By Sarjo Brito

The country’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice has revealed that diaspora voting under the 1997 Constitution could potentially be unconstitutional.

Dawda A. Jallow was addressing the issue of diaspora voting during the 5th Stake in The Nation Forum. He said the country does not have any National Assembly Constituency in the diaspora and as such, any registration of voters outside the Gambia could potentially be unconstitutional as per the 1997 constitution.

The constitution provides that every citizen of The Gambia being eighteen or older and of sound mind shall have the right to vote for the purpose of elections of President and National Assembly and shall be entitled to register as a voter in a National Assembly Constituency for that purpose.

Justice Minister Dawda A. Jallow said the above constitutional provision does in fact grant a right of every citizen the right to be registered to vote but argued that following interpretation of this provision, the constitution limits such registration to National Assembly constituencies which the diaspora is yet to have.

”National Assembly Constituencies are a distinct geographical area demarcated by the boundary commission pursuant to section 50 of the constitution. This raised practical difficulties with regard to the registration of Gambians in the diaspora.

As observed, voters must belong to and only vote in the constituency of their registration unless they transfer their registration. In this case, however, The Gambia does not have any National Assembly constituencies in the diaspora and as any registration of voters outside of the Gambia could possibly be unconstitutional.”

Justice Minister further stated that for diaspora voting to be possible, it will require both a Constitutional amendment and an amendment of the Elections Act which he says were not feasible in the recently concluded Presidential elections due to the mandatory timeline of passing new legislation.

Dawda Jallow however assured Gambians that his office is ready to convene stakeholder meetings between Foreign Affairs Ministry and Gambians abroad, the Independent Electoral Commission and other relevant stakeholders to look into the issues surrounding diaspora voting with a view to finding immediate solutions to them.

The Secretary General and Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Lawyer ANM Ousainu Darboe has confirmed that the party holds the country’s judiciary (more so the apex court) in the highest esteem and expresses full confidence in its impartiality, independence and competence.

“All genuine members of the Party must know that the UDP’s commitment to the rule of law and its respect for the courts is unequivocal and holds the Supreme Court in the highest esteem.

Therefore, on behalf of the National Executive Committee and indeed the entire membership of the UDP, I wish to again express our full confidence in the impartiality, independence and competence of the Judiciary of the Gambia,” a statement from the party read.

This is in direct response to certain individuals claiming to be members of the UDP who continue to make derogatory and reprehensible comments about the judges of the Supreme Court. The party says no genuine member of the UDP will engage in such impertinent behaviour directed at the leaders of the highest court of our nation.

It used the opportunity to condemn in the strongest possible terms any person casting aspersions on the character and integrity of the judges of the Courts of the Gambia.

It notes that even where the party disagrees with a decision of the Supreme Court, the Party has always respectfully pointed out the error of the Court in its interpretation of the law.

According to Lawyer Darboe the UDP will continue to seek justice according to the law from the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court of the Gambia.

“Again, I call on all UDP members to be civil in their discussions and desist from making disparaging comments or personal attacks on the character of any of our compatriots, more so make any attempt to impugn the character and reputation of a universally respected and eminent jurist of Africa, His Lordship, the Hon. Chief Justice of the Gambia,” the UDP statement noted.

It further urged all Gambians to respect the judges and the decisions they make; and to be courteous to lawfully constituted authorities and engage them with decorum and the respect they deserve.

By Sarjo Brito

Amidst the COVID-19 upsurge, The Central Bank of The Gambia has during the ‘5th Stake in the Nation Forum’ held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre on January 8th, 2022, announced that diaspora remittance inflows to the Gambia hit an all-time high to the tune of $774.6 Million, Accounting for 69.2% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Presenting the data at the high-profile event, the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia Dr. Seeku Jaabi acknowledged the contribution of remittance towards the country’s economy and its impact on the lives and livelihoods of the average Gambian.
Dr. Jaabi said despite the global pandemic, Gambians in the diaspora continue to pump money into the economy.

