A top police officer died in Serrekunda, police said in a statement.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ebrima Jabang of Banjul Region died on Wednesday. His age was not immediately revealed.

“This sad news is extended to The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed and Security Services, His Excellency Mr Adama Barrow, Vice President, Her Excellency Dr. Isatou Touray, the Minister of Interior Hon. Yankuba JN Sonko, Service Chiefs, friends and relatives in the Gambia and abroad.

“He will be laid to rest today the 24th February 2021 at 14:00hrs at Gunjur,” police said in a statement.

Giss Giss pundit Dabakh Malick has blasted the nation’s politicians who went about cricitising the decision for ECOMIG to stay in the country over fears of Gambia’s sovereignty receding yet elected to travel to Nigeria for talks over the draft constitution.

A huge debate has erupted amid leaders of the country’s political parties travelling to Nigeria to meet Goodluck Jonathan.

Opposition leaders such as UDP leader Darboe and GDC’s Mamma Kandeh are all among those who made the trip.

Some of these opposition leaders have blasted President Barrow over the decision for ECOMIG to have longer in the country arguing the nation risks losing its sovereignty. Yet these leaders are among those who are holding talks with Dr Jonathan over what some analysts say is an issue that borders on the nation’s sovereignty and should be solved internally.

Dabakh Malick wrote on Tuesday: “Gambia let’s STOP the double standard in our national discourse, you can’t call for the outing of ECOMIG (because you think it’s mortgaging our sovereignty) but still have the audacity to attend an outsourced effort in reviving our Constitution.

“Legally the two ways this Constitution can come back is either through the EXECUTIVE or PARLIAMENT, so I see no reason why we should spend so much time and resources going in and out to that effect. Let’s do it for The Gambia!”

Dabakh’s comments come as prominent youth leader Lamin Saidy jokingly asked the leaders on Monday not to sell the country while in Nigeria.

President Adama Barrow on Tuesday received the letters of credence of the ambassadors of Cote d’Ivoire, General de Corps d’’ Armee Sekou Toure and Italy Giovanni Umberto De Vito.

According to State House in a statement, both diplomats extolled The Gambia’s “cordial relations with their various countries while expressing the commitment to strengthening the cooperation in the areas of education, business, food and security, economy, Tourism, and Culture”.

State House said: “President Barrow said he was honoured to receive H.E. General Sekou Toure, the Ivorian Ambassador to the Gambia, to build on the historical ties between The Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire. He conveyed his congratulations to the Ivorian President, H.E Alassane Ouattara for his re-election and commended the people for maintaining stability in the state of West Africa under his leadership, thus demonstrating the trust that Ivoirians have in him.

“In another engagement, President Barrow received the Italian Ambassador to The Gambia, H.E Giovanni Umberto De Vito. He commended the current good ties and appreciated the support provided to the Gambia by the Republic of Italy through the European Union and at the bilateral level.

“President Barrow acknowledged the management of illegal migration by Italy by promoting and legally integrating Gambian migrants into Italian society. He told the Ambassador of the importance of the remittances migrants contribute back to The Gambia to help sustain families. The President urged Ambassador De Vito to invite Italian companies to invest in the construction industry.

“On global issues, the President urged the G20 to cancel developed countries’ debts to allow countries such as The Gambia to spend 60% of their income in developing their infrastructure to tackle poverty and improve the working conditions of workers.”

By Lamin Njie, editor-in-chief

The nation’s anti-drugs agency seized drugs of various types worth 121 million dalasis in 2019 – where cannabis topped the list but cocaine eating nearly the entire value of all seizures even though it sat second on the list.

Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s 2019 report has been released and The Fatu Network obtained a copy on Tuesday.

In it, the agency seized over two tons of cannabis in 2019 worth 7.9 million dalasis; over 56 kilograms of cocaine was also seized worth 113 million dalasis and it came largely from the seizure of 52 kilograms of the substance from a sugar container imported into the country by Laura’s Food Company.

Elsewhere, over one kilograms of hashish was also seized worth D413,000, even as one kilogram of ketamine was seized. A paltry 11grams of heroine was confiscated.

According to the report, most of the traffickers enter through villages like Kartong, Sibanor, Bullock, Dimbaya, Omorto, Darsilameh, Jalokoto and Giboro. A massive 610 people were arrested of which 67 were non-Gambians. It’s a mixture of those caught trafficking in the drugs and those who were found in possession of drugs.

The head of the agency Bakary Gassama said in the report: “It is my strong conviction that addressing the drug problem is a shared responsibility.

