Police have arrested Jerrending Sanyang, one of the officials of former President Yahya Jammeh’s No Alliance Movement.

Jammeh’s supporters under the banner of No Alliance Movement invited reporters to Jerrending Sanyang’s house for a press conference on Monday, but the presser was disrupted after police stormed the house and asked Mr Sanyang to come with them.

A reinforcement of riot police fired teargas at the supporters as Mr Sanyang was being taken to Banjullinding Police Station.

One supporter told The Fatu Network: “We are ready to die. We are ready for anything.”

Another said: “They said they needed him at the police station. He told them he will not go but we asked him to go. But where has it ever been one needs a permit to hold a press conference? For us we are ready to die to see him released.”

A Kerr Fatou reporter was arrested during the incident but he was released, according to the outlet.

GANU leader Sheikh Tijan Hydara has said Fabakary Tombong Jatta and his APRC executive are fooling themselves by trying to ignore the fact that APRC belongs to former President Yahya Jammeh.

Addressing GANU and NAM APRC supporters in Gunjur on Saturday, Mr Hydara said: “What I want is the APRC to be one. This is my desire, today and tomorrow. But it’s said you can take the horse to the water but you can’t force it to drink. It’s now clear to The Gambia and the world and everyone that APRC Yahya Jammeh is in our hands.

“It’s also clear APRC Yahya Jammeh and the APRC that went to Barrow whose crowd is bigger. When Yahya Jammeh took power in 1994, he served for two years and people went to him and asked him to take the country and he then formed APRC. So if people now sit and say they are discarding that, those people are deceiving themselves.”

His comments come as Fabakary Tombong Jatta warned Mr Hydara against using APRC’s name in his activities and vowed that he will not hesitate to take legal action.

By AFP

Mali’s interim authorities will confirm a date for post-coup elections after national reform consultations in December, a representative of a U.N. Security Council delegation said after talks on Sunday.

The timeline is a further sign that Mali’s military leadership is likely to extend an 18-month transition to constitutional rule that it originally promised would culminate in presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 27, 2022.

The U.N. delegation met transitional authorities, political parties, and civil society representatives in Bamako over the weekend to assess Mali’s progress back to democracy following the August 2020 overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Niger’s U.N. ambassador, Abdou Abarry, said they were told the national reform talks in December would agree to an electoral schedule that would be announced soon afterward.

“While we cannot object to the reforms, we should not delay the end of the transition,” Abarry told a news conference.

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has appealed to UDP supporters to avoid attacking people’s parents and their political leaders.

Speaking to a group of UDP supporters from Europe who donated over D200,000 to the party over the weekend, Mr Darboe said: “Anyone who is our supporter and his active in the forums or other mediums, let’s only talk about issues that will promote peace in the country. Let’s not say things that will be destructive, that could push people into activities that will not be in the country’s interest.

“Let’s not treat anyone with contempt and let’s not castigate people’s elders. When I say people’s elders, I mean people’s political leaders and parents. Let’s not say nasty things to them as it would appear you are saying it to your political leader or parent.”

Kexx Sanneh has called on United Democratic Party to be a ‘tolerant’ party and stop disrespecting ‘another’ political party.

Kexx while sharing a photo where a UDP flyer is seen plastered on a PDOIS one vented: “UDP support or those pasting the posters respect the rights of your political opponents in the arena, your political party isn’t above any political party, we all have the same right in the country to sell out agenda to the electorate.

“Be a tolerant political party and stop disrespecting another political party, this act is totally wrong, undemocratic and disingenuous, respect the flyers and banners of other political parties.

“This election is not about the clash of muscles, but the clash of genuine ideas. Those involved need to desist from this act now.

“Nothing should lead anyone to put its poster on top of any candidate’s poster. You can use your ballot to protest against any party but to respect the party as if your party has more power than that party in the country. The power is on the ballot and not this undemocratic behaviour.”

Kexx told The Fatu Network the incident happened around Churchill’s Town, near PDOIS’ bureau.

Yahya Jammeh has announced former President Yahya Jammeh has appointed him as the leader of the No Alliance Movement breakaway ‘APRC’.

“We want to tell entire people of The Gambia and those in the diaspora is that, Alhamdoulliah, Yahya AJJ Jammeh, Babili Mansa has entrusted APRC Gambia to him Yahya Tamba Gimotey and my executive and I will lay down my life and my head will be cut off in it, to see we save APRC,” Mr Tamba told Jammeh’s supporters in Gunjur on Saturday broadcast by Gambian Talents TV.