“In 2021 remittance reached 774.6 million USD, 62.9% of our GDP. Despite the challenges of the coronavirus, diaspora Gambians have not relented in supporting their families and enhancing development aspirations of the motherland,” Dr. Jaabi said.

Diaspora contribution to the economy of The Gambia has significantly increased over the years. Between 2017-2018, a Gambian Diaspora Strategy was developed and implemented in Gambia’s National Development Plan 2018-2021.

The goal according to the Migration and Sustainable Development Project was to ‘enhance the role of the Gambian diaspora in national development, as the 8th region of the country’.

By: Dawda Baldeh

The advent of technology in this generation has badly affected the culture of reading in many countries including The Gambia.

As a way of rejuvenating that culture Alieu Jobe, Head Boy of Nusrat Senior Secondary School has over the week urged his fellow pupils to adopt the culture of reading good books, noting that books give the reader knowledge and wisdom.

Jobe was speaking during the launch of the book “Don’t Judge the Book By The Cover” at Ebujeng Threate in Kanifing.

The book was written by Gambia’s Award-winning author, Modou Lamin AGE-ALMUSAF Sowe and launched as members of the International Association of African Authors and Scholars celebrated 15 years of The Gambian Literature.

According to Alieu Jobe technology has led to many students becoming lazy when it comes to reading books, adding that the use of google and other software in learning can only give the user knowledge and not wisdom.

“I am calling on all the students to adopt the culture of reading books. We have great writers in Africa and their books are very important. As students, we must be ready to read as much as we can because we are the leaders of tomorrow,” Alieu Jobe noted.

By Sarjo Brito

In line with section 151(1) (a) of the Local Government Act 2002, the Ministry of Local Government and Lands is set to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption and malpractices at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC).

This was made known through an official correspondence from the ministry to KMC.

According to the letter the ministry shall delve into allegations of corruption against the council from 2018 to date and for other connected matters as reported to the Ministry by the Lord Mayor, the CEO, and the special inspection reports.

The letter clearly notes that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice shall appoint a Lead Counsel and other officials to assist the Commission in its findings.

The Commission in line with the Local Government Act shall complete its work within three months from the date of its establishment. In August 2021, the Kanifing Municipal Council under Lord Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda was embroiled in a huge corruption scandal amid reports that the then Deputy Mayor Musa Bah solicited bribes of up to 1 million dalasis from a company.

Musa later resigned from his position based on what the mayor described as ‘personal grounds’.

The other person who was mentioned in these allegations of corruption was the Chief Executive Officer of the Council Mrs. Sainabou Martin Sonko. Mrs. Sonko was alleged to have acquired a loan in the name of the staff association of KMC without their knowledge or consent. The embattled Sainabou Martin Sonko was later suspended by the Council in a move the Local Government Ministry said was illegal.

Meanwhile, the correspondence has not made clear when the said commission for the inquiry shall be set up.

A group of would-be footballers sweat and shine in their kickabout in the late afternoon heat, their boots spraying up little clouds of dust as they run.

They play a stone’s throw away from the mesmerising waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and in the shadow of the triangular peak of Mount Cameroon.

They are palpably excited that their town, Limbé, is hosting matches at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). The continent’s showcase international football tournament gets under way on Sunday.

“It’s a great pleasure of us Cameroonians. It will be a pleasure to welcome people from other countries for this great tournament,” says Erik.

Frederick, who plays as a goalkeeper for one of the best teams in Limbé, says he cannot wait to catch a glimpse of Premier League stars like Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Senegal’s Sadio Mane.

Until now he has only been able to watch them on television.

“Maybe I could talk to them, greet them. I would be very happy.”

Limbé is the only city in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions hosting Afcon matches and just as Mount Cameroon looms over Erik and Frederick’s pitch, there is a shadow over the tournament here.

For almost five years Anglophone Cameroon has been ripped apart by civil war.

Cameroon was carved up by the French and British, and that colonial legacy left a linguistic divide.

