Banjul, 30 September 2021 – UNICEF and Africell have entered into an agreement to support youth engagement and participation in decision-making processes through the U-Report platform. Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed at the UNICEF offices in Cape Point on September 23, 2021, Africell will provide free SMS services to U-Report, a free social messaging platform developed and rolled out by UNICEF and partners.  High level representatives from the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Youth Council graced the event.

“Young people constitute a critical mass of the Gambian population and their voices are fundamental in shaping policies and development programmes,” said Gordon Jonathan Lewis, UNICEF The Gambia Representative. “We see the signing of this partnership today as an initial step towards a lasting relationship that will demonstrate the added value that businesses can contribute towards building partnerships for accelerated results for children and youth”.

U-Report is a social messaging tool that allows users to respond to SMS polls and participate in discussions about issues that matter to them. Results from polls are automatically generated and shared with relevant partners to inform decision-making. The platform was launched in The Gambia in March 2019 and has since registered more than 12,700 members, who are known as U-Reporters. U-Report is currently used in 68 other countries and has more than 11 million global users.

“Africell is proud to contribute to bridging the gap between policymakers and the next generation of leaders,” said Hussein Diab Ghanem, Africell Gambia CEO. “We remain committed to supporting the rights and the development of young people in The Gambia.”

“This moment represents one of the greatest milestones I have witnessed in my U-Report journey”, said Ebrima M Touray, a U-Report Ambassador. “I strongly believe this partnership will make a huge difference in how young people engage with policymakers and contribute to the national discourse.”

***

About U-Report Gambia

U-Report is a social messaging tool and data collection system developed by UNICEF to improve citizen engagement, inform leaders, and foster positive change. The program sends Short Message Service (SMS) polls and alerts to its participants, collecting real-time responses, and subsequently publishes gathered data. U-Report Gambia was officially launched on March 27^th, 2019.  For more information about U-Report Gambia visit the website https://gambia.ureport.in/. Follow and join the social media pages- Twitter via @UReport_Gambia; and Facebook via @UReportGambia

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

About Africell

Africell started operations in The Gambia in 2001. Currently, providing services in Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of Congo, with expansion into a fifth, Angola, scheduled for later this year. Africell currently has over 1.6 million subscribers in The Gambia. Africell is a significant private sector employer in The Gambia.

By: Christian Alpha Conte

Aminata Bangura never seems to be in a hurry, even when navigating between a ward, a consultation desk and the young lady she had sent to buy gloves, all while talking about the change in perceptions around the COVID-19 vaccine.

Ms. Bangura is a nurse at the Macauley Street Government Hospital located in the central part of the capital, Freetown. She is one of the heroic health workers saving lives on the frontline of COVID-19.

According to Nurse Bangura before the second lockdown in the country uptake of vaccines was low. Now she says it is encouraging as people ask every day whether the hospital has received additional doses of the vaccine.

“There was a time when people did not want to come near me because they thought I would give them COVID-19 since I was interacting with and treating patients, many did not want to be vaccinated because they thought this was a trick by the government and the drug companies.” Nurse Bangura said.

In June of 2021 the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone (PFSL) one of the Christian bodies in the nation expressed strong reservations over the process of mandatory and forced vaccination adopted by the National COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre (NaCOVERC) and other institutions.

“We believe that this process and its consequences have not been carefully thought through. We believe that there is an infringement upon our rights as citizens [and that we] are subjected to a process that is unlawful, inconsiderate, and has not been used in the developed world,” the release from PFSL stated.

As a result of awareness raising campaigns, evidence that the vaccine works and the COVID-19 wave hitting the country, there has been a noticeable change in perception in the capital. This has created a scramble for vaccines.

“Before the second lockdown, uptake of vaccines was low, but now it is encouraging, people ask us every day whether we have received additional doses of the vaccine.” Aminata says.

In August of 2021 acceptance of the vaccine has increased considerably. 63-year-old Benjamin Pratt a resident of Circular Road in Central Freetown has made his way to the Macauley Street Government Hospital on two occasions to check whether vaccines were available.

He received his first shot of the vaccine in May 2021 and was due for the second one in July 2021. Large numbers of people waiting to be vaccinated have discouraged him, on his 2^nd attempt he still cannot access the vaccine. Fully masked, he walks away promising to keep safe, saying that he would be back.

Peter Sesay a resident of a nearby community, Mountain Cut, and a grandfather of three children was initially reluctant to get vaccinated, despite his own nephew being one of the local government officials responsible for public awareness and monitoring.

He now regrets his long term defiance. His wife recently caught COVID-19 but was among the lucky ones to have successfully battled the disease. The form that struck her was a mild one, and with relatively minimal treatment, she has now fully recovered.

“I am very lucky; it could have been worse for us as a family. Many people have died around here due to COVID-19, some of them stronger than I. I will definitely take the vaccine when it is available,” Peter said.

Mr. Sesays’ nephew, David said that some people didn’t take the disease as seriously as they should have done during the first wave, despite the awareness campaigns. “I do see a great difference now,” he said.

“People are responding well, regularly asking about the next rollout phase. There are many like my previously reluctant uncle. I am confident that the people will respond with zeal when the vaccines are available. We also still encourage them to report to the health centre, should they feel ill, in the meantime, while we await guidance from the government and health professionals,” David reiterated.

David’s optimism is supported by new research showing that a significantly higher proportion of people in low- and middle-income countries are willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 than in higher-income countries like the USA and Russia. The challenge now is getting vaccines to them.

By: Christian Alpha Conte

Madam Fatu Sesay paced the corridor of the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in the east end of Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown, crying and flapping her hands on her head. She just received news that her 15-year-old pregnant daughter, Kadie has suffered a ruptured uterus and must be operated on in order for the baby to be delivered safely.

