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

A bill introduced in Senegalese parliament meant to toughen existing laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people has been rejected. Gay sex is already punishable by up to five years in jail.

The bill would have lengthened the term to a maximum of 10 years and led to a threefold increase in the maximum fines. It would also have specifically targeted LGBT and similar activities as crimes.

The Office of the National Assembly, which stopped the proposed bill from proceeding to the floor, said the current law is clear and severely punishes homosexuality.

The bill had been initiated by 11 MPs, who said they had the backing of key religious groups. Senegal has a 95% Muslim population and homosexuality is widely considered unacceptable.

Source: Reuters

All 15 prison facilities in Liberia have this week run out of food for inmates.

This has caused two prisons, including the main Monrovia Central Prison, to temporarily shut their doors to newcomers, prison officials have said.

The situation is being blamed on a number of factors including delays in remitting funds for food and upkeep of prison facilities.

But the director of prisons, Sainleseh Kwaidah, told the BBC on Monday that the government was doing everything to resolve the situation.

He said that after some interventions the two prisons that had stopped admitting inmates had reopened their doors and food was reaching others.

A prison warder told the BBC the prisons had shut the doors to avoid putting more people at risk because of the food shortage. He said there was also a possibility that angry inmates could stage jailbreaks.

A well-known businessman, Upjit Singh Sachdeva who is commonly known as Mr Jetty, has stepped in to provide food to mitigate the crisis. The businessman has often provided cooked meals to inmates in the Monrovia Central Prison.

Prison warders have in recent days criticised the government’s handling of the affairs of the crowded correctional facilities.

Source: BBC

Haunted by the spectre of last year’s crisis, India is bracing for a deluge of Covid-19 cases, with authorities of various megacities bringing in restrictions in a bid to keep infections in check.

Case numbers have yet to match the enormous figures seen last spring when thousands died each day and the Hindu holy city of Varanasi maintained round-the-clock funeral pyres for the mass cremation of virus victims.

But daily infections nearly tripled over two days this week to more than 90,000, a surge was driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant that some experts worry could again see the country’s hospitals overwhelmed.

An overnight curfew has been imposed in the Delhi area that includes the capital, where weekend movement restrictions will begin on Friday evening, with all non-essential workers asked to stay home.

Tech hub Bangalore has also declared a weekend curfew while sprawling financial centre Mumbai introduced a night curfew.

“Even a small percentage of a large number of cases translates to a large number in absolute terms,” Gautam Menon, a professor at India’s Ashoka University who has worked on Covid infection modelling, told AFP.

“This could potentially stress out health care systems to levels comparable to or worse than the second wave.”

Doctors and nurses who spoke to AFP have so far been optimistic, with fewer severe cases among those patients admitted to hospital – and with the benefit of experience.

Source: AFP

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Adama Barrow led government has provided cash to the tune of ninety million dalasis (D90m) as the team prepares to leave the country for Cameroon.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Youth and Sports Honourable Bakar Badjie at State House during the Gala Dinner.

He said the government has shown commitment to transforming sports to the next level.
“This is really huge and we thank the government through President Adama Barrow for putting this much in the National Team,” he said.

“Since this government came into power, they have put in a lot of effort in developing sports in the country.”

Adding that 90 million dalasis is not a small amount of money.
He called on Gambians to support the team by donating all they could.

By: Dawda Baldeh

As Gambians anticipate taking part in the country’s median African Cup of Nations, the president of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) Lamin Kaba Bajo has said that the Federation and the team are fully prepared to compete in Cameroon.

He was speaking at State House as they waited for the arrival of the Scorpions ahead of the Gala Dinner.

Bajo explained that although the coronavirus pandemic has affected some of the players, they will still go on to make history. He used the opportunity to express hope that the infected players will have a quick recovery.

“We are very happy with the team and the coach. They have demonstrated professionalism in the past months. They helped the country to qualify for the first time. We know they will make us proud in Cameroon again. They are not just going to play but they will raise the country’s flag higher,” Lamin Kaba Bajo said.

On his part, Honourable Bakary Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sports said the players are doing pretty well. Adding that efforts have been made to reach this level.

“We thank the government for supporting the Scorpions. They are putting so much effort to help the team succeed. We can’t thank them less,” he said.

The team eventually arrived at State House for the Gala Dinner and had the opportunity to interact with President Adama Barrow ahead of their trip to Cameroon.

The team will leave Banjul for Cameroon tomorrow. They will play Mauritania on Wednesday 12th January 2022. This is the first time Gambia has qualified for the AFCON.

By: Dawda Baldeh

British-Nigerian singer and songwriter Azeez Adeshina Fashola born on 10th May 1991, known by the stage name Naira Marley and President of “Marlians” (fan club), will be performing live at the African Cup of Nations fundraising program at Independent Stadium in Gambia on Friday 7th January 2022.

Naira Marley began singing in 2014 after discovering his passion for music and was encouraged by close-knit friends to pursue his music career. He released the Max Twigz-assisted track “Marry Juana” before releasing his debut EP Gotta Dance in 2015.