For decades after independence Anglophones complained they were marginalised, with political and economic power concentrated in the hands of the French-speaking majority.

In 2016 lawyers and teachers led a peaceful protest movement in Anglophone Cameroon. Many were arrested and within a few months the region was at war.

‘Hell on earth’

Nobody knows exactly how many people have died, though both separatist groups and government forces have been accused of atrocities.

More than a million people have been forced from their homes.

“It was like hell on earth,” says Akame Kingsly Ngolle, who ran a school in Munyenge – to the north of Limbé – but had to flee when the bullets started flying.

“As an individual everything I had was burned down, my house and every other thing.”

Most of the teachers and pupils made it to Limbé too, and the school is operating again, albeit in rented premises. The wooden walls on the ground floor of the three-storey building make it feel very much like a temporary solution.

The teachers have to deal with many difficulties, including students who have missed out on many years of education.

Nobody goes to school – or does much of anything – on Mondays either. Like most of Anglophone Cameroon, Limbé is turned into what’s known here as a “ghost town” then, because of the threats of separatist groups to attack anyone who goes to work or school.

Source: AFP

West African leaders will gather Sunday to discuss Mali’s political crisis, with the military junta submitting a new timeframe for a transition back to civilian rule at the last minute after its first proposal was rejected.

The extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc in Ghana’s capital Accra is expected to discuss possible sanctions on the Sahel state over potentially delayed elections, among other issues.

The meeting comes after months of increasing tensions over the timetable for restoring civilian rule in Mali after a military takeover in 2020.

In August that year, army officers led by Colonel Assimi Goita toppled the elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita amid street protests against his unpopular rule.

Under threat of sanctions, Goita subsequently promised to restore civilian rule in February 2022 after holding presidential and legislative elections. But he staged a de facto second coup in May 2021, forcing out an interim civilian government.

The move disrupted the reform timetable and was met with widespread diplomatic condemnation. ECOWAS insisted that Mali hold elections in February.

But the government then said it would only set an election date after holding a nationwide conference- arguing that a peaceful vote was more important than speed.

Swathes of Mali lie outside of state control, with the government struggling to quell a jihadist insurgency that has raged since 2012.

On December 30, after Mali’s reform conference ended, the government suggested a transition period of between six months and five years, starting from January 1, 2022.

This would enable the authorities to “carry out structural institutional reforms and (organise) credible, fair and transparent elections”, it said.

But ECOWAS mediator Goodluck Jonathan asked the regime to revise that plan during a visit last week, Mali’s foreign minister said.

On Saturday, the junta submitted a new proposed timetable to the bloc’s acting president, Malian state television reported — without giving any details about its contents.

– Potential sanctions –

The 15-nation ECOWAS has led the push for Mali to uphold its commitment to stage elections early this year.

The return to civilian rule has put the bloc’s credibility on the line as it seeks to uphold fundamental principles of governance and contain regional instability.

Source: AFP

By: Dawda Baldeh 

After landing safely in Cameroon yesterday, the Scorpions have today started training ahead of their median AFCON encounter. The Gambian side will face Mauritania on the 12th of January 2022.

This early training is expected to enable the players to interact with one another as they come from different football clubs in different countries.  

The Scorpions were in camp in Qatar but unfortunately due to the travel restrictions caused by COVID-19 their training and test matches were not successful in Qatar.

On Saturday, the team converged and had a feel of what the pitch in the host country, Cameroon was like. The players were excited and vowed to bring Africa’s top football trophy home.

Babu Emmanuel Lokiri, the young man accused of killing three siblings at Rock City in Juba on 1st August 2020, has been hanged to death. This was confirmed to Eye Radio by Ogwili Kuot, the President of the High Court in Juba.

According to the South Sudanese independent broadcaster Eye Radio, Emmanuel Babo Lokiri was hanged on Friday 7th January 2022 at around 2:00 PM.

Babu was first condemned by the court to death in August 2020 after the court discovered that he slaughtered the three children.

