A video of worshippers praying in the Fula language in Senegal has emerged online and set tongues wagging.
Serigne Al Hassane Mbacké Rouhou Lahi Baba Diné says he is the new version of the Prophet Essa.
The group is in a village called Aré Malenden in the Kolda region. Their scripture is written in the Pulaar language and they do all their worship practices in Pulaar, including prayer.
Watch video below.
The country’s former army chief Lang Tombong Tamba has commenced his testimony before the TRRC.
Tamba was the country’s top military official in the late 2000s. His time in the military however went down the drains when he was in 2009 arrested and later jailed for treason.
He swore to speak only the truth.
Hamat Bah has blasted UDP leader Ousainou Darboe over comments he made regarding President Barrow’s father.
Darboe recently told UDP supporters the president did not inherit anything from his father that he could use to help Gambians with.
Speaking on Sunday in Raniru, Sami during a meeting held there by President Barrow as part of his nationwide tour, tourism minister Hamat Bah said it was wrong for a 70-year-old man to be engaged in such kind of politics.
Bah said: “A man who has lived up to 70 years, enjoying every respect in this country… The person who gave you that respect, you could sit and say bad things about his father who has long returned to Barzaq (died).
“Someone who stood in the front of the world and said this man (Darboe) is my father. Used his power and appointed you, used his power and took you out of where you were, gave you all kinds of respect. It’s bad to say bad things about that person talk less of his parents.”
President Adama Barrow has promised a fight to anyone who attempts to be a barrier between him and the work he’s intent on carrying out as president.
Speaking in Niani, CRR on Saturday, the president said: “I don’t have any interest than to work in developing the country. But anyone who tries to come between me and that work, It will be well worth for me for us to ourselves fight to death but I will do that work. But I want all Gambians to join me. I will not be able to do the work alone.
“I’m your bayye faal. Whatever you want is what I will do. There is no one here who will claim he loves Gambia more than me. Because I will not be able to repay what you have done for me. Gambia has two million people but you went ahead to vote for me as your leader. So I will not be able to repay you. The only thing I can do for you is to work for you.”
The president had earlier on pricked the minds the people of Niani to his 2016 campaign speech in Niani when he told them the battle was Niani’s because Darboe was in jail.
“When I stood for election in 2016, I was here in Niani and spoke for between 45 minutes to one hour to tell you that it’s your son who’s arrested and in jail. That the battle was a battle for Niani. And that anyone who is in The Gambia and taking part in the battle was helping Niani.
“But some cried over my that speech. The people of Niani then stood by me. I did lose CRR but I didn’t lose Niani [as a region]. So all you said here we will look at solving them. My technicians are here and we will look at some of your roads to see if we could construct them,” the president said.
Imam Chebo Cham on Friday dedicated his sermon yet again to the raging sex workers controversy that has gripped the nation.
Imam Baba Leigh caused fresh controversy when he appeared to have suggested sex workers should be supported. But in an interview with The Fatu Network, the top imam said he can’t call anyone a sex worker but Gambians – and that any Gambian requires supporting.
Imam Chebo Cham however took to the pulpit on Friday sticking the knife into the imam. He also vowed to die but will speak the truth.
“We’re not worshipping you I hope you know that. It’s worth we die today but we will tell Gambians what the truth is. A sex worker… An Imam stands up and says they should get support because they are human beings. How many people are here who need help? People who earn a living on sex? You can’t help them out of such behaviour?” Imam Cham said.
The imam then went after the Barrow government: “Since 2016, Islam cries every day and it’s you the Muslims who are making it cry.
“What made me laugh is that they have written on newspapers, on TVs that Sheikh Chebo Cham prayed for Yahya Jammeh. Why would I not pray for him, do you think we will forget him over his efforts against these things?”
GDC leader Mamma Kandeh has warned that President Adama Barrow is out to dupe Gambians once more – similar to what he did back in 2016.
President Barrow had pledged to serve for just three years but reneged on it which resulted in a so-called campaign for him to step down. The president later said one says anything when one is campaigning.