He then said: “The former national executive know who I am. They are sacking everyone and announcing it on the media except me Yahya Tamba. It’s just because they know me.”

According to Mr Tamba, him and his group are out to thwart a grand scheme by Fabakary Tombong Jatta and his executive to destroy APRC.

He said: “The reason No Alliance Movement was established is that we are not people who do not understand politics. We are good knowledge of politics. There are rules governing APRC. The APRC’s constitution has no such thing as supreme leader. That’s why the cheating started. Where did Fabakary and Co get that because it’s not in our constitution?

“The APRC constitution also doesn’t have interim leader 1 and interim leader 2 and interim leader 3. These they created these titles to cheat APRC and this is what we saw and told them.”

“Everyone discerned how you have transformed the Diaspora and Migration Directorate and I therefore want to seize  this opportunity to thank you profoundly for the great job,” the Honourable Minister glaringly said.

—

By Seraphine Wakana, UN The Gambia Resident Coordinator

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, The Gambia, like most countries, was already grappling with enormous challenges – climate change, youth unemployment, irregular migration and increasing inequalities.  Now, the effects of the pandemic are threatening to further unravel decades of progress to build a more inclusive and equal society for everyone.  But we have come too far to slow down.  Our strength and hope for the future lies in our shared vision for a more prosperous nation.

While the pandemic has upended lives and shattered economies, it has also revealed the power of unity and solidarity in development.  When we all mobilized and came together to fight COVID-19, we protected thousands, including our most loved ones, from the virus and averted a potentially worse disaster.  Through multilateral cooperation, a hallmark of the United Nations, we are now starting to build back better.

This week, the world is celebrating the 76^th anniversary of the United Nations.  For 76 years, the United Nations has been working with governments across the world to prevent conflict, restore hope and dignity for the deprived and build a better world for everyone.  Our mission in The Gambia is no different – we work with the government, civil society, private sector, local communities, children, young people and women to support the country’s development aspirations and protect human rights.

Fundamentally, at the heart of the work of the United Nations in The Gambia are the rights, welfare and development of young people and women, two groups that represent beacons of hope.  Their energy and determination to overcome the numerous challenges they face daily and usher in a new era of hope and prosperity for everyone are the reasons we must remain hopeful for the future.

We will work with young people and women to bridge the inclusion and gender gaps and provide more opportunities for growth and development.  Young people and women must have access to quality education, training, skills building and services to innovate and, in so doing, help them build lives protected from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Building back better requires sustained efforts to tackle the pandemic, and our best chance is vaccination.  Thus, the United Nations is leading unprecedented global and multilateral efforts to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the world.  Despite being the smallest country on mainland Africa, The Gambia was among the first five countries on the continent to receive the COVID-19 vaccines via the COVAX facility – a coalition of UN and other agencies working to make vaccines available to all.  As a result, more than 12 per cent of the total eligible population in The Gambia has been fully vaccinated, but the road ahead is still long.

With the arrival of more vaccines, we must encourage everyone to get vaccinated. We must step up national efforts to make vaccines available to those willing to take the jab and encourage the unvaccinated to consider taking the vaccine. We must remind everyone that the virus is still with us, cases may still rise and more disruptions to education and economic activities will further stall the country’s recovery efforts.  We can minimize these aftershocks and help protect more people from COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations when we all get vaccinated.

As with the national effort to curtail the pandemic, the United Nations has always supported The Gambia through numerous other challenges to its social and economic development.  We have always been there to help build a society for every single Gambian, irrespective of faith, gender or economic standing – a society where every child can go to school, where every girl and woman is protected from violence, where the environment is protected, where the economy is strong and inclusive, where jobs are available for all and where migrants, refugees and other vulnerable groups are also protected. In short, no one should be left behind.

As The Gambia heads to the polls to vote in the presidential elections in December, the United Nations encourages all actors, including political parties and their leaders, to promote peace during and after the vote. This is a commitment we must all make and hold ourselves accountable to.

Happy UN Day!

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe was forced to abandon his speech after only ten minutes due to rain.

UDP held a rally in Wellingara on Saturday as part of the party’s engagement with Gambian voters ahead of the December presidential election.

Mr Darboe had begun his speech proper by addressing the issue of corruption when it all of a sudden started to rain.

The UDP leader then said: “Thank you, this is God’s blessing. This is a sign that UDP is a blessed party, that UDP is Gambia’s blessing. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

“I don’t think there is anyone among us here who is salt and I don’t think there is anyone among us here who is sugar. This rain will not make us melt.”