Babu 24, was found guilty of the gruesome killing of 9-year-old Naomi, 7-year-old Blessing and 4-year old Nor Edward.

Judge Kuot says Babu was killed after all the court procedures were completed that mandated his hanging.

“The process was done according the prison procedures. Nobody is hanged without approval form the President of the Republic”, he added.

According to Article 206, premeditated murder is considered if the act that caused the death was committed with the intention of causing the death or if the perpetrator of the act knew that the death was a probable result rather than merely a possible result of an act or any bodily harm that was intended to cause it with the same act.

Babu used a machete to end the lives, the court heard.

The murders angered South Sudanese all over the world, including President Salva Kiir who promised to ensure that the killer faced justice.

Credit: Eye Radio

Egyptian authorities have freed Egyptian-Palestinian rights activist Ramy Shaath from more than 900 days of detention after forcing him to renounce his Egyptian nationality.

Shaath’s detention came amid a continuing crackdown on political dissent under Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

A family statement said on Saturday that Shaath – a member of several secular political groups in Egypt and a co-founder of Egypt’s pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement – was released on Thursday evening and handed to a representative of the Palestinian Authority in Cairo before being flown to Jordan.

He is now on his way to France, it added.

Shaath’s French wife Celine Lebrun Shaath, who was deported from Egypt following his arrest, had lobbied the French government to pressure Egypt to release him.

There was no immediate comment from Egyptian authorities on his release.

“If we are glad that the Egyptian authorities heard our call for freedom, we regret that they forced Ramy to renounce his Egyptian citizenship as a precondition for his release that should have been unconditional,” the family statement said.

Shaath was arrested in Egypt in June 2019 and held in pre-trial detention alongside other activists on accusations of aiding a “terrorist” group.

His detention came amid a continuing crackdown on political dissent under Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that has swept up liberal critics as well as the Muslim Brotherhood members whose removal el-Sisi led in 2013.

El-Sisi and his supporters have said there are no political prisoners in Egypt, and security measures were necessary to stabilise the country after a 2011 uprising.

In a statement last month, several NGOs questioned President Emmanuel Macron on the fate of Shaath, a year after the French leader said he had brought up his case with el-Sisi.

However, at the time Macron made it clear that human rights would not be a condition for economic and military ties with Cairo.

France said in May it would deliver 30 Rafale warplanes to Egypt from 2024 in a 4 billion euro ($4.8bn) deal as it strengthened its military partnership

Source: Aljazeera

At least 16 people froze to death after heavy snow trapped them in their vehicles as tens of thousands of visitors thronged Pakistan’s hill town of Murree.

The military was mobilised to clear roads and rescue people still trapped, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said in a video message on Saturday, adding: “At least 16 to 19 people died inside their vehicles.”

ties were from the family of fellow Islamabad police officer Naveed Iqbal, who also died. All 16 died of hypothermia.

Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed shock over the “tragic deaths” of the tourists. “Have ordered inquiry and putting in place strong regulations to ensure prevention of such tragedies,” Khan said in a tweet.

Located about 50km (22 miles) north of the capital, Islamabad, Murree is a popular winter resort that attracts well over one million tourists annually. Streets leading into the city are often blocked by snow in winter.

Videos shared on social media showed entire families, including children, lying dead in their snow-covered vehicles.

Snowfall, which began on Tuesday night, continued at regular intervals, attracting thousands of tourists. Because of the huge numbers of visitors, many families ended up getting stranded on roads.

“This is an example of systemic failure because according to reports, about 100,000 vehicles headed to the hill station, one that has narrow roads,” said Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad.

“There were warnings of heavy snow and that led to a total catastrophe because people were stuck in their vehicles, entire families. Their vehicles were buried under heaps of snow.”

Ahmed, the interior minister, said more than 1.2 metres (4 feet) of snow fell in the area overnight and all incoming traffic was blocked on Saturday. The minister said paramilitary troops and a special military mountain unit had been called in to help.

