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.

Imam Muhammed Lamin Touray has been tapped for the role of chief imam of Gunjur, according to people familiar with the issue.

Touray was the president of Supreme Islamic Council. He replaces Imam Bakawsu Touray who died a few weeks ago.

Essa Faal got a little stupefied by Jarra West Chief Yaya Jarjusey’s support of a plan by former President Yahya Jammeh to be made king.

“Allahu Akbar. So you were wanted to sacrifice the republican status of this country for a monarchy so that your child has no chance of being head of this country?” Essa Faal asked the Jarra West chief on Wednesday as he appeared before the TRRC over allegations of abusing his powers and sending people to jail illegally.

According to Jarjusey, it was people’s ‘idea’ to make Jammeh king of The Gambia.

He said: “It was people who had the idea; they toured the country and told me and others about it. Yes I supported it. I will not lie to you.

“But it would be left to the people. If people wanted it, then it’s up to them.”

The women of National People’s Party are ready to hit the campaign trail, according to their leader Maimuna Baldeh.

Mrs Baldeh recently got the nod as women mobiliser of National People’s Party, making her the leader of all NPP women.

She wrote on her official Facebook page on Tuesday: “The NPP women are ready to hit the campaign trail lead by the National Women mobiliser Aja Maimuna Baldeh Jallow. When Aja Maimuna Baldeh Jallow leads, victory is guaranteed.”

Her role involves pushing the agenda of National People’s Party among Gambian women and for them to support President Adama Barrow.

General Alagie Martin whose fate remains hanging in the balance amid explosive allegations of torture against him has apologized to Colonel Babucarr Sanyang.

Sanyang said in 2019 Martin placed a plastic bag over his head and tried to suffocate him. He said Martin also meted out other forms of torture to him.

The two met at the TRRC today in a reconciliation showdown.

Martin said: “I’m here to ask forgiveness. It was not my intention to do what has happened. It was the situation at the time. As you know me colonel, I would definitely not come and do those things to you without being given instructions at the time.

“After all what has happened, you were working under me as my 2IC, we worked amicable in the office. But with all those things you managed to cope with me. Once again I would like to say I’m very very sorry for what has happened. Definitely it’s regrettable.”

The TRRC has also heard Martin tortured Sanna Sabally and Sadibou Hydara. He has been accused of always carrying a hammer with him.

Sabally claimed Martin’s team visited him more than 20 times in 1995 in Mile Two and meted out various forms of torture to him including waterboarding, castration and enforced homosexual behaviour. The alleged incidents happened more than two decades ago when Martin was only a sergeant.

President Adama Barrow will on Thursday 20th May 2021 conduct a day’s tour of ongoing road construction projects in the Central River Region-North and the North Bank Region, State House said.

“The objective of this monitoring tour is to assess the implementation progress of the projects.

“President Adama Barrow places a high priority on roads and infrastructural development as outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP). The plan prioritises the completion and upgrading of the national road network and the expansion of feeder roads in rural areas for improved access, mobility and socio-economic development,” the dispatch by the presidency said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a request by Bubacarr Keita’s lawyers for the businessman to be granted bail amid his appeal at the top court.

Keita, 29, invoked the apex court after the Court of Appeal revoked his High Court bail in March.

The Supreme Court is yet to decide his appeal against the appellate court’s decision yet his lawyers asked the court to grant him bail pending the determination of the appeal.

But in his ruling, top Justice Rahmond Sock insisted the rule Keita’s lawyers relied on applied only to someone who is already convicted of a crime, who has decided to appeal his conviction.

“Clearly, therefore, rule 42 of the Rules of this Court, pursuant to which this application is brought, envisages a situation where one has been convicted of a criminal offence, has appealed to this court against his or her conviction and applied for bail pending the determination of his or her appeal before the court,” Sock argued in one instance.

And in his concluding remarks in a 9-page ruling, Sock said: “I believe the law provides for three types of bail, namely police bail during the investigation of an offence, court bail during the trial (pending the hearing and determination of the offence); and court bail pending the hearing and determination of an appeal against conviction.

“However, these three types of bail are only available in respect of offences not punishable with death or imprisonment for life, as provided by section 99 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Consequently, in the absence of a conviction and appeal therefrom, the Court of Appeal cannot ordinarily grant bail even with respect to bailable offences.

“In the instant suit, section 99 prohibits a court from admitting into bail a person accused of rape or other offences punishable with death or imprisonment for life. The lower court was therefore right to revoke the bail granted by the trial judge contrary to the provisions section 99 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The application before this court is therefore dismissed for incompetence.”

Keita is standing trial for allegedly raping his former wife’s 15-year-old sister, charges he has since denied.

Foreign Minister Dr. Mamadou Tangara has called for an end to violence on Palestinians and the lifting of blockade on the Gaza Strip, according to the foreign ministry.

Minister Tangara made this statement on May 16 2021 during an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers held virtually, the foreign ministry said in a statement on its official Facebook page.

