By CGTN Africa

Nigeria’s top-ranking army commander Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru was laid to rest in the capital Abuja on Saturday, a day after he and 10 other officers died when their plane crashed in bad weather.

It was the third military air disaster this year and the army posted videos on social networks of the service attended by political and military leaders at the national mosque.

Army chief of staff Attahiru was only appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari last January in a shakeup of the senior command to better fight surging violence and a more than decade-long jihadist insurgency.

But the president, who offered his condolences just hours after the crash in the northern state of Kaduna, did not attend the funeral, an absence widely criticised on social media.

Police have dismissed reports at least two people have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery incident in Old Jeshwang.

The Bourgi family of Old Jeshwang has been reeling after men allegedly numbering at least 20 and armed allegedly forced their way into their home on May 15 and allegedly stole at least 16 million dalasis.

And reports abounded on Saturday that two of the suspects have been arrested by police and that a mobile phone belonging to the suspects was retrieved from the scene.

Police spokesman Lamin Njie however told The Fatu Network Sunday: “I have checked with our panel investigating d Bourgi matter and the whole info about arrest of suspects and details seems to be some fake news or false information.

“Investigators are following up on leads and the public will be adequately informed about outcomes.”

Nigeria’s army chief Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru died in a plane crash on Friday on an official visit to the northern state of Kaduna, which has had security challenges in recent months, three military sources told Reuters.

The air force said in a statement that its plane crashed near Kaduna airport and that it was investigating the immediate cause of the crash.

The crash comes three months after a small Nigerian air force passenger plane crashed just outside Abuja airport following alleged engine failure, killing all seven people on board.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the army general and his aides died when an air force plane crashed on Friday.

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Attahiru alongside other military chiefs in January after years of mounting criticism over spreading violence by Islamist insurgents and armed gangs.

CA presidential candidate Dr Ismaila Ceesay said on Saturday the Operation Zero Crime campaign by police is a ‘makeshift’ rather than a permanent measure against crime.

Dr Ceesay said in a post on its official Facebook page: “’Operation Zero Crime’ unleashed by Police to curb rising crime is a makeshift rather than a permanent measure. Prison reform, investing in mental health, investing in young people (skills training and jobs), and initiating modern law enforcement operational strategies are key solutions for crime prevention.

“Crimes in the 21st century require 21st-century policing techniques to prevent and solve. Equally important, administering mob justice on alleged criminals indicates that citizens lack confidence in the criminal justice system.

This leads to a breakdown of authority with dangerous consequences. Law enforcement must be equipped, empowered, and trusted to maintain the Rule of Law.”

Police on Friday commenced a massive operation against crime, stopping cars and searching them and patrolling communities.

Hundreds of police officers were out on the streets Friday including their leader Abdoulie Sanyang amid concern of a growth in crime.

But on claims crime was rising in the country, the nation’s top policeman told The Fatu Network: “Actually if you look at our statistics, I was looking at the statistics this morning. We’re just in the first quarter, that means the first three months.

“If you look at last year’s crime in the first quarter, it is about seven or eight but in this first quarter, we only have four. Why people are complaining is because we have three murder cases like in three, four days. Like the one that happened in Mandinari, the one that happened at Jeshwang and the armed robbery at Jeshwang too.

“People can die. You may suspect foul play but we have to confirm whether it’s a murder case or it’s foul play. But as far as we are concerned, since the beginning of this year, we only have four murder cases. As far as the first quarter is concerned, compared to last year, it’s (crime) going down. We are out to take back the space.”

Former Gambian deputy ambassador to the United Nations Samsudeen Sarr has said he wants former President Yahya Jammeh to return to the country ‘today’.

“Even today, I want him to come back,” Mr Sarr told Giss Giss on Friday.

Mr Sarr recently met with President Adama Barrow where he proposed to the president to allow Jammeh to return to the country. The development sparked anger among some Gambians.

And when the issue of whether the former president who lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea should return to the country on Giss Giss, Sarr who strong supports the former president was emphatic in his view for the former president to return to the country and live as a statesman.

Police have announced arresting 56 people amid an operation targeting the Brufut and Madiana forest.

In a statement, police said: “The High Command of West Coast Region under the leadership of the Regional Police Commissioner, conducted a robust patrol at the Brufut and Madiana forest, amidst reports of criminal activities within and around the forest.

“The patrols were equally expanded to the coastal beaches and criminal hideouts leading to the arrest of 56 suspects currently helping with investigations.

“Majority of the suspects are non Gambians and as a result they are handed over to the Immigration Department for appropriate actions.”

UDP has branded Abdou Willan’s decision to leave the party ten days after joining the party as a ‘very silly’ game.

Willan dramatically announced on Thursday he was leaving UDP after joining the party on May 10. Momodou Sabally played a key role in bringing the senior Gambia For Five Years official to UDP.

UDP spokesman Almamy Taal told The Fatu Network: “The party is not having any feelings about it. Because this kind of tactic politically just shows how immature and how inexperienced some of these people are. What intelligence can you gather from a meeting with the party leader? That’s not a forum where the strategy of the party is discussed.

“And quite frankly I think these individuals who are flip-flopping around, they should be laughing stocks in the country. What are they bringing to the table apart from just getting themselves laughed at? You wake up in the morning and you go and say that you want to join a party and all of a sudden you flip back to whatever you are doing and saying that is a strategy.

“It’s so childish. For us we have an open door policy, the party leader is welcoming every Gambian who comes in good faith and say they are supporting the party or they have come to join the party. This is a very silly game.”

Gambia Democratic Party has officially sacked MPs Kebba Jallow and Salifu Jawo.

Jallow and Jawo represent Jarra Central and Jokadu respectively.