Mr Darboe wanted to continue but the mic went dead. He then placed the mic down after tapping on it and said, as he walked away from the podium: “Thank you.”

Former President Yahya Jammeh has again addressed his supporters this time telling them President Adama Barrow did not win the 2016 election.

“In fact in 2016 they didn’t win the election. They rigged the election with the support of some powers,” Mr Jammeh told his supporters at a rally in Gunjur on Saturday via telephone, as picked live by Gambian Talents Promotion.

Jammeh had on October 15 shocked the nation by calling from his Equatorial Guinea hideout to sack the leaders of APRC for entering into an alliance with NPP. He said he did not approve of the marriage.

The Fabakary Tombing Jatta executive however held a press conference this past Thursday where they insisted they remain the leaders of the party and warned the breakaway group against using APRC’s name in their activities.

By Sarjo Brito

The leader of the Citizens’ Alliance Party has announced the renouncement of his Swedish citizenship ahead of the December 2021 Presidential Election.

The move is one that must be fulfilled by Gambians with dual citizenship aspiring to run for the Presidency as enshrined in the 1997 Constitution.

The former Political Science Lecturer cum Politician moved to Sweden after completing his high school education in Sierra Leone. Dr Ceesay obtained Swedish citizenship in the late 1990’s where he began his university education at Stockholm university.

“I am delighted to inform you all that I have officially renounced my Swedish Citizenship and met all eligibility criteria to run for President in the December 4 elections’’

On November 2nd, 2021, Dr Ceesay will also be submitting his nomination papers to the Independent Electoral Commission for consideration as a Presidential Candidate.

“I am looking forward to submitting my nominations papers to the IEC on Tuesday, November 2, for consideration as a presidential candidate,” Dr Ceesay said.

In a post shared on his official Facebook page on Saturday, the CA leader said he is now more than ready to win the forthcoming elections and start the process of transforming the Gambia for the benefit of this generation and generations to come.

“We are now more than ever before ready to win the elections and start the process of transforming our country for the benefit of this generation and the next. The sacrifices we make and continue to make for our country is worth it and we will make the same sacrifices again when the need arises. For us, country comes first before anything else,” he said.

The Gambia Democratic Congress executive has expelled Galleh Manda councillor Abdoulie Jallow from GDC.

“The central committee of the Gambia Democratic Congress has reached a decision to expel you from the party,” GDC told Mr Jallow in a letter on October 15.

The party in their letter signed by Samba Jallow also told Mr Jallow: “The party executive have noticed with regret your activities which are found to be detrimental to the aims and objectives of the party.

“Article 7(7.3) () of the party constitution clearly states that every eligible member of the party must strive to promote the values, aims and objective of the party. You have failed the party in this regard.

“We therefore write to inform you that you are no longer a member of the GDC party and also not a representative of the people of Galleh Manda ward in the Janjangbureh administrative area under the GDC ticket effective from today.”

The Fatu Network Mr Jallow is sympathetic to President Adama Barrow and his National People’s Party.

Presidents of Senegal and Guinea Macky Sall and Umaro Sissoco Embalo have arrived in The Gambia to join President Adama Barrow in commissioning the OMVG substation in Jarra Soma, LRR.

The leaders will jointly commission the substation after more than three years of work.

The OMVG is an over 700 million dollars electricity project that seeks to improve the electricity conditions of The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry.

The Samba Ngallo dam in Guinea will be the source of the electricity.

Dodou Jah has walked back his break from politics in a dramatic turn of events that has left tongues wagging.

Mr Jah had on Friday afternoon announced he was taking a break from politics due to ‘personal issues’.

In a huge twist however, Mr Jah later wrote: “I am shocked with the amount of calls and messages I received within just few hours, to the extend some said to me they will leave politics when I do, thank you for the love and affection.

“I am apologising to anyone affected, disturbed, fell sick or extremely worried. I am back and ready more than ever for victory come December 2021 ??✌? #APRC_NPP led coalition.”

APRC deputy spokesman Dodou Jah has announced he is putting politics to one side to sort out some ‘personal’ issues.

“I am taking a break from politics to sort out some PERSONAL issues, I did not resign or leave APRC for the record. I will be back as soon as I settle my issues. Thank you all for supporting,” Mr Jah wrote on Facebook on Friday. He did not elaborate.

It comes a day after he chaired APRC’s press conference on Thursday where leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta dismissed officials affiliated to the breakaway No Alliance Movement from their leadership roles.