“While we may think that there is no single justification for young people to use drugs, it is important that we, as concerned adults, parents, and policy-makers, pay attention to the reasons they advance for this attitude, however implausible we find them and talk to them about the dangers and life-long devastating effects.”

A top military official who commanded the so-called ‘Bulldozer’ squad during former President Yahya Jammeh’s rule has said the squad at the outset had between 50 and 60 men – which later increased to between 150 and 160 officers.

A squad comprising soldiers, police officers and men from other security outfits in the country assumed crime fighting lead role in the early 2010s but a lot of human rights violations is said to have been committed by the squad.

And appearing before the TRRC on Tuesday, Lieutenant Colonel Amadou Bojang said the squad was under the command of top commander General Saul Badjie.

“We were about 50 to 60 but when I came back [from peacekeeping], there were some PIU officers from TDA. They were all dismissed, they were reinstated and they were all sent to bulldozer and the strength increased to 150 to 160,” Amadou Bojang told the TRRC.

But when asked by Essa Faal if the squad was a milder version of the Junglers, Bojang said:   “It’s not true.”

His testimony continues.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said Europe and the US should urgently allocate up to 5 per cent of their current vaccine supplies to developing countries where Covid-19 vaccination campaigns have scarcely begun and China and Russia are offering to fill the gap.

In a Financial Times interview by video link from the Elysée Palace, Macron said African nations were sometimes buying western vaccines such as those made by AstraZeneca at “astronomical prices” — two or three times the price paid by the EU — and being offered Chinese and Russian vaccines of uncertain efficacy against new variants of the virus.

“We are allowing the idea to take hold that hundreds of millions of vaccines are being given in rich countries and that we are not starting in poor countries,” he said ahead of a G7 meeting by video link on Friday of the leaders of the world’s biggest economies called by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“It’s an unprecedented acceleration of global inequality and it’s politically unsustainable too because it’s paving the way for a war of influence over vaccines,” Macron said. “You can see the Chinese strategy and the Russian strategy too.”

The French president said it was crucial for pharmaceutical groups making vaccines to transfer technology abroad in order to accelerate global production of vaccines — “we will apply all the pressure we can” — and to be transparent about pricing.

The concept of intellectual property was essential for innovation, but if vaccine manufacturers were not co-operative “inevitably the political question of intellectual property will arise in all our countries,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the right debate, it’s not helpful, but it will arise — this discussion over excess profits based on scarcity of the vaccine.”

Macron acknowledged that the EU had been slower than the US at ensuring production and supply of vaccines for its own populations and was facing shortages, but said diverting a small share of the doses to Africa from European supply chains would not hinder vaccination campaigns.

“The key is to move quicker,” he said. “We’re not talking about billions of doses immediately, or billions and billions of euros. It’s about much more rapidly allocating 4-5 per cent of the doses we have.

“It won’t change our vaccination campaigns, but each country should set aside a small number of the doses it has to transfer tens of millions of them, but very fast, so that people on the ground see it happening.”

Macron said he had discussed the idea “a lot” with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “She supports it and we are in agreement,” he said, calling for a “fully European and co-operative initiative” and adding that he hoped also to convince the US, where vaccine supplies are more plentiful than in the EU.

He said the plan would be a test of the reality of multilateralism. “It’s not about vaccine diplomacy, it’s not a power game — it’s a matter of public health,” Macron said, adding that he welcomed the global provision of Russian and Chinese vaccines provided they were certified by scientists for use against the appropriate variants of the virus.

“It’s unacceptable when a vaccine exists to reduce the chances of a woman or a man according to the place where they happen to live.”

While implicitly acknowledging that the rollout of vaccines to developing countries was a diplomatic battle that western countries were currently losing, Macron said it was in the interest of all countries that wanted their borders to remain open to extend vaccination programmes beyond their home territory.

“It’s in the interest of the French and the Europeans. Today I have more than 10m of our fellow citizens who have families on the other side of the Mediterranean,” he said.

Macron, whose government has been criticised for the slow rollout of vaccinations in France, insisted that transferring “3-5 per cent of the vaccines we have in stock to Africa” would have no impact on the domestic inoculation programme. “It won’t delay it by a single day given the way we use our doses.” France has promised vaccinations to all adults who want them by the end of the summer.

Without helping their neighbours around the Mediterranean and in the Middle East and the Balkans, European countries would never be able to reopen because they would end up reimporting Covid-19 variants resistant to their vaccines, he said. (Financial Times)

Senegal has offered 20,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, in solidarity with its neighbors in West Africa, according to local media in Senegal.