“Dr. Tangara described the situation in Gaza as very sad, abhorrent, criminal, and unacceptable. He pointed out that The Gambia has always been consistent with its position on Palestinians in pursuit of their inalienable and legitimate rights to self-determination and full independence as a sovereign state.

“On the issue of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, Foreign Minister Tangara said attacks unleased on Palestinians have been intestified to an unprecedented levels, noting that the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif continues to endure judaization, deportation, closure, and settlement of building policies.

“The holy site especially Al-Aqsa mosque faces grief and recurrent attacks in the form of incursion, desecration and denial  of access by worshippers as evident in recent crisis in the area, Minister Tangara observed.

“He used the opportunity to urge his counterparts to end the broad daylight massacring of Palestinians as over 130 were killed including children and women and thousands injured,” the news release said.

The Gambia has made notable progress in many health and development indicators, according to the just-released 2019-20 Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS).

The 2019-20 GDHS is the second DHS survey implemented in the country, following the survey in 2013.

The survey results, released today at a national seminar in Banjul organised by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics, show notable improvements in maternal and child health in The Gambia, but important challenges remain.

“The 2019-20 Gambia Demographic and Health Survey provides representative results of key health indicators. We are proud to see so much progress towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Government of The Gambia, together with our development partners will use these findings to guide policy and programmatic decisions to ensure healthy lives for all Gambians,” says Nyakassi M.B. Sanyang, Statistician-General at GBOS, according to a press release. Nyakassi M.B. SanyangStatistician-GeneralGambia Bureau of StatisticsNyakass

The total fertility rate in The Gambia has fallen by more than one child since 2013.  Currently, women have an average of 4.4 births in their lifetime, compared with 5.6 in 2013.  During the same time period, use of modern methods of family planning has more than doubled, from only 8% of married women in 2013 to 17% in 2019-20.  Injectables and implants are the most commonly used methods among married women.

Progress in child health has been more uneven.  Vaccination coverage has increased in recent years.  Currently 85% of children age 12-23 months have received all basic vaccines, up from 76% in 2013.  And fewer children are under-nourished or anaemic.  Stunting in children, a sign of chronic malnutrition, has dropped from 25% to 18%.  Anaemia prevalence has also declined, from 73% of children age 6-59 months in 2013 to 45% in 2019-20.  Still, these improvements do not correspond with trends in childhood mortality.  Under-five mortality has remained stable since 2013, at 56 deaths per 1000 live births.  This means that about 1 in 18 children in The Gambia do not survive to their fifth birthday.  Neonatal and infant mortality have increased slightly since 2013.

Gambians are making progress towards a malaria-free future. More than three-quarters of households in The Gambia own at least one insecticide-treated net (ITN). More than half of pregnant women now receive at least 3 doses of SP/Fansidar to prevent malaria, up from only 6% in 2013. The 2019-20 GHDS included malaria testing among children age 6-59 months.  Fewer than 1% tested positive for malaria by rapid diagnostic test (RDT).

While the 2019-20 GDHS reports progress in many areas, challenges remain, particularly in the area of women’s empowerment and spousal violence. More than 1 in 3 (39%) ever-married women have experienced spousal violence by their current or most recent husband or partner, whether physical, sexual, or emotional violence. Nearly three-quarters of women age 15-49 in The Gambia have been circumcised.  The practice may be becoming less common: 46% of girls age 0-14 are circumcised. Less than half of women and men believe that female genital cutting should continue.

The 2019-20 GDHS provides up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators at the national level, for urban and rural areas separately, and for each of the 8 Local Government Areas (LGAs). A total of 11,865 women age 15-49 and 4,636 men age 15-59 were interviewed, representing a response rate of 95% of women and 87% of men. The 2019-20 Gambia Demographic and Health Survey (2019-20 GDHS) was implemented by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS). The funding for the GDHS was provided by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), ActionAid International The Gambia, the Network Against Gender Based Violence, the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), and The Government of the Republic of The Gambia. ICF provided technical assistance through The DHS Program, a USAID-funded program that supports the implementation of population and health surveys in countries worldwide.

Additional information about the 2019-20 GDHS may be obtained from GBOS, Kanifing Institutional Layout, P.O. Box 3504, Serrekunda, The Gambia; telephone +220-437-7847.

Vice President Dr Isatou Touray has said the 2019-2020 Demographic and Health Survey shows the health situation in The Gambia has improved since President Barrow assumed office.

“…this new survey shows us many ways that the health situation in The Gambia has improved when the new dispensation was voted into power in since 2017,” Dr Touray said on Tuesday while launching the 2019-2020 Demographic and Health Survey.

The Vice President said fertility rate has “decreased [sic], many more women are delivering in health facilities, more children are vaccinated, and children’s nutritional status has improved”.

“But there is no room for complacency as we still have much work to do.  Although women’s use of family planning has increased since 2013, still only 17% of married women are using a modern method of family planning, and many have unmet need.

“Despite important improvements in child health, childhood mortality has not made a much significant decline since 2013,” she added.