UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has said Babadinding Jobarteh’s appearance and his announcement of joining UDP at the party’s Saruja meeting was not authorised by the party’s executive committee.

“The impromptu appearance of Mr. Lamin Jobarteh (Former AG of The Gambia) and his announcement of joining the UDP was not scheduled nor authorised by the National Executive Committee,” Mr Darboe said on Wednesday as he fought the fall-out that trailed UDP’s decision to publicly accept Mr Jobarteh as member.

UDP came under fire after Mr Jobarteh who is accused of cutting Balo Kanteh’s nipple was invited to speak at the party’s meeting in Saruja.

Mr Darboe apologised on Wednesday saying it was an error of judgement on the party’s part.

He said: “As a victim and as the Party leader of the UDP I take full responsibility for this lapse in judgement and hereby unreservedly apologise to our members and the Gambian people at large. I wish to reassure all compatriots of the unwavering resolve of the UDP to see that justice will be done without fear or favour ill-will or affection to all.

“No member can rely on the UDP for support or protection, because human rights violations are not only against the law of the land, but against the values and principles of the UDP.”

By AFP

Mamady Doumbouya, a special forces colonel who led the overthrow of former Guinea President Alpha Conde, will be sworn in as interim president on Friday, the authorities say.

Doumbouya will be sworn in at noon (1200 GMT) at the Mohammed V conference centre in the capital Conakry, a communique read late Wednesday on national television said.

He will become transitional president, serving before the country returns to civilian rule, according to a blueprint unveiled by the junta on Monday that does not mention a timeline.

The “charter” unveiled on Monday vows that a new constitution will be drafted and “free, democratic and transparent” elections held, but does not spell out how long the transition will last.

The document says the transitional president will be “head of state and supreme chief of the armed forces… (and) determines the policies of the Nation,” with the power to name and fire an interim prime minister.

However, the president will be barred from being a candidate at the elections that will take place after the transition, it says.

Respected police officer Almameh James Manga has secured a new role with the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan.

The police superitendent has been appointed as the Criminal Proceedings/Legal Advisor within the Specialised Police Team in Khartoum, Sudan.

Mr Manga got appointed in Jult and assumed duties on September 28.

Eight remand prisoners at Mile 2 prison have escaped in the latest prison break to have rocked the high-security detention facility.

The eight prisoners escaped on early Wednesday morning after cutting the wires in the ventilation hall at the complex housing remand prisoners.

Prisons spokesman Modou Lamin Ceesay confirmed the incident and said a man hunt was underway.

Among the prisoners who escaped, four are on drug related charges while three are facing murder charges.

By Amara Thoronka

Executive Director of the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Madam Winnie Byanyima, has offered a proposal to the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio, to serve as the new face (global ambassador) of the United Nations Education Plus Initiative.

This comes after Sierra Leone’s President, Brigadier (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio, and his wife First Lady Fatima Bio honoured a closed-door meeting invitation by the UNAIDS Executive Director on Thursday 23rd September 2021 at one of the United Nations General Assembly meeting rooms in New York, United States.

The initiative is geared towards allowing girls to go through formal education and further teach them about sex education and orientation which will ultimately reduce the risk of them contracting HIV.

Madam Byanyima expressed delight meeting Mrs. Bio, noting that she has been personally following the work of the First Lady of Sierra Leone.

She said she was humbled to be discussing the way forward of girls and education in the African continent, as that is one of the key priorities of the United Nations.

The UNAIDS Executive Director gave a highlight of Madam Bio’s developmental activities which she has been following and how amplified and authentic her voice has been in the protection and empowerment of girls in Sierra Leone, as she continues to impact and influence other nations to replicate what she does in her countries.

According to the executive director, she was overwhelmed with the speech delivered by President Julius Maada Bio at the United Nations General Assembly, specifically how passionately he spokeabout girls right to education and inclusivity in his human capital development agenda and how hespoke with clear first-hand evidence of the progress his government continue to make in that direction.

She confirmed how impressed she was left, after Mrs. Bio spoke passionately, with great knowledge on sexual violence and issues affecting adolescents in the African continent. She added that her voice is authentic and the UNAIDS team would love to work with her as a fearless first lady using her voice and platform to address issues of inequalities affecting girls.

Responding to the Executive Director, President Julius Maada Bio expressed his sentiment on behalf of the First Lady, while ascertaining that the invitation and offer proposed to her is timely and quite prudent.