Mamma Kandeh speaking on Friday at a meeting held in Latrikunda Sabiji cautioned Gambians against falling for whatever President Barrow tells them.
He said: “They said it’s a transition government, they said three years and when that finishes they will hold elections for Gambians to choose whoever they want. They asked him at the time and he (Barrow) said he is a noble and content and will not roll back on his promise. He is the one who said it.
“When the Three Years Jotna got up, they brought police who fired teargas on Gambians injuring some and inflicting pain on them. They brought a vehicle to pour hot water on Gambians. That’s how he paid back Gambians.
“When he was campaigning, he said he will do just three years. No one forced them to say it. When the time came, Gambians reminded them and because they now have power, they took teargas and a vehicle to pour hot water on Gambians. Now that group has formed a party and are going back to Gambians asking them to vote for them.
“When they asked him why he didn’t respect his promise, he said when you’re seeking office you say whatever you like. So do you think we should believe anything again when such person comes back to us and tells us things?
“So Barrow is just telling you whatever he likes. If you vote for him, he will betray you and do whatever he likes.”
Frustrated travellers demanded their money back after spending hours at the ferry terminal in Banjul.
Travellers who made it to the ferry terminal in Banjul to get on the 6am ferry to Barra found that no ferry was in operation. A source told The Fatu Network engineers who were supposed to be at work did not turn up early sparking a six-hour chaos.
The managing director of Gambia Ports Authority told The Fatu Network engineers are currently working on the Johe ferry.
“All three engines have now turned on,” Ousman Jobarteh said, adding it’s now on its way to load.
Kanilai and Kunta Kinteh remain out of service. Two ambulances with patients are stranded at the terminal as a result.
The chairman of Kuntaur Area Council has cross-carpeting to National People’s Party, cutting off any ties he has with GDC.
Saihou Jawara ran on a GDC ticket and won in the 2018 local government elections for chairmanship of Kuntaur Area Council, Central River Region North.
GDC regional chairman in CRR North Ass Sowe confirmed that Jawara has sent him a letter saying he was leaving GDC.
US-based Gambian Sainey Darboe has chipped into the raging sex workers controversy by saying he ‘totally’ stands with Imam Baba Leigh.
“I totally stand with Imam Baba Leigh in his call for providing relief to sex workers,” Darboe writing on Friday said.
The GunjurOnline editor-in-chief added: “Successive governments have failed our people. If you can’t provide jobs for young people and support their dreams, you shouldn’t sit in judgment.
“After all, these are our sisters who have been failed by our country. While am not condoning prostitution, I don’t think anyone voluntarily turns to offering sex for a living if they could help it.
“Instead of assigning blame, we should come up with solutions to replace their chosen profession with something better. No one should be judged for their sexual orientation or choice of profession.”
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has called for a formal inquiry to begin into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Nigeria.
It follows a decade-long investigation into violence in the north-east involving Boko Haram militants.
Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the vast majority of crimes were by “non-state actors”, but that the Nigerian Security Forces also needed investigating.
The conflict has killed over 30,000 and displaced more than two million people.
The ICC’s preliminary examination, which itself began in 2010, has now concluded that the “criteria for opening an investigation into the situation in Nigeria have been met”.
Amnesty International welcomed the “milestone decision” that would bring its “call for justice for victims one step closer”.
Ms Bensouda listed a long list of acts allegedly carried out by Boko Haram that constituted crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Specifically they include murder, rape, sexual slavery, torture, persecution, hostage taking and enlisting children under the age of 15 into armed groups.
She said that while “the vast majority of criminality within the situation is attributable to non-state actors”, there was “reasonable basis to believe that members of the Nigerian Security Forces (NSF)” had committed crimes.
They include murder, rape, torture, forcible transfer of population and enlisting children under 15 into armed forces.
Ms Bensouda said that it was her conviction that these crimes should be prosecuted under the Nigerian justice system but, while some efforts had been made, they had not pursued the suspects the ICC believed should stand trial.
She called for financial support for her office from the Nigerian and ICC-funding parties.