They were members of GDC but their continued bromance with President Adama Barrow threw their membership of GDC into difficulty.

The officials had announced they have left the party but they reportedly continued to serve in committees at the National Assembly which they could only serve in by virtue of being a member of a party.

GDC has now written to the clerk of the National Assembly informing him of the sacking of the two lawmakers.

Abdou Willan has made the explosive claim his decision to join United Democratic Party was a ruse.

Willan joined UDP ten days ago where he was personally welcomed to the party by UDP leader Ousainou Darboe.

The Gambia For Five Years official made a dramatic U-turn on Thursday meeting NPP officials and telling them he was returning to the party.

“I was only there for research and I have returned with a lot of information,” Willan said at a meeting held at NPP’s office in Churchill’s Town on Thursday.

Willan joined UDP on May 10 along with Omar Sanyang in a move that sparked huge celebrations in UDP.

At his meeting with NPP officials on Thursday, Willan took offense at UDP member Momodou Sabally giving him a ‘lieutenant’ rank while making himself the ‘commando’.

The EU announced on Thursday it has released 338 million dalasis for the budget of The Gambia.

“With this release of the third budget support tranche under the current State and Resilience Building Contract, the EU encourages the Gambian authorities to continue to improve the management of public finances and supports The Gambia’s national priorities, including in areas related to the electoral processes and constitutional reforms,” said Ambassador Corrado Pampaloni, the Head of European Union Delegation to the Republic of The Gambia, according to a statement.

In response to the outbreak of the covid-19 crisis, with this third tranche of an ongoing budget support operation, the EU has contributed almost EUR 40 million, equivalent to around 2.4 billion GMD, the statement by the EU delegation in The Gambia said.

Since the start of the democratic transition in 2016, the EU said it has contributed almost 6.8 billion GMD to the national budget of The Gambia.

Budget support consists of direct financial transfers to the national treasury of The Gambia. These transfers rely on policy dialogue, capacity building, and a performance assessment in areas related to, among others, democratic governance, respect for human rights, and the sound management of public finances.

Bellicose Senegalese soldiers crossed into The Gambia and opened fire, multiple people familiar with the issue have said.

The soldiers crossed into the country through Omorto, Kombo East on Wednesday.

One person sharing pictures of Gambians clashing with the soldiers with The Fatu Network said the soldiers pursued a truck conveying timber.

Gambian army spokesman Major Lamin Sanyang told The Fatu Network they received reports and their units and operatives were gathering relevant information.

President Adama Barrow has encouraged all Gambians to be cooperative and supportive of the ongoing vaccination campaign to help combat the coronavirus pandemic in The Gambia, according to State House.

A news release said: “He made the remarks after receiving his second dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at the State House on Wednesday.

“President Barrow stressed the importance of the vaccination programme as The Gambia and the rest of the world continue the fight against this deadly pandemic that has devastated the socio and economic lives of people all over the world. He reassured the general public that the vaccines are safe and that all should work together to support the government and the Public health system in order to ensure a successful vaccination campaign.

“The President also urged the media to support the government’s initiative and intensify the sensitisation programme to enlighten the public on the importance of the vaccination programme.

“The occasion was graced by the Chinese Ambassador to The Gambia His Excellency Ma Jianchun who reaffirmed his government’s continued support to The Gambia in its fight against the pandemic.”

By Sarjo Brito

Few years ago, the Bakoteh dumpsite was just a dumpsite, filled with all sorts of trash like plastic bottles and car parts waiting to be burned. Today, scavengers are swarming to the famous dumpsite daily looking for anything that can be recycled and one of those is plastic. Plastic waste management has increasingly become a tropical issue, especially the contamination of fresh and marine water environments. Research shows that nearly 513 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean every year. In Africa, countries like Egypt and Nigeria rank high as major polluters.

Alieu Sowe is an environmentalist and plastic recycling entrepreneur who gave up living in the West and returning home to fight against environmental pollution in The Gambia. Now owning and employing dozens of young Gambians to work at his plastic recycling firm, Alieu Sowe said besides being an environmentalist, he was inspired by the idea of creating job opportunities for the youths.

“The inspiration has always been one thing. To come back home and create opportunities for myself and my fellow youth. I have a lot of my family depending on me and most of them are youths. So, if I can come back home to create opportunities like these, it is like taking a burden off myself. It is one thing to open a shop and run a one-man business, but creating a company or a project which will include hundreds of people is something that inspires me,” Sowe said.

The Gambia continues to grapple with some environmental challenges, even after laws were passed banning the importation of plastic but its enforcement remains a major problem. Major polluters like China have also banned the importation of plastic, with many African environmentalists like Alieu Sowe raising concerns as they fear importers will now divert their attention to vulnerable African countries.

“It is a concern. It has been banned in The Gambia, but it is not enforced. So, if it is enforced in other countries, they turn to where they can bring it in easily. You can now see all kinds of plastics in our markets now. It is definitely a concern and we have been talking about it with the National Environment Agency and the Ministry of Environment to see what we can do on our part as recyclers,” Sowe said.

From trash to raw plastic, how does it work? We asked.

“These items like you see are in different colours, types and qualities. We collect them from collection points or have scavengers who normally buy for us. Once they arrive in the warehouse, we begin by segregating them into colours and qualities. We then cut them into pieces, wash, dry them and then put them in the grinder. Once they are grinded, we package them into 25kg bags and sell to manufacturers,” Sowe said.

Even though the young entrepreneurs do not manufacture, the future looks already bright as they now have everything in place to begin manufacturing raw plastic into finished items. Sowe also shared new recycling ideas he’s working on as they look into glass bottles which he hopes can be grinded to make pavement tiles.

Alieu Sowe said Africa’s solution to its overgrowing plastic issue is one thing: recycling.