He gave clear evidence of the work Mrs. Bio does in Sierra Leone and how she has succeeded in breaking the societal taboo of not talking to girls about sex education and reporting their abusers in cases of rape and sexual penetration.

President Bio said Mrs. Bio deals with the advocacy aspect of narrowing the inequality gaps through the “Hands Off Our Girls (HOOG)” campaign, while his government works on the right policies and implementation to give girls an equal chance to be educated and empowered.

Highlighting some of the key achievements of his government, President Bio mentioned the One-Stop-Shop Centres for rape victims, the special sexual offences court for rape cases, the exceptional advocacy work of the HOOG campaign by the first lady and the overturned of the ban on pregnant girls accessing school after giving birth.

He stated that statistics have shown exponential progress on the results from girls returnees in schools and much higher retention of girts due to the intervention of the first lady’s Free Sanitary Pad initiative, as she established herself with the girls so much that they feel confident to open up and share their everyday realities with her.

President Bio pledged his government’s commitment to work with the UNAIDS agenda, while noting that Mrs. Bio’s involvement will be pivotal in achieving great success of the initiative, due to her resounding, authentic and captivating voice that speaks to the hearts of many.

First Lady Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio warmly appreciated the reception of Madam Winnie, while noting that her advocacy to ensure every girl has equal right and access to education is stem from her personal ordeal.

She said her passionate campaign has garner lots of attention from the country’s capital city to the last village and town in Sierra Leone.

Madam Bio mentioned the commitment of the paramount chiefs, religious leaders, community leaders, parents, girls’ rights movements and civil society activists, whom she continues to work with to create more impact.

She pledged her commitment to work with UNAIDS, as their concerns are genuine and should allow radical inclusion like what President Bio is doing in Sierra Leone. She added that her office works mainly to prevent girls from not getting pregnant and have an equal and fair opportunity to stay in school like their male colleagues.

The First Lady said, with the way the world is transiting, girls most times prefer to seek answers concerning their sexuality or its related components from outside the home, which she said is due to the lack of adequate parental communication on sex education and personal hygiene.

Mrs. Bio said the need to work aggressively in eradicating such myth from society, when it has to do with sex education for girls.

This does not come as a surprise to many people across the globe who have been following the activities, operations and campaigns of First lady Fatima Bio in promoting the safety, empowerment and development of girls and women in Sierra Leone.

UNAIDS was established on 26th July 1994 as the main global advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

A prominent Nigerian doctor has been gunned down as he returned from a commemorative lecture in honour of his late wife – a government official who became famous for busting cartels which sold fake medicine.

Dr Chike Akunyili was shot in the face by gunmen who opened fire on his vehicle in the town of Nkpor in south-eastern Anambra state, his son, Obumneme Akunyili, told BBC Igbo.

His driver and a police officer assigned to him also died in the shooting. A cousin survived and is being treated in hospital.

They were driving back from the town of Nsukka in Enugu state after attending a lecture hosted by the University of Nigeria to pay tribute to Dr Akunyili’s wife, Dora Akunyili.

She was once the head of the Nigeria Food and Drug Agency, and was widely respected for her efforts to crack down on fake medicine that circulated in Nigeria. She died of cancer in 2014.

The motive for the attack on her husband is unclear, but it has left many Nigerians shocked. It is the seventh high-profile murder in the region in the last eight months.

Anambra has been hit by a wave of attacks since February 2021, and these escalated after the separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), launched protest action to demand the release of its leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The police in Anambra state are yet to respond to calls about the shooting.

Credit: BBC Africa

Press Release by US Embassy

The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Board of Directors met in Washington, DC on September 29, 2021, and voted to approve a $25 million investment, called a Threshold Program, between MCC and the Government of The Gambia.

“Board Approval of this program is representative of the significant progress The Gambia has made on a range of key indicators in political and economic governance, and human rights,” says Richard C. Paschall, Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of The Gambia. “We are proud to partner on this program that furthers our objective of building capacity and the resources to manage The Gambia’s economy and support growth that furthers the well-being of Gambian citizens.”

The program is focused on supporting The Gambia’s electricity sector, including critical policy and institutional reforms to develop more effective, accountable, and transparent governance for the sector, as well as improve sector operations. As part of the agreement, The Government of The Gambia will implement several institutional and policy improvements to ensure the successful implementation and sustainability of the project.