Amnesty International’s director of research and advocacy said the prosecutor’s move was “the first meaningful step towards justice that we have seen for victims of atrocious crimes committed by all parties to the conflict in north-east Nigeria”. (BBC)
Ministry of Youth and Sports has confirmed that the Minister of Youth and Sports Bakary Badjie and the deputy permanent secretary for Technical Sutay Jawo were involved in a car minor accident.
“Earlier today, our Hon. Minister, Bakary Y Badjie, and Deputy Permanent Secretary, Technical, Mr Sutay Jawo were involved in a minor car accident at Bati-Nder from Janjanbureh, Central River Region, but they are all safe and sound.
“Is important to note that none of them is injured or hospitalised, contrary to rumours circulating in the social media,” the ministry said on Friday.
Dr. Mamadou Tangara, held a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of Canada Mr. Francois-Philippe Champagne on Thursday 10 December 2020.
Discussions between the two Diplomats centred on synergising collaboration and partnership post Covid – 19 and also shared information about Covid – 19 situations in both countries, the foreign ministry said.
On the Myanmar Rohingya crisis, the duo also discussed that a tripartite meeting be initiated between The Gambia, The Netherlands and Canada in pursuit of truth and justice for the Rohingya population, the ministry said in a statement signed by its spokesman Saikou Ceesay. Other multilateral and bilateral issues were also discussed, the statement said.
By Fatou Camara
CA presidential candidate Dr Ismaila Ceesay has said it’s a disgrace President Adama Barrow is spending millions of dalasis on a tour that’s purely political when the country is trying to recover from the shocks of coronavirus.
“When in comes to the presidential tour is a disgrace. I mean how can you take tax payers money in millions of dalasis with all these COVID-19 recovery that is happening, businesses are struggling, people are suffering, the economy is bad, in fact the projections for even the economy are even worse?” Dr Ceesay said Friday during a news conference.
According to Dr Ceesay, the president’s tour dubbed ‘Meet the Farmers Tour’ has no such coloration and look.
Dr Ceesay said: “You go on a political tour and you call it meet the farmers to tell them what when they have already done their farming? To tell them what ?. In fact I’ve not seen anything that has to do with them talking with the people, what I’ve seen is politics, pure and partisan politics . How can cross carpeting be an issue of meet the farmers tour? How can it be? Using our state resources to organize an event where people cross carpet.
“So it is really sad and unfortunate that we still find ourselves in the same situation, the same thing we condemned not so long ago are the same things that we are doing up till today.
“You see nations develop , they move from A to B, B to C until they reach to where they want to where they want but we are moving from A to I don’t even know what. We are regressing politically, it doesn’t make any sense that people died.
“Solo Sandeng died at Westfield, many people were tortured in torture Chambers, people lost their lives fighting for reforms, fighting for a better and more democratic Gambia yet today here we are facing the same things these people died for and we think it’s ok, we think it doesn’t affect us today but tomorrow is going to affect us.”
By Yaya Dampha (Sweden)
I see it as a civic duty to respond to the unpleasant and ungentlemanly remarks by a veteran 72-year-old politician in the person of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the opposition United Democratic Party. Mr. Darboe’s statement that “President Barrow did not inherit anything from his father” symbolises bad taste, which depicts the character of a man full of anger, rage and hot temper. This is the man who had throughout preached against politics of mudslinging, character assassination or insult during the Jammeh dictatorship. I used to admire Darboe’s cool and collected approach to dealing with looming political conflicts. That is why his new line of politics has worried me, to call spade a spade and not a rake.
It is worthy to note that political parties that are devoid of ideological grounds or basis will have nothing to offer to the masses. Members of such political parties resort to talking about their opponents’ personal and private lives. Even the parents of their opponents are not allowed to live in peace. Instead of championing issue-based politics or politics of development, these parties will campaign along tribal lines, with its members touting sentiments like ‘ali Kari fasa’, ‘ali Kari la julo jo’ (delo len jugal) or ‘Kari batata bankola kula’.