Mr Jah’s announcement also comes exactly one week of former President Yahya Jammeh’s telephone address that saw the former leader sack Mr Jah and co as leaders of APRC.

Jammeh had complained Jah and other leaders of APRC entered into an alliance with NPP without his authorisation.

Imam Chebo Cham has used his today’s sermon to call on citizens to be mindful of politicians as they are only after their selfish interest.

Imam Chebo Cham has never shied away from criticising the country’s opposition politicians which has seen him attacked for his views.

Yet today, he told worshippers: “We are in a state of great blessing. But some people so long they are not in power, they will not see this. Be careful of these politicians. Wallahi they are not out to help you. Billahi, I will swear…

“Whoever speaks you think he wants to help Gambians but this is not the case. Observe these people and listen to their statements careful. Do not let them make you divided. They are all after their personal interest. We hear their statements and we see their actions.

“Do not let them sow discord among you. We are in a state of peace and do not take it for granted. They will not want to hear this so long they are not in power. Whether you take it or leave it, they are not out for God’s sake or for your sake. Because we have seen it. We would have given examples but if we do that there will be insults before sunset.”

Members of the military undergoing training as commandos under the Marine Commando Selection Team will participate in a blank ammunition firing exercise beginning on Monday.

In a statement on Friday, the military said there will be series of blank ammunition firing exercises in the general areas of Fajara Barracks, Yundum Barracks and Siffoe training area from Monday October 25 to November 19.

The statement added: “The general public especially residents of Fajara Barracks, Bakau Newtown, Bakau Sanchaba, Fajara, Pipeline and Kanifing Estate as well as residents of Yundum Barracks, Banjulinding, Sinchu, Jabang and Jambur are urged not to panic but cautioned to avoid the designated training areas on the above mentioned dates as well as go about their normal businesses.”

PDOIS leader Halifa Sallah has warned that his party will not be part of any coalition just for the sake of changing a face.

Mr Sallah while stating his party’s position on a coalition ahead of the December election insisted a coalition should be about ending the poverty and injustice citizens are grappling with.

Mr Sallah told reporters on Thursday: “Now, we are faced with a new situation. That changed had come through the ballot box but many people are saying the change has not brought them what they had desired for themselves. That is why we talk about regime change is a change of government.

“But what people are now demanding is a change of a system to ensure that their poverty, any injustice, their ignorance would actually be eradicated. Those forces who recognise this could come together to be able to salvage the country. But bringing people together just for a change of a regime, at this moment, will be an abuse of our population who is demanding for that change to really come about, a change that is meaningful, a change that is purposeful.

“So in that regard, PDOIS’ position is that: we will not be part of any coalition just for the sake of changing a face. We can only be part of a coalition whose fundamental aim is to eradicate the poverty, the injustice and the ignorance of our people.”

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has happily announced he has gotten his income tax clearance, telling supporters he was on his way to getting nominated.

Mr Darboe returned to Banjul from the countryside on Thursday and was welcomed in style by his supporters.

Speaking on the vexed issue of his qualification to run for president in December, Mr Darboe said: “I’m going to be nominated. We are doing the preparatory acts for the nomination and I am happy to announce to you that the so-called reason why they believe Ousainou Darboe will not be nominated no longer holds.

“I will tell you that I have on the 16th of October gotten my income tax clearance and in the next couple of days, I am going to prepare a declaration of my assets which I will submit to the IEC before the 1st of November, on my nomination date, so that those people who want to take objection, who want to go to court to challenge Ousainou Darboe’s nomination are free to do so.

“They will find Ousainou Darboe on a terrain that he is very familiar with, more familiar with than any of them. They will find me there and we will teach them what happens to busy- bodies.”

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has thanked the nation’s youth for welcoming him in style, declaring what he saw is ‘history’.

Mr Darboe returned to Banjul on Thursday after spending the past weeks touring the nation to popularise UDP’s five-point agenda.

Mr Darboe told supporters from the roof of his car early Friday morning: “The young men and young women of The Gambia, I thank you very much. What I saw today is history in The Gambia, it has never happened.

“And I believe it is only the United Democratic Party that can pull a crowd of this size. Thank you people of The Gambia.”

Thousands of Gambians from all walks of life poured on the the transGambia highway, from Kalagi to Pipeline to welcome Mr Darboe back home following the first leg of his tour.

Mr Darboe told supporters he was getting set for his nomination on November 1.

“We are doing the preparatory acts for the nomination and I am happy to announce to you that the so-called reason why they believe Ousainou Darboe will not be nominated no longer holds,” Mr Darboe said.