According to Senior Midwifery Sister, Iye V. Conteh, the Class VI pupil has been in labour for three days since she was referred to the PCMH by the St. Anthony Hospital at Syke Street, Freetown, where she had been admitted. Apparently Kadie’s mother didn’t have the money to pay for an operation.

Kadie’s pregnancy is as a result of sexual penetration by her uncle who was tasked with the responsibility to take care of her when her sick mother was in neighbouring Guinea seeking a cure for some long term illness.

Coincidentally President Julius Maada Bio was at that very moment officially declaring a National Emergency on Rape and Sexual Violence, as a major step towards addressing rape and all forms of sexual violence in Sierra Leone.

According to President Bio each month hundreds of cases of rape and sexual assaults were being reported against women, girls and babies with some of the fatalities being as young as three months old. 70% of survivors of this traumatic experience being under the age of 15.

Of nearly 3,000 reported sexual assault cases, 602 of the survivors became pregnant; 7 of them contracted HIV/AIDS; 2,404 had STDs; thousands more were scarred and traumatised by the ordeal. Only 39 of these 3,000 reported cases were successfully prosecuted whilst 2,961 of the survivors of sexual violence were denied justice.”

According to Sierra Leone’s Health Information Bulletin of August 2020 (Volume 7, Issue 2) Maternal mortality in Sierra Leone had reached 1,070 deaths between January to June of 2020. According to a report by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone, from January to March of 2020, there was a total of 581 maternal deaths. And from April to June of 2020, the total was 489 maternal deaths.

The small West African country, which ranks as one of the world’s least developed nations ranking 182 of 189 according to the UN development index, lacks accessible and affordable health care units especially in remote areas where women and girls are at greatest risk. In areas where health care units are available, reports say pregnant women are too poor to meet the charges. In effect they turn to Tribal Birth Attendants (TBAs) for health care and delivery.

Dolcie Jarrett is a nursing sister at the PCMH’s Ante Natal Division, she said most pregnant women fear to give birth in a recognised hospital but could not say whether it was because the women could not afford the bills or they were scared of an eventual Caesarean Section Operation.

“We encourage them to do regular check-up and to ensure they give birth in a recognized hospital, but most of them prefer to deliver in their homes or homes of neighborhood nurses,” said Sister Jarrett.

“They only come to the hospital in a moribund state. In fact, most of them come here damaged; they come here already dead, literally speaking. And so at the end we get the bad name,” she continued.

Over the years the PCMH, Sierra Leone’s main referral reproductive hospital, has become notorious for the consistent incidences of maternal and infant deaths occurring in its wards.

Amidst the stack reality, Dr Fatu Forna, Technical Advisor at the WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone in February of 2020 said because of the strong leadership in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) and collaboration of partners including communities, clinics, hospitals, district health management teams and health development partners she has seen promising progress in the reduction of maternal mortality. Noting that nearly all maternal deaths are now investigated and reviewed, and a robust response is mounted to address issues identified.

Popular Nigerian actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, was part of the Amnesty delegation that travelled to Sierra Leone several years ago as the organisation took on the fight against infant and maternal mortality. Along with five selected local artists, they recorded a song to raise awareness on maternal mortality which they performed live on a caravan stage that toured the country.

“It’s a gross human rights violation for a woman to die giving life,” said Omotola, who has mothered four children in the space of about six years.

But there was at least a happy ending for Kadie. Doctors operated on her and she’s now living with her daughter (who’s already been named Mariatu Sesay) at their Jamboria Street, Off Kroo Town Road, residence in central Freetown.

Police antic-crime has finally vacated its Bijilo headquarters and have moved to the police training school in Yundum.

Police anti-crime unit had been occupying the property owned by humanitarian group, Global HOMM.

Global HOMM lost the property after Jammeh in 2010 kicked the organisation out of the country after accusing it of taking money from people and not giving them the medical service that they need.

Global HOMM returned to the country in 2017 and went to court for its property and won but the land continued to be in the custody of the state.

Police spokesman Lamin Njie confirmed the police anti-crime have vacated the property. But a source said the compound is still being guarded amid reports the OICGambia Secretariat is set to take the property.

The TRRC has explained why it could not submit its final report to President Adama Barrow.

The TRRC has for the second time failed to meet its deadline for submission of its final report to the president.

In a statement on Thursday, communication director Essa Jallow said: “The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) had planned to submit today, 30th September, 2021 its Final Report to the President of the Republic of The Gambia as required under the provisions of Section 29 of the TRRC Act, 2017. Work on the sixteen volumes comprising the Final Report has been completed, except for four volumes. It is the expectation of the Commission that work on these remaining volumes should be finished shortly.

“The Commission accordingly informed the Government, through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, that it will continue the finalisation work and submit the full report when it is completed.

“Without proposing yet another date for submission, the Commission assures that this final phase of its work will not be prolonged. The Attorney General and the Minister of Justice agreed to the proposal on behalf of the Government and reassured the Commission that the Government will continue to provide the funds required for the completion of the work of the TRRC.”

Former Vice President Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang is part of a civil society delegation to Guinea amid efforts aimed at restoring democratic governance in the country.

Mrs Jallow Tambajang herself announced the development in a statement on her official Facebook page on Wednesday.

The former vice president said: “Currently taking part in an OSIWA mission to Guinée Conakry comprising of a diverse CSO delegation and dignitaries within ECOWAS to meet with Col Mamady Doumbouya, Leader of the CNRD Transition, his government and other Guinéen stakeholders.

“The mission seeks to deepen ongoing efforts and interventions by civil society within ECOWAS to actively engage in the process of restoring democratic governance in Guinea and strengthen efforts at mitigating the rising instability and insecurity in the region.”

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.