There was pandemonium in Banjul Saturday when a storey-building collapsed leaving some people injured.
Firefighters and members of the public raced to the Leman and Anglesea Streets area of Banjul where the incident happened.
The public relations officer of Banjul City Council ML Bah has promised to find out the facts about the incident.
A police officer has been given rice, cooking oil, onion and money after he helped a man recover his precious mobile phone.
Police said a ‘groundbreaking’ investigation led to the recovery of Sulayman Cham’s $1,400 mobile phone. The phone contains the Assistant System Analyst at the ministry of Basic and Secondary Education’s information useful to his work, according to police.
Mr Cham Presented 3 Bags of rice, 3 Bags of onions, 2 Gallons of 20L cooking oil and cash amount of D10, 000, in recognition of the professionalism and diligence of IPO Amadou Sanyang of the Bakoteh CID, police said in a statement on its Poliso Magazine Facebook page. The items were presented to the officer through the IGP’s office.
Two new COVID-19 related deaths have been registered bringing the total deaths to 102, the health ministry said today.
Samples from the newly deceased cases (both male) were collected and tested posthumously, the ministry said.
It comes as the ministry also said 14 new cases have been registered taking the total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country to 3,376.
The Minister of Health on Friday afternoon lauded the ‘great’ role of the First Family in the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to State House.
State in a press release on Saturday said Dr Ahmadou Samateh made this remark at the State House as he took delivery of laboratory and sanitary equipment from First Lady Sarjo Mballow-Barrow.
He said the leadership shown by the family in these challenging moments for the population was strategic in mobilising funds, equipment, medical and food supplies for needy families since the country registered its first COVID 19 case in March this year, according to the press release.
The release continued: “He therefore thanked First Lady Sarjo Mballow-Barrow for her personal efforts in this cause.
“She was handing over materials donated through her to the health sector. These according to the Health Minister were timely as national efforts intensify to bring both infection and mortality figures to a minimum.”
Dr Samateh said, according to State House: “There should be no room for complacency. All safety measures should continue. Etiquettes on personal hygiene must continue. Hence the donated equipment will enhance those measures to help reduce the spread of the virus.”
Speaking on behalf of First Lady Sarjo Mballow-Barrow, Deputy Youth Adviser to the President, Mr Saihou Mballow thanked Mr Hagi Karaga for his contribution to the government’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19, the release said.
“Government continues to fight this invincible global enemy called COVID-19. We are fighting very hard and with the help of private citizens like Mr Karaga, we shall triumph over it,” Mballow said, according to State House’s release.
The equipment will be taken to the Central Medical Stores and an inventory kept, before an assessment will determine which heath facilities will benefit from them.
Citizens’ Alliance insisted today a continued and indefinite presence of foreign forces in our country entrenches a caricature of perception about our sovereignty as well as its impacts on the morale of our national security forces.
A statement by the party read:
“At the recently concluded 57th Ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Niamey, Niger, President Adama Barrow requested for an extension of the mandate of the ECOWAS Military Stabilization Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG). This mandate legally ended on 30th June 2020 after a series of extensions prolonged the term of these West African troops, present in The Gambia since January 2017. President Barrow justified his request citing the reforms underway and the need to protect the fragile democracy in The Gambia.
“Citizens’ Alliance is greatly concerned with the slow pace of the reforms cited by President Adama Barrow at the ECOWAS Niamey summit. CA believes that the President’s request for another extension of the ECOMIG’s term could have been avoided if Adama Barrow and his government meant business in undertaking genuine, substantive, and expedited reforms, including the Security Sector Reform. Almost four years into post Yahya Jammeh’s regime, Gambians should have been talking about ECOMIG’s exit strategy instead of an extension of its stay in our country. We encourage the Government of The Gambia to engage Gambian experts both within and outside the country if they need assistance.
“Citizens’ Alliance once again thank ECOWAS and E.U for genuinely supporting The Gambia. The presence of ECOMIG troops in our country is paid for by the European Union through the African Peace Facility, with a mandate to ensure the stability of our country as it transitions from dictatorship to democracy.
“Citizens’ Alliance however believes that a continued and indefinite presence of foreign forces in our country entrenches a caricature of perception about our sovereignty as well as its impacts on the morale of our national security forces.
“CA therefore urges President Adama Barrow’s government to expedite the SSR process and work with stakeholders to implement the validated national documents such as the National Security Policy, the National Security Strategy, and the Security Sector Reform Strategy. To give substance to the security reform, CA invites The Gambia government to ratify all legal instruments relating to Human Rights in order to consolidate national efforts aimed at safeguarding security and the rights of The Gambian people.