He released several Albums from 2014 to 2021 including “MarryJuana”, “Issa Goal” a song which became the theme song for the super eagles at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

“Am I A Yahoo Boy”, “Soapy”, “Lord Of Lamba”, “Coming” among other songs. Naira Marley sings in English, Yoruba and Pidgin, his music is a blend of Afrobeats and hip-hop. He derives his name from Jamaican Singer Bob Marley, whom he admires; his dreadlocks are also a tribute to the singer.

Naira Marley is among the most famous Nigerian Singers and his coming to The Gambia is expected to add value to the fundraising event. He expressed his profound gratitude for the warm welcome accorded him and his delegation.

“The crowd I received is huge and am overwhelmed,” Naira Marley said. The coming of Naira Marley in Gambia is facilitated by Lamin Jallow Gambian forward soccer player commonly known as beck.

His arrival at the Banjul International Airport was witnessed by hundreds of his fans who escorted him to the hotel.

“I am very happy to be in Gambia, it is like am at home. I love Gambia in heart,” Naira Marley said.

“I will perform well on Friday. I never knew that I have such support in Gambia. Music is part of my life and I use it to educate and entertain people,” Marley said.

On his part, Lamin Jallow said, “I organised the fundraising to help my team in the African Cup of Nations to be played in Cameroon. Since I came back to Gambia I realized that a lot needs to be done and this is how I came up with the idea to raise funds for the team.”

He thanked the sponsors and everyone who helped him bring Naira Marley to Gambia for the fundraising.

“I am calling on all Gambians to come out in their numbers to support. We cannot do it alone and we need people to come in and support,” he said.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations after a video emerged of him partying with teammates in Dubai on the eve of the tournament.

The 32-year-old now has to self-isolate and is a major doubt for Gabon‘s opening two matches against Comoros on Monday and Ghana four days later.

Although it is unclear exactly how Aubameyang contracted the virus, Aubameyang was pictured in Dubai on a night out with Mario Lemina, who has also since tested positive.

Arsenal had given Aubameyang dispensation to leave early in preparation for the tournament after manager Mikel Arteta decided he would not be involved in last weekend’s Premier League clash with Manchester City.

Aubameyang had been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy with ESPN revealing on Dec. 22 that the club were willing to listen to offers for the striker in January after a deterioration in his relationship with Arteta.

The coach had grown tired of repeated disciplinary breaches and believed Aubameyang was not setting the right example to the rest of the squad, claiming he lacked the “commitment and passion” to play for Arsenal.

Aubameyang was consequently told to train away from the rest of his team-mates and allowed to join up with Gabon several days early.

By contrast, Arsenal retained Ghana‘s Thomas Partey, Ivory Coast‘s Nicolas Pepe and Egypt‘s Mohamed Elneny until after the City game.

The latest episode will cast fresh doubt over Aubameyang’s attitude. He has been warned over potential breaches of COVID-19 protocol in the past.

He was previously fined for missing a COVID-19 test before a Europa League fixture and last February, Aubameyang was “reminded of his responsibilities” after footage emerged of him receiving a tattoo despite strict coronavirus guidelines

Source: ESPN

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Gambian Sports Veterans comprising former players and coaches on Thursday 6th January 2022, presented cash to the tune of two hundred thousand dalasis (D200,000) to the National Scorpions at Ocean Bay Hotel in Bakau. The presentation is meant to support the players ahead of the tournament in Cameroon.

Speaking at the presentation, Sheikh Ndure, Chairman of the sports veterans group said they are excited to support the Scorpions, noting that the cash presented to the team is an individual contribution from the sport’s veterans. He added that each player and official will receive Six Thousand Dalasi (D6000).

The presentation was witnessed by The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) President Lamin Kaba Bajo and other officials from GFF.

“We are very happy to see the success of the scorpions in the tournament. We have tried during our time to qualify the county for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) but we were not lucky to do so. The Scorpions has made the entire country proud,” Sheikh Ndure Sports Veterans Chairman said.

Mr. Ndure noted that the presentation is to help the soccer players address some of their challenges.

Representing the team Pa Modou Jagne Team Captain and Omar Colley second team Captain, both expressed delight on behalf of the team while describing the gift presented to them as huge.

“We are very glad to receive this cash from Gambian Sports Veterans. This is huge and we are very glad,” Omar Colley said.

“As football players, our dream is to win trophies for our country.”
He further stated that the money given to them is the best gift and will further motivate them to do more for the country.

Pa Samba Jaw, a veteran coach also joined the players to thank the donors whilst calling on Gambians to support the team.

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Gambia National Soccer Team players have today returned home from Qatar after their campaign. They went on to meet President Adama Barrow to bid farewell before officially leaving for the African Cup of Nations which will be hosted in Cameroon.

Their arrival at the Banjul International Airport was witnessed by The Gambia Football Federation officials, the main sponsors of the Tournament Africell Gambia and the fan base.
The scorpions received a warm welcome as Gambians came out in their numbers to show their support for the team.

Speaking to The Fatu Network briefly, team coach Tom Saintfiet said the team is fully prepared to participate in the African Cup of Nations.

“We are very prepared as any other team. Though we have challenges here and there. Including the fact that I was not able to interact with some of my players since November. But we hope to do our best,” he said.

Pa Modou Jagne the team captain expressed their readiness to fully participate in the top African competition.

“We are very ready to play for our country. As you all know this is the first time The Gambia is taking part in the competition compared to other countries who are more experienced than us,” he said.