Senegal last Wednesday received 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines produced by the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm.

And according to Senegal President Macky Sall, 10% of the vaccine would be given out to The Gambia and Guinea Bissau.

Speaking by video conference at the 20th edition of the International Economic Forum on Africa, President Sall said: “We have decided to make 10% of this vaccine available to two neighboring countries, or 20,000 doses for the Gambia and Guinea Bissau as a form of African solidarity.”

Gambia have made it through to the knockout stage of the African U-20 Championship in Mauritania after goals from Kajally Drammeh and Lamarana Jallow tamed Ghana.

Ghana led early on in the match after Issahaku’s left-footed shot outside the penalty box beat keeper Lamin Saidy.

Gambia quickly got back into the game after Kajally Drammeh headed home an Ebou Camara cross in the 16th minute. And on the 33th minute, midfielder Lamarana Jallow’s low travelling free-kick put Gambia in the front foot.

Set-piece specialist Ebou Camara was sent off in the second half after a second yellow card over time-wasting. It then became a matter of Gambia holding their nerves amid sustained pressure from Ghana.

The game ended 2-1 and it means Gambia have made it to the knockout stage of the competition, finishing second-place to Morocco.

Gambia led Ghana 2-1 at half-time in the U-20 African Championship in Mauritania after goals from Kajally Drammeh and Lamarana Jallow brought Ghana back to earth.

Ghana led early on in the match after Issahaku’s left-footed shot outside the penalty box beat keeper Lamin Saidy.

Gambia quickly got back into the game after Kajally Drammeh headed home an Ebou Camara cross in the 16th minute. And on the 33th minute, midfielder Lamarana Jallow’s low travelling free-kick put Gambia in the front foot.

Second half coming up in a moment.

Police on Monday confirmed the ripping of structures amid a land dispute between villagers of Basori and Duwasu.

Police said: “We can confirm the incident of land dispute between the people of Basori and Duwasu villages on the 21st February 2021.

“Structures on the disputed land were demolished by certain individuals from Basori village.

“So far eight people have been arrested and they are currently helping the police in their investigations.”

From a delicious piece of white toast to a bowl of pasta, many of us enjoy consuming refined grains.

But a new study has warned that eating too many of them can have serious consequences, including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and even early death.

Refined carbohydrates, including croissants, white bread and pasta, have had the high fibre parts removed, meaning they get broken down faster and lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels when consumed.

Based on the findings, the researchers are urging people to consider replacing their favourite refined grains with wholegrain options, such as brown rice and barley.

Grains are considered to be ‘whole’ if they contain all three original parts – the bran, the germ and the endosperm.

However, if one or more these three key parts has been removed, the grains are referred to as ‘refined.’

The Wholegrains Council explained: ‘White flour and white rice are refined grains, for instance, because both have had their bran and germ removed, leaving only the endosperm.

‘Refining a grain removes about a quarter of the protein in a grain, and half to two thirds or more of a score of nutrients, leaving the grain a mere shadow of its original self.’

In the study, researchers from Simon Fraser University looked at the effects of following a diet high in refined grains.

Their analysis included 137,130 participants from 21 countries, including those from low-, middle- and high-income areas.

Grains in the participants’ diets were categorised into three groups – refined grains, whole grains and white rice.

Refined grains included goods made with white flour, including white bread, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals, crackers and baked goods.

Meanwhile, whole grains included any foods made with wholegrain flours, or intact or cracked whole grains.

The analysis revealed that participants who consumed more than seven servings of refined grains per day were at a 27 per cent greater risk for early death.

This group was also found to be at a 33 per cent higher risk for heart disease, and a 47 per cent higher risk for stroke.

Professor Scott Lear, who led the study, said: ‘This study re-affirms previous work indicating a healthy diet includes limiting overly processed and refined foods.’

Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that people should limit their intake of refined grains, and consider swapping them for whole grains.

The researchers added: ‘Intakes of a combination of cereal grains with a lower intake of refined wheat products should be encouraged while promoting a higher intake of whole grains.

‘Reduction in quantity and improvement in quality of carbohydrate is essential for better health outcomes.’ (DailyMail)

Known youth leader Lamin K Saidy Sr. sarcastically reacted to news of the country’s politicians travelling to Nigeria for a summit with Dr Goodluck Jonathan saying: “do not sell the Gambia rek lol….Good luck.”