“CA fully supports the ongoing process of finalizing the draft constitution and further urges the government of The Gambia to expedite the submission of this document to the popular will of Gambians upon completion of its legislative review.
“To ensure peace and stability, CA encourages the government of The Gambia to develop an inclusive process with stakeholders such as the Inter-Party Committee (IPC), the civil society and the press to support the implementation of the A.U instruments relating to elections, democracy and good governance, with a view to preparing the ground for holding credible, free and transparent elections in 2021.”
Where is The Gambia heading to? As food and other basic amenities continue to skyrocket with citizens not seeing any solution being taken by the government to address the looming hardship.
Is the government turning a blind eye and deaf ears to this venom trying to plunge hardship on the lives of the public?
It’s worrying and perplexing seeing Gambia still stagnated in development for over five decades. All what the citizens hear from their duty-bearers is talk- talk -talk with no implementational action to bring those promises into reality! All is loud-mouth. Big talks and no action! And I hope this game must stop.
One would doubt the honesty of our governments of these decades – with little over 2 million people and still now half of the population live in abject poverty! Not this issue can be kept silent in any heart of any citizen who really cares for the future of his/her country. Not me and I hope not you also.
Fuel price and food prices are skyrocketing, electricity and water bills are no-go arena to talk about as NAWEC’s continues so erratic in supplying power to the public on a daily basis. Any yet, we haven’t seen any step taken by the government of the country in addressing this venom peering into the country, given the fact that more than half of its population live below the World poverty line.
But the scariest issue about this issue is the skyrocketing of basic food commodities – which comes at a time the coronavirus has grounded progress of the World economy, disrupting operations of businesses, and forcing tens of thousands out of job – many of whom are the breadwinners of their families.
The government should know better than anyone that many of those who were laid off in their various workplaces live from hand-to-mouth. So, wouldn’t it be very disturbing for prices on commodities like food and other essential things to life to be rising?
Can you imagine, two roasted bonga fish costs 50 dalasis and not talking about other commodities which no one can survive in life without food. I hope the government would quickly take measures in addressing the problems facing the public sooner.
The writer, Adama Makasuba, is a Gambian journalist.
The Banjul City Council Chief Executive Officer said on Friday four individuals that work at the council are at the forefront of a campaign of calumny against the council.
Mustapha Batchilly stated this during a news conference on Friday at BCC.
“We know them, there are four of them principally,” Mr Batchilly said.
The Banjul City Council in recent days has come under barrage of corruption and nepotism claims, with the city’s Mayor Rohey Lowe accused of being at the heart of it.
One of the claims is that she included her assistant in a US trip only for the official to refuse to return to the country. The official was however paraded at Friday’s news conference.
Lovette Jallow has announced she has made good on her pledge to give one million dalasis to Gambian women she helped return to the country.
Writing on her Facebook page on Friday, the activist who accused the government of unwillingness to work with her over the plight of the women said the adult women each have been paid D27,000 while two babies each received D14,500.
The American ambassador Richard Carl Paschall on Friday led a modest ceremony at the US Embassy chancery to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists launched attacks on America’s mainland – in the states of New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people from 115 countries including The Gambia got killed. The two Gambians that lost their lives in the savagery are Karamo Trerra and Mohammed Jawara.
The US Embassy Banjul has marked the incident’s 19th anniversary in the form of a ‘small’ ceremony to honor the memory of the victims.
In a statement on its official Facebook page, the US Embassy described the attacks as senseless while restating the US’ commitment to working with partners in fighting global terrorism.
“Days like today remind us all about the importance of international collaboration against all acts of global terrorism. The United States remains committed to working with its local and international partners in the decisive push against global terrorism,” the Embassy said.
This year’s anniversary of the event comes as the world confront the coronavirus pandemic.
By CGTN Africa
Scores of Senegalese soldiers deployed to neighboring The Gambia have tested positive for COVID-19.
“Out of a contingent of over 600 men, fewer than 100 tested positive,” a Senegalese army spokesman said on Thursday.
According to the spokesman, the army had recalled its soldiers to the village of Toubacouta just north of the Gambian border “as a precautionary measure.”
Further tests were underway, the spokesman said, adding that the soldiers who had tested positive have been placed in a hotel in the coastal village of Guerero, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the capital Dakar.
He, however, did not specify when or where the soldiers had been infected.
The troops are a part of a West African peacekeeping force deployed in January 2017 to The Gambia after the country’s former dictator, Yahya Jammeh, refused to hand over power after losing a presidential election.
The majority of the troops in the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) force are Senegalese, which completely surrounds the tