the verdict of truth and common sense and it is irrefutable.”

The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) has informed Gambians about the unavailability of about 16 players for the teams pre-AFCON friendly international matches with Algeria and Syria, forcing the federation to call off both matches.

“The GFF regrets to inform the general public that due to the unavailability of 16 players, representing 57% of the final 28, our pre-AFCON friendly international matches with Algeria and Syria have both been called off.

The unavailable players include: Lamin Jallow; Bubacarr Jobe; Baboucarr Gaye; Omar Colley; Ebrima Sohna; Saidy Janko; Sheikh Sibi; Noah Sonko Sundberg; Yusupha Njie; Steve Trawally; Ebou Adams; Ibou Touray; Modou Jobe; Ablie Jallow; Modou Barrow and Yusupha Bobb, is a major hit to the country’s  AfCON preparations.

The Scorpions are currently on a 10-day camp in Qatar preparing for its maiden appearance at the African Cup of Nations, which gets underway in Cameroon few says from now. The Gambia will begin its campaign against Mauritania on January 12 before taking on Mali four days later and rounding up their group campaign with the 2004 champions Tunisia on 20th January.

As part of the preparations, Coach Tom Saintfiet’s team is scheduled to play with Africa and Arab champions Algeria and Syria. However, both matches have now been called off at the request of the Gambian team.

“Because we do not also have a goalkeeper, we are forced to call off our matches against Algeria and Syria. We’ve so many unpredictable situations making it very difficult to prepare for AFCON that we’re not happy with. But no one is to be blamed,” Saintfiet told www.gambiaff.org.

“We’re missing so many key players [at the moment] some of whom are here [in Doha already] but are not available to train. Some of them are not even here so it’s a very complex situation. It’s very sad because I was really looking forward to

Lt. Col. Musa Jammeh will be amongst a host of African football authorities on assignment at this month’s Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Known by his sobriquet Falcons, Jammeh, an Executive member of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) and a FIFA security liaison officer for the GFF, has been appointed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as one of the 25 security and safety officers for the biannual event. He will be posted to Baffousam in the western region of Cameroon.

As part of his assignment, the former Gambia national team midfielder will be working with Cameroon’s Local Organising Committee for the security management of matches during the tournament. It is the first for The Gambia to be privileged with such an assignment at CAF’S flagship national team competition.

Lt. Col. Jammeh has had series of trainings in Cairo, Egypt, conducted by CAF and has also attended a retreat in Cameroon held in 2020 to enhance his technical skills in the security and policing of international matches.

Jammeh was security officer in the high-profile decider between Guinea and Mali for the AFCON qualifiers held in Guinea Conakry as well as other CAF Confederations Cup matches played across the continent.

Argentine DJ Fer Palacio has denied accusations he infected Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi with COVID-19 after being labelled a “murderer” on social media.

PSG confirmed that Messi is one of five first-team players to have tested positive for coronavirus during the year-end holiday break, with the 34-year-old remaining in Argentina until he is cleared to travel.

Since Messi tested positive while in Argentina, he is following self-isolation protocols in his native Rosario. Messi attended a number of parties in Argentina over the festive period, including a New Year’s Eve bash at which he invited Palacio to perform.

Palacio posted a picture on Instagram posing with Messi at the party last week, with the caption: “I got the greatest to dance. Thanks to all the Messi family for the invitation.”

he 31-year-old DJ has since been subjected to abusive messages online following Messi’s positive COVID-19 test, with users suggesting he is the man responsible for the PSG forward’s diagnosis.

In response, Palacio has come out to set the record straight while also providing video evidence of his own negative COVID-19 test.

“I am a trend on Twitter because Messi tested positive for COVID-19,” he said on Instagram. “They relate this to me saying that I infected him. They have even called me ‘murderer.’ I have a lot of very bad private messages. Yesterday I got tested because I have to travel to Uruguay and I do not have COVID-19.”

Messi will have to register a negative test before being cleared to return to France. As a result, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has been ruled out of PSG’s Coupe de France Round of 32 clash against Vannes on Jan. 3. Depending on his test results and the timing of his travel, Messi may also be unavailable for the Ligue 1 leaders’ trip to Lyon on January 9

Source: SPORTINGNEWS

Priti Patel has vowed to slow down visa applications from nations who are refusing to take back criminals and asylum seekers from the UK.

The Home Secretary plans to ‘impose visa penalties’ on countries who don’t ‘cooperate’ on deportations in a fresh crackdown on those who are ‘abusing our hospitality’.

She revealed Gambia will be first for the stricter measures after they ‘ignored’ calls and ‘only took four criminals’ back last year.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Cambodia and Vietnam are also under consideration for visa penalties after their records for taking back deportations were also low.

Speaking to the The Sun on Sunday, she said: ‘Some countries do not cooperate on returns and so we will impose visa penalties on countries who refuse to take criminals back.

‘We rightly take back British citizens who commit crimes abroad and other countries do the same.’