Leaders of various political parties early Monday morning flew out to Nigeria ahead of a showdown with former Nigerian leader Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan flew into the country twice to hold talks with the country’s political leaders after NAMs threw out the draft constitution. The mediation-master has been trying to cut a deal among the country’s politicians amid plans to pummel the charter back to the national assembly.

UDP leader Darboe, GMC leader Mai Fatty, GAP leader Batchilly, GDC leader Kandeh, CA leader Dr Ceesay are all among those who flew to Nigeria.

GMC leader Mai Fatty shared a photo Monday morning with the caption, ‘moving towards the direction of a potential meeting of the minds’.

And Lamin K Saidy reacted: “Do not sell the Gambia rek lol….good luck.”

The number of people arrested over a land dispute between Basori and Duwasu has risen to seven, according to sources.

The people of Basori fell on law’s wrong side on Sunday after they demolished structures built on some lands by the people of Duwasu. The people of Basori say they own the lands.

A Basorian told The Fatu Network many of the village’s youth spent the night at Giboro police station amid the detention of two people.

“They were transferred to Brikama Police Station on Monday where we all came down to. But they have now arrested five more people.

“A PIU van came this afternoon and they were put into that van. They took them away and we now do not know where they’ve taken them,” the source said.

A reporter in Brikama confirmed the transfer of the arrested men to Brikama Police Station on Monday.

Police spokesman Lamin Njie is yet to respond to a request for comment.

The Senegalese government seeks to inoculate all citizens who wish to receive COVID-19 vaccination by 2022, the health minister has said.

Health and Social Action Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr told daily paper Le Soleil that Senegal would kick off “an emergency phase” of vaccination for frontline health workers, people over 60 years and people with underlying health conditions.

“In all regions, if we do not fit these three criteria, we are not eligible during this first emergency phase,” Le Soleil quoted the minister as saying in its Sunday editions.

Sarr said authorities hope to cover 20 percent of the Senegalese population during the emergency vaccination phase.

“We are waiting for another batch of doses (of vaccine). In total, we will receive 1,300,000 doses from COVAX,” he said. “Plus, we are in negotiations with the Russians to get Sputnik V in order to complete the process.”

The minister stressed that the national vaccination campaign, which will start on Tuesday, would not rule out any type of vaccine.

Last Wednesday, Senegal received 200,000 doses of vaccines manufactured by China’s Sinopharm.

Senegal, which reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 2, 2020, has so far recorded 33,099 positive cases, including 27,428 recoveries and 814 deaths. (XINHUA)

Rohey Malick Lowe has blasted as rotten talk claims UDP is a Mandinka party – and praised UDP leader Ousainou Darboe as the leader who understands the problems Gambian women face.

Speaking in Kerewan at the weekend, the UDP top official argued: “I have roamed from Banjul to Koina and every problem you hear are those that affect the women. And it’s us the women who make kings. We make up the bigger chunk [of the population].

“We do the campaign, we do the dancing, we do the clapping and then when we take them to State House they forget us. But I Rohey Malick Lowe knows the wrestler that I am with who is Alhagie Ousainou Darboe since 1996 understands the problems of the women.

“So I want to tell the women Ousainou Darboe is the leader for the women, the president of the women and I know this. He knows what a woman is and what a woman deserves.

“That’s why he took the presidency in the United Democratic Party and gave it to Yamoundow Yabo, a woman and a Wollof. You then have Rohey Malick Lowe, a Fana Fana. You then have Aji Yam Secka. You then have Aji Sukaina Kah. The list goes on.

“So I want to give that [comment] to those who say United Democratic Party is a party of Mandinka. That’s a rotten talk. I want to tell you if United Democratic Party was a cow, the rear legs lie with us the Wolof and it’s the women who are keeping a hold of it.”

The Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo and a military policeman travelling with him have been killed in an attack on a United Nations convoy in eastern DRC, the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

A spokesman for the Virunga national park told Italian media that Luca Attanasio died while travelling in a Monusco convoy and that the attack was part of an attempt to kidnap UN personnel. Monusco is the UN’s peacekeeping force in DRC.

According to Italian media reports the attack took place at about 10am (0800 GMT) near the town of Kanyamahoro.

Dozens of armed groups operate in eastern DRC, many remnants of militias that fought in civil wars around the turn of the century that resulted in millions of deaths from conflict, hunger and disease.

In January armed men killed at least six rangers and wounded several others in an ambush in Virunga national park, which sits on the forest-covered volcanoes of central Africa and is home to over half the global population of mountain gorillas. (The Guardian)