“Until then no vehicle or even people on foot are allowed to enter Murree except for the emergency and rescue vehicles and those bringing food for the stuck people,” he said.

Umar Maqbool, a local administrator, said the heavy snowfall hampered rescue efforts during the night and even heavy equipment brought in to clear the snow got stuck initially.

Officials gave no further details about those who died in their stuck vehicles but said they were working on both recovery and rescue operations. Food and blankets were distributed to the stranded tourists.

The Punjab province chief minister’s office said Murree had been declared a “disaster area” and urged people to stay away

Source: Aljazeera

Celebrating 15 years of The Gambian Literature, Gambia’s Modou Lamin AGE-ALMUSAF Sowe a member of the International Association of African Authors and Scholars has on Friday launched his new book ‘Don’t Judge The Book By The Cover’ and unveiled his Award of Excellence for African Literature.

An award he recently won in Atlanta, Georgia, the USA, at the Book and Leadership Summit organised by the International Association of African Authors and Scholars (IAAAS).

The event took place at the Ebunjan Theatre in Kanifing, opposite The Gambia Football House (GFF). Friday’s event witnessed an artistic combination of poetry, cultural dance and drama performance.

The Secretary-General of the Pan-African Writers Association, the Executive Director of the International Association of African Authors and Scholars, the Presidents of Writers Associations in 7 countries, international scholars from the USA, the UK, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, France, and Belgium all graced the occasion.

The book was written in 2006 as an advocacy tool to promote literacy and a reading culture amongst the youth, especially those from poor families.

Award-winning author, Sowe is the founder of the Young Writers Association of The Gambia (YWAG), former Secretary-General of the Writers Association of The Gambia, and the current Executive Director of the World Writers Association (WoWA).

The Gambia’s Ministry of Health has on 7th January 2022 issued an updated travel advice which targets particularly incoming passengers.

This is in direct response to the discovery of 26 Omicron Cases, 13 of which are from outgoing travellers. They came from samples collected between 22nd and 28th Dec 2021 the Health Ministry stated.

The Health authorities informed the general public that all departing passengers will be required to adhere to the COVID-19 testing requirement for the destination countries upon confirmation by the Port Health Officers or airline representatives as might be published.

The Scorpions have finally left the shores of The Gambia to participate in the AFCON 2021 in Cameroon. The team was yesterday welcomed home by cheerful fans upon their arrival from Qatar. This was followed by a dinner last night at State House with President Adama Barrow in Banjul.

The Scorpions left the smiling coast of Africa to participate in their first AFCON tournament.

At the airport, sports fans, families and Gambian supporters turned out in their numbers to bid farewell to the team and express their support for them.

The team left the country in a joyous mood and in top gear all set to represent the country in the top African league.

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, on Wednesday 5 January 2022, had a flurry of diplomatic engagements in his office in Banjul.

First to be received by Foreign Minister Tangara was the United States Ambassador, His Excellency Richard C. Paschall, followed by the European Union Ambassador, His Excellency Corrado Pampaloni.

The two envoys were welcomed to the Foreign Ministry by the Honourable Minister, and Permanent  Secretary, Mrs Saffie Sankareh – Farage.

Minister Tangara commended both delegates for the continuous support and discussed ways to deepen the already cordial relations between the counties.

The Ambassadors congratulated the Gambian people for ensuring their voices were heard in the December 4 presidential election and the President of the Republic of The Gambia, His Excellency Adama Barrow for the victory, and for maintaining peace and stability during and after the election. Ambassador Paschall said he saw the passion people had while voting. Ambassador Pampaloni thanked the Minister for receiving him, and also said the election was “calm”.

A senior official involved in Cameroon’s hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations has assured the BBC that separatist rebels pose no threat to the tournament, which begins on Sunday.

Engamba Emmanuel Ledoux admitted that last week, groups fighting for the independence of Anglophone Cameroon set off an explosion in the town of Limbé, which will host some of the games.