The number of foreign criminals released from prison on to the streets reached a record high of almost 11,000.

Official figures show that at the end of June there were 10,882 foreign national offenders who had been released from jail but not deported.

All are subject to deportation because they were handed prison sentences of at least 12 months. (DailyMAIL)

Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia has announced the arrest of a housewife with prohibited drugs.

Mariam Ceesay was apprehended on December 1 with one parcel and six wraps of suspected cannabis sativa as well as seven stones of suspected cannabis resin (hashish). She was arrested in Bundung by DLEAG’s Bundung field office.

DLEAG also announced the arrest of three others.

DLEAG said: “Demba Jobe was clutched by DLEAG’s Serrekunda field office with twenty (20) stones of suspected hashish and thirty six (36) stones of ecstasy. He was nabbed on the 31 December 2021 at Kololi.

“Another adult male Gambian was also arrested at Kololi on the 31 December 2021 with six (6) small bundles and eighteen (18) parcels of suspected cannabis sativa. 40 years old Lamin Bajo was arrested by DLEAG’s Serrekunda field office

“In the West Coast Region, DLEAG’s Sanyang field office took into custody one Mustapha Sawaneh, an adult male Gambian and a resident of Sukuta Jola Kunda on charges of being in possession of a prohibited drug.  He was arrested in Sukuta on the 1 January 2022 around 03:13 GMT onwards with four (4) parcels and forty one (41) wraps of suspected cannabis. All four suspects were taken into custody while investigations continue.”

The nation’s top military leader has enjoined his commanders to ensure judicious use and periodic maintenance of vehicles under their care.

Speaking in a New Year message to troops, General Drammeh said he was also aware of the logistics constraints of the army.

He said: “…I am quite aware of the logistics constraints affecting the sustainability of our operations across the country, especially in the area of troop carrying vehicle and patrol vehicle. I want to assure you that my Headquarters has taken appropriate steps to address this critical operational shortfall as soon as possible.

“Meanwhile, commanders at all levels are enjoined to ensure judicious use and periodic maintenance of vehicles under their command.

“I believe this can be achieved if you imbibe and practice pragmatic leadership approach in ensuring that materiel under your respective command is managed in an efficient and effective manner.”

President Adama Barrow has vowed to continue working hard assuring Gambians his government is now better placed to deliver bigger successes.

In his New Year’s address, the president said his first term in office was characterized by various reforms and development initiatives.

The president said: “I remain indebted to all voters and stakeholders for the orderly conduct of the elections. Together, we have made The Gambia a model of democracy in Africa and the world over. The task at hand is to sustain it for good. Such success should motivate us to aim higher. The days ahead provide opportunities for all of us to explore as a nation and as family units and individuals.

“Officially, today (Dec 31) marks the end of our three-year National Development Plan, 2018-2021 and it signals the end of our five-year 2017-2022 political transition phase. However, the hard work continues. We look forward to 2022 with great optimism and zeal.

“During the last four years, various reforms, policies and strategies were successfully initiated. A few others are nearing completion. I assure you that government is now better placed for bigger successes.”

The Alliance for Patriotic, Reorientation and Construction has said The Gambia is bigger than the party and that it is not averse to the idea of former President Yahya Jammeh facing justice if such move is in line with the law.

Former President Jammeh is APRC’s supreme leader but relations have broken down between the former president and those who have been holding the fort for him led by Fabakary Tombong Jatta. He branded them traitors and summarily ‘sacked’ them when they struck a deal with President Adama Barrow in the build-up to last year’s presidential election.

The TRRC report has been subjected to President Adama Barrow and the report has seen the probe indict former President Jammeh for murders, torture and rapes.

Asked if APRC will accept whatever decision is made against Jammeh, party deputy spokesman Dodou Jah said: “If it [action against Jammeh] is in line with the laws of the land, who are we to say no? The country bigger than us as a party, it’s bigger than us as individuals and we as Gambians, we have nothing against the victims. We have been saying that.

“Justice will serve its course. But it’s not gonna be like people could bend it to the corner to settle scores with certain individuals or the former president, no. Let the law takes its course, we are not against justice and we will definitely support the victims ourselves.”

Imam Bakawsu Fofana has slammed reports he has taken a fifth wife, accusing the Wahabi Muslims of not minding their business.

Reports last week emerged of Imam Fofana marrying a fifth wife but the imam while dismissing the report as false said he is not averse to the idea.

The imam said: “I heard them talking about a Kawsu, I don’t know if they are referring to me. They said he has five wives. If they are referring to me, I have said it five years ago. That looking at the present situation, there is no limit to [marrying] a wife. There is no limit to it.

“The imams who said it and given the growing number of women and the less number of men, what is reasonable is to marry many wives. I will never blame anyone who does it.

“But anyone who believes it’s forbidden to marry five wives should not do it. But anyone who believes there are scholars who said it’s not forbidden to do so should do it. The Wahabi doesn’t mind his business. How is Bakawsu marrying five wives or more your business?”