“The MCC-The Gambia program is a timely and important result of the deep partnership between the United States and The Gambia,” said Matthew Langhenry, MCC Resident Threshold Director in The Gambia. “The program also constitutes an affirmation of The Gambia’s commitment to good governance and equitable prosperity at a critical time in The Gambia and the broader region.”

The program is the result of several consultations MCC has held with The Gambian government, private-sector, international partners, and civil society to determine the greatest needs for The Gambia’s economic growth. These consultations determined that The Gambia’s efforts to improve the generation and delivery of electricity are a key component of future economic prosperity. Improving electricity systems will result in higher productivity and efficiency and address the high costs and lost production caused by frequent outages.

Approval from MCC’s Board of Directors means that MCC and the Government of the Gambia can now finalize and sign the threshold agreement. MCC looks forward to collaborating with the Government of the Gambia on this process and beginning program implementation soon.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent U.S. Government agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth. Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption and respecting democratic rights.

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has apologised for the party letting Babadinding Jobarteh speak at UDP’s Saruja meeting.

UDP came under serious fire after publicly endorsing alleged Jammeh enabler Babadinding Jobarteh.

In statement on Wednesday, Darboe said: “On Saturday 25th September 2021 the United Democratic Party had a well-organised and well attended political rally in Saruja in the Central River Region of the republic of the Gambia and on Sunday some UDP members held fruitful consultations with villages in the vicinity.

“On behalf of the National Executive Committee of the UDP I wish thank the CRR Regional Executive, the National Organising Committee and the Lower and Upper Fulladu West Constituencies Executive Committees and may I single out for praise the National Assembly Member for Upper Fulladu West Hon. Dawda K. Jawara for all his hard work and for realising an excellent event.

“However, since then an unscripted moment on stage has threatened to blemish what was by several accounts a successful political meeting of the UDP and to detract from the tremendous work that the CRR wing of the Party has invested in the region. The impromptu appearance of Mr. Lamin Jobarteh (Former AG of The Gambia) and his announcement of joining the UDP was not scheduled nor authorised by the National Executive Committee.

“Some members and friends of the UDP have openly expressed their views and concerns on social media and the Party leadership has duly noted their reactions.

“As mentioned before the appearance was unscheduled and given the informal nature of events of this kind the masters of ceremonies need to have latitude to progress the event to a satisfactory conclusion. So it was within that context that his appearance happened.

“Whilst it is pointless to blame anyone, with hindsight it was an error of judgement to accord Mr. Jorbateh the honour of speaking on a UDP stage.

“As a victim and as the Party leader of the UDP I take full responsibility for this lapse in judgement and hereby unreservedly apologise to our members and the Gambian people at large. I wish to reassure all compatriots of the unwavering resolve of the UDP to see that justice will be done without fear or favour ill-will or affection to all.

“No member can rely on the UDP for support or protection, because human rights violations are not only against the law of the land, but against the values and principles of the UDP.

“Furthermore UDP believes that a socio-political system in which there is no answerability for one’s actions and inactions is a dysfunctional one and by implication will be unable to sustain the rule of law, good governance and true practice of democracy.”

UDP officials were at the Serrekunda market on Wednesday to place piggy banks there for supporters of the party to donate D25.

UDP ealier this month launched a piggy bank initiative aimed at making all of the party’s supporters in the country to each donate D25.

The money will be used for the party’s campaign.

The ministry of health has issued a statement announcing it has updated entry requirements in The Gambia by visitors.

The tourist season is set to start next month and the government has been engaged in efforts to ensure it is successful.

In a statement on Wednesday, the health ministry said: “Ministry of Health wishes to inform the general public that the entry requirements into The Gambia in response to COVID-19 are hereby updated. This is in line with the current status of the COVID-19 response in the country.

“The following categories exist: Category I: Fully vaccinated Passengers; Passengers who have been fully vaccinated do not need a PCR test to enter into the Gambia. However, if such individuals have signs or symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, they will be required to undergo Rapid Diagnostic Test for COVID-19 at the airport.

“Category II: Non Vaccinated or Partially Vaccinated individuals; All these individuals will need a negative PCR test report valid within 72hrs for entry into the country. Passengers from countries considered as hotspots for the delta variant will in addition undergo a Rapid Diagnostic Test at the airport upon arrival. List of such countries will be periodically updated.

“The list of the hotspot countries based on our national guidelines are as follows: United Kingdom; USA; Denmark; Germany; Turkey; France; India; Sweden; Canada; Switzerland; Spain; Netherlands; Italy; Belgium; Japan; Ireland; Australia; Mexico; Portugal; South Africa; Finland; [and] Slovenia.