Instead of selling his party’s programmes and policies to the or what he intends to do for them if he is given the responsibility to manage our meagre tax revenue, the doyen Lawyer politician chose to blow his own trumpet. Maverick politicians are like gifted salespeople who must master the art of sales pitching. Wise politicians allow others to tell their story, especially with regard to their sacrifices. Statements like “I suffered and sacrificed a lot during the Jammeh era” is simply laughable. Who hasn’t suffered? Even unborn innocent babies and their mothers are not spared by a regime whose leader sacrificed babies for rituals. Every Gambian tasted their own bitter pills or played their own part and sacrificed without expecting any personal rewards or benefits. All they care about was to free their once Sweet Country from a Mad Dog. Any attempt to defeat Mr. Jammeh was tantamount to solemn national duty.
Truth be told loudly and clearly, President Adama Barrow’s father (Mamudou Barrow) was not a politician. Mamudou’s name only came to the public limelight when his son defeated Yahya Jammeh. He was not under any obligation to give his inheritance to Adama Barrow to develop The Gambia. Where has that happened in the world? Mr. Darboe’s remarks corroborate the fact that he endorses the insults and arrogance being peddled by the UDP supporters. How can insult be a crime in a village where elders okay the use of vulgar language? I have now believed that use of vulgar language is an accepted standard of normalcy within the UDP.
If you see a child insulting and abusing others in the streets one should know that child learns that behaviour from home.
After more than half a century of self-rule, one might believe that politics of insult, violence, castigation and tribalism should have no place in our modern day Gambian politics. A 72-year-old man should have been a good Role Model for the younger generations and not the other way around.
It is true that Lawyer Darboe used to get under the skin of former President Jammeh, although in a more responsible manner many a time. But what Darboe needs to understand is that President Barrow is not Yahya Jammeh who can easily be provoked to arrest or suppress his political adversaries. Such tactics are relics of the bygone era.
Democracy requires politics of issues and not of personal attacks. It elevates arguments and instils principle of mutual respect and tolerance. It is not the state or the governing party alone that should uphold principles and dictates of democracy. The opposition parties vying for power should also respect the same very principles of democracy.
Lawyer Darboe has failed the principle of fair play, mutual respect and upholding sacrosanct traditional values of limiting one’s remarks to one’s opponent and not to their parents or relatives. It would have been an explosive affair if such unpleasant remarks were uttered by President Barrow. Our lousy media would have drummed it up and labelled it a threat, yet a clear provocation and punch below the belt is instigated by a veteran politician and the outrage is minimal, which in itself is alarming.
Distasteful political remarks or innuendos are not what the world expects of Gambians to practice in a post-dictatorship era. We cannot build a Better Gambia in the absence of restraiing our utterances and allow our democracy to flourish. In essence, let us police ourselves and live in Peace rather than in pieces.
Mamma Kandeh has said God is good as he reacted to the sensational departure of Dr Demba Sabally, his right-hand man.
GDC suffered quickfire blows amid the decamping to NPP of Dr Demba Sabally and a raft of other GDC members.
This party has benediction. Let everyone know that,” Mr Kandeh told GDC supporters from Foni on Wednesday who met him to show solidarity to him.
Kandeh also said: “Because if you’re in a house or group with another person when your hearts are not in convergence… He pretends he likes you when he doesn’t inside of his heart. For Allah to expose him early and he leaves is better.
“I don’t want to talk about Dr Sabally and all those who left GDC. I wish him good luck over where he has gone to. It’s his right to go to wherever he goes. Just as he had the right to come to GDC.
“But I just want to tell him to say the truth. Every GDC member he called has called me and he met them in GDC.
“He didn’t bring them to GDC. It’s a case of someone finding a house already built and you wanting to remove the sticks from it. But God is good.
President Adama Barrow said ‘I feel sorry for the person who will succeed me’ as he told a meeting of supporters in Ballangar, NBR Gambians will use his performance in office as a yardstick to measure that of his successor.
“I feel sorry for one person. The person who will succeed me, I feel sorry for him. He has massive task in his hand. Because Gambians will be pressuring him to do more than what President Barrow has done in this country and will tell him they will sack him and bring another person who would work if he’s not delivering,” the president said.