But he said the government had introduced security measures to stop the rebels from attacking the event or the nearby town of Buer, where some of the players are due to stay.

“The threats have been going on. This is not the first time. You know, we organised the CHAN [African Nations Championship] last year within the same environment,” he said.

Source: BBC

Tanzania’s parliament speaker Job Ndugai has resigned days after clashing with the president over the government’s external loans. The speaker said his resignation was a personal and voluntary decision taken in the interest of the nation.

President Samia Suluhu had accused him of planning to sabotage her for political reasons after he commented about the country’s loans. The president had just announced a new loan from the International Monetary Fund when the speaker commented that the country was at risk of being auctioned because of loans.

Mr Ndugai issued a public apology to President Samia, which she rejected. She said everything that was happening had to do with political interests in the 2025 general elections.

Source: BBC

By: Dawda Baldeh

As part of his farewell message to the national team, President Adama Barrow has asked the gallant Scorpions to continue working as a team, noting that teamwork makes things easy for everyone. Teamwork the president told the team will help one achieve goals easily.

He expressed his government’s gratitude to the national team for ensuring The Gambia qualifies for the AFCON and wished them the best of luck as they leave the country for Cameroon.

“I am happy to be the first sitting president to witness the country qualify for the AFCON,” he said.

Adding that sports is a major source of strengthening the national economy.

“Football is no longer an issue for anyone to take as a joke. We have noticed that by the way, the sports community brought all Gambians together to support the national team,” President Barrow said.

He went on to encourage the Scorpions to continue raising the national flag higher whilst entreating them to continue showing professionalism and discipline in all aspects.

He revealed that this is the first time the country is participating in a continental tournament.

“I urge you all to do your best in representing the country. Keep it up the scorpions. You should always remember to work as a team. Be assured that my government will do its utmost to support you so that you can do your best. I urged all Gambians, businessmen and women, philanthropists and individuals to support the national team.” President Barrow ended.

The Scorpions are expected to leave Banjul for Cameroon today. They will play Mauritania on Wednesday 12th January 2022. This is the first time Gambia has qualified for the AFCON.

More than 90 hostages have been rescued in separate rescue operations in northwest Nigeria local police have announced.

The Commissioner of Police in north-western Zamfara State, Ayuba Elkana, told a press conference in the state capital Gusau on Tuesday that 97 kidnapped victims including babies, nursing and pregnant women were “rescued unconditionally” in joint military operations in Zamfara’s Shinkafi and Tsafe districts on Monday.

Among those rescued were seven pregnant women, more than a dozen babies aged between two-seven months old, and 16 children between the ages of two-seven years, police said.

The regional police chief added that the kidnapped victims were found “stranded in the bush,” and had been in captivity for more than two months.

Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Zamfara’s Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, said Monday’s rescue operations was a joint effort of the state government and security agencies, including useful intelligence reports from “repentant bandits.”

“It was a collaborative effort between the state government, security agencies, and also the help given by some repentant bandits who have been helping the government in giving intelligence about the activities of the abductors that led to the release of the victims,” the senior state official told CNN. “No ransom was paid,” he stated.

In a series of raids, military operations targeted the hideouts of two kingpins known as Bello Turji and Ado Aleru.

Police say Aleru was a mastermind behind the kidnappings. Both men have been linked to a string of kidnappings in the region.

Zamfara and its north-western neighbours have been under siege for many months by marauding gunmen locally known as ‘bandits’ who have reigned terror and masterminded a series of kidnappings in the region.

Dosara told CNN that the kidnappers were forced to abandon their captives following “intense pressure” by government forces.

Nigeria’s military has, in recent weeks, targeted Zamfara forest reserves which serve as hideouts for insurgents with extensive military raids and multiple airstrikes.

“The government put intense pressure on the bandits by taking a series of measures to facilitate easy access into their enclaves… That was why they decided to abandon the rescued victims,” Dosara said.

The rescued hostages will be reunited with their families after medical checks, police said.

Source: CNN