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

“The Ministry is therefore, soliciting the continuous support and cooperation of the public in its efforts to contain COVID-19 in the country.”

By AFP

The military leaders that seized power in the West African state of Guinea have unveiled a “transitional charter” that they say will steer the country back to civilian rule.

The document, read out on national television, sets down a series of tasks, including the drafting of a new constitution and holding “free, democratic and transparent” elections, although it does not spell out how long the transition will last.

The new charter identifies four institutions or figures that will be in charge of the transition.

They are the National Rallying Committee for Development (CNRD) set up by the military and headed by Colonel Mahamady Doumbouya; the president of the transition, who will also serve as the head of the CNRD, head of state and armed forces chief; a government headed by a civilian prime minister; and a legislative body called the National Transition Council or CNT.

No member of these institutions will be allowed to take part “in either national or local elections, which will be organized at the end of the transition period”.

The political situation in Guinea-Bissau is deeply concerning for the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

ECOWAS is demanding that elections be held within six months. The bloc also wants the military to release former president Alpha Conde who has not been seen in public since being removed from office.

By Amara Thoronka

The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Madam Fatima Bio, on the 25th September 2021, presented to Sierra Leoneans in the USA the “Hands Off Our Girls” as the People’s Campaign where she praised her husband, President Dr Julius Maada Bio, for successfully securing an agenda item at the 76th United Nations General Assembly.

Madam Bio said this during a fundraising event organized by “Friends of the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign.”

The First Lady said that the programme is a continuation of the campaign which started in Sierra Leone and now on a global stage at the United Nations.

She thanked friends of the campaign and various stakeholders, including Legal Access through Women Yearning for Equality Rights (LAWYERS), Rainbow Initiative, a national non-governmental organization that is passionate about ending sexual gender-based violence in Sierra Leone, the Judiciary and the Sierra Leone Police for supporting the “Hands Off Our Girls Campaign” over the years.

First Lady, Madam Fatima Bio, also highlighted the ongoing 34 Military Project, which is being undertaken with funds raised by the campaign and praised her husband for providing her with the platform to support his human capital development vision through the campaign.

“President Bio, my husband, is the only African leader who has given so much voice to justice for victims of sexual violence and rape,” the First Lady said.

In a short statement, President Bio said that if they were to demonstrate seriousness about developing the country, they should carry women with them, adding that his Government would need a bigger coalition to protect women against sexual violence and rape.

The President stated that it was no longer the First Lady’s campaign but rather it is now Sierra Leone’s campaign and called on every woman to support the campaign.

“When we are changing Sierra Leone, it should be inclusiveness and women and girls should be part of it,” he concluded.

During the fundraising event, the “Friends of Hands Off Our Girls Campaign” raised US $110,000 dollars, a little over Le1.1 billion.

The “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign was initiated by the First Lady and launched few months after her husband assumed office in April 2018. The campaign is said to have greatly raised and increased awareness on sexual penetration and gender based violence in Sierra Leone as girls and women are becoming bolder to speak out and report cases of sexual penetration and rape than before.

Sierra Leone’s judiciary now has a special court on sexual offences and punishments for such offences have been made tougher, ranging from years imprisonmen to life imprisonment.

The Gambia United Kingdom Forces Community (GUKFC) was on Saturday 18th September 2021 officially launched in Tidworth, Southwest England.

GUKFC is a charity organisation set up by Gambians who are serving and/or have served in the British Armed Forces with the aim of creating a platform which allows members to share their collective aspirations of giving back to communities in The Gambia.

Mr. Mustapha Njie, Chairman and CEO TAF Africa Global and Mr. Sulayman Suntou Touray, Counsellor at the Gambia High Commission in the UK were the invited guests at the ceremony.

Delivering his keynote address via Zoom, centred on the ‘importance of Social Responsibility in Business,’ Mr. Njie said that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now substituted with a new terminology – Sustainable Development Partnership (SDP), a business model that helps a company to be community orientated on a range of issues; exterminating poverty, fostering gender equality, and other social, cultural and environmental issues.

Speaking on his company’s commitment to SDP, Mr. Njie said that 1% of his company’s total revenue is dedicated to fostering meaningful development and growth focusing on youths. “We focus on youths because when we invest in young people, we are investing in the development of the country,” he emphasised, adding that members of the GUKFC can be good role models for young people in the Gambia and encouraged them to map out strategies that instil positive attitude and mindset in young people.