According to the president, he is not someone who is in office to ‘look for wealth’, rather a man out to serve his counter.
“I’m not here to get rich, I’m here to work,” the president said.
“There is a lot of talk but we know those talking. Tell them to take it easy because my contract has not ended yet and the work I’m doing is yet to be completed. Let them let me to finish my work,” the president said.
His tour of the nation continues.
Balo Kanteh has explained how his father was made to look on as he got stripped and tortured at the NIA shortly after his arrest over the Farafenni attack.
Balo Kanteh explained how a vigilant police officer arrested him when a friend of his attempted to take him to his house to tend to his wound on his leg. He later saw himself at the NIA.
“They brought my father, my sister and another woman. They stripped me in front of my father,” Kanteh, 55, said in a moment which saw him break down in tears.
He added: “They removed my underwear and tied my hands and legs. Joe Mendy, Babadinding Jobarteh and Foday Barry then stood over me and started dripping hot plastic on me for me to talk.
“That’s what they were doing and Babadinding Jobarteh cut of one of my nipples with a razor blade.”
Kanteh was later sentenced to death over his role in the Farafenni attack.
The United Kingdom foreign secretary on Thursday announced the UK is imposing asset freezes and travel bans on former President Yahya Jammeh and his associates for being responsible for some of the ‘most egregious’ human rights violations.
“In July of this year, I introduced the UK’s first Global Human Rights Sanctions regime to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations right around the world. And with these new powers, we sent a clear message to those with blood on their hands and those trying to profit from such crimes. And so today, on International Human Rights Day, I’m proud to announce the next round of targeted sanctions applied to those responsible for some of the most egregious human rights abuses,” Dominic Raab announced in a one-minute-and-fifty-eight-second Twitter video on Thursday.
He added: “We’re imposing asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and organisations in Venezuela, in Russia, in The Gambia and in Pakistan. In Venezuela, we’re placing sanctions on the military and police commanders responsible for the use of lethal force during peaceful protests that led to the deaths of demonstrators.
“In Russia, we’re placing sanctions on the political leaders and special forces who are responsible for using detention and torture against Chechnya’s LGBT community including beatings and the use of electric shocks.
“In The Gambia, we are targeting the former president and his associates, who were responsible for a wide range of serious human rights violations including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, kidnappings, torture and even rape.
“And finally in Pakistan, we are targeting a former senior police officer in Karachi who was responsible for aggressive practices in which the police killed over 400 people.”
Huge uncertainty has gripped Tranquil near Brufut where an eviction squad has arrived to evict people from their houses.
A family speaking to The Fatu Network said woman who identified herself as an official of the Sheriff’s Division said she was there to evict them from their 10 million dalasis house. The official could not be seen for comment when The Fatu Network arrived in Tranquil.
At least 22 homes is said to be affected – and riot police are with the eviction team in Tranquil.
President Adama Barrow has expressed joy at the turn-out in his meeting in Farafenni on Wednesday evening saying those claiming he’s not popular would back-pedal on such claims if they were in Farafenni.
According to the president, people would only support ‘people’ who can change their lives for the good.
“I have been saying it. You can say you own your party, that you own GDC, UDP or APRC but to claim that you own people is a lie. People will only support people who are working because they want change in their lives,” President Barrow said at a meeting carried live by Eye Africa TV where The Fatu Network extracted transcripts of his speech.
“I’m very happy today coming to Farafenni. I have come to Farafenni many times but this occasion is second to none. It’s a Meet the People Tour but what I have seen here resembles a political rally and we will sleep here today.
“But today, anyone who claims President Barrow’s doesn’t have people, I believe you will doubt yourself today. If you come to Farafenni, you will admit that President Barrow indeed has people.”
The president had ealier acknowledged the presence of Sillaba Samateh and those he says cross-carpeted from UDP and GDC.
“All those who have cross-carpeted, UDP and GDC supporters, I greet you all. I want to greet someone who is very committed our party previously was doing his politics in Kombo but has now expanded it, He is called Sillaba Samateh,” the president said.