In his contribution, Mr. Sulayman Suntou Touray, who represented The Gambia High Commission in the United Kingdom, commenced his speech by extending fraternal greetings on behalf of the Gambian President H.E. Mr. Adama Barrow through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Gambians Abroad. He applauded members of the GUKFC for their foresight in establishing the charity. Mr Touray said that the vast array of expertise within GUKFC can be a source of goodwill for the young people in the Gambia and challenged members of the charity to play an active role in the Gambia by organising public events and speak up to help and inspire the youths. He also cited the ongoing reforms in the Gambia Armed Forces in which GUKFC can be an important player due to their military training, experience and exposure. “Our synergy can influence a lot of positive changes for the country,” he noted while highlighting the crucial role played by the Gambia diaspora during the outbreak of Covid-19 through remittances which he said contributed immensely to the gross domestic product in 2020.

After speeches were made, the executive committee to steer the affairs of the charity over the next two years was unveiled. The charity was chaired by Mr Sheriff Dibba who was deputised by Captain Henry Owens.

The launching ceremony was climaxed with variety of outdoor activities – football, zimba and music and chairs.
The launch is said to be a significant milestone for the charity as it is seen as a foundation for humanitarian mission and assistance in the Gambia.

For the past 15 months, members of the charity took significant steps in fostering cooperation and collaboration through a range of activities – quarterly “campehs” via Zoom, online scrabble tournament and the Euro 2020 sweepstake competition.

Dr Ismaila Ceesay has responded to Essa Faal over the lawyer’s education self-praise insisting there are more educated people than the lawyer.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, Dr Ceesay said: “I think every leader has a right to say that ‘I’m the best candidate for the job’. As we speak, we think we are the best candidate for the job. He has a right to run for office, he has a right to promote himself.

“But that doesn’t mean that we have to engage ourselves in a very premature debate as to who is the most educated. But whenever there is a narrative which is false, if it’s not countered, it becomes the true narrative and that is not the case.

“The gentleman is not the most educated. There are more educated people. If it’s only by qualification, there are more educated people who are already in the field. If it’s experience and competence, none of the leaders currently in opposition has been tested and given the reigns of power to prove their mettle. So therefore all we say as politicians is what we think we can do.”

President Adama Barrow has said he was among those who tried to push start UDP to no avail – and insisted the UDP car will never start.

The president stated this while meeting citizens in Wellingara on Tuesday.

The president said: “There are three parties that are my opposition. One of the parties is those who ran away and never heart the courage to return home but got the courage and returned and formed a party after I won the election.

“The second party is those whom you know when we were fighting, they hid under the bed. After the end of the struggle, they came and began being President Barrow’s opposition. Those are the Ceesays, they were the ones hiding under the bed.

“There is another party, the party whom I myself was among people pushing them for 20 years. We pushed the car but the car refused to start. Still today, they are pushing them. Those cars will never start till eternity. There is no mechanic in The Gambia who can fix that [car].”

Drug Law Enforcement Agency officers have arrested two Senegalese for allegedly being in possession of cannabis.

The two Senegalese, both men, were arrested last Friday.

DLEAG said in a statement: “Two Senegalese nationals were on Friday 24th September 2021 around 17:30 hours GMT apprehended by operatives of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG) stationed at Soma, Lower River Region (LRR) at Yelli Tenda Checkpoint.

“Bamba Jatta, 25 years old Senegalese national and a resident of Binjona village, Cassamance was clutched alongside Talla Sene Saidy, 29 years old Senegalese and a resident of Dakar, Senegal. They were nabbed with nine (9) big parcels of suspected cannabis sativa wrapped in brown papers, concealed in a yellow plastic bag, and placed in a dark blue traveling bag. The said suspected cannabis sativa weighed two (2) kilograms and five hundred (500) grams.

“Bamba Jatta the principal suspect is charged for being in possession of prohibited drug for the purpose of drug trafficking contrary to section 43(4) e of the Drug Control Act (DCA) 2003. In addition, he is equally charged for conspiracy, attempt , aiding, and abetting the commission of drug related offenses contrary to section 53(1) a and b respectively of the DCA 2003 Laws of the Gambia. Talla Sene Saidy on the other hand is charged for Conspiracy, attempt, aiding and abetting the commission of drug related offenses contrary to section 53(1)a and b respectively of the DCA 2003 laws of The Gambia.

“Both suspects are in custody while investigation into the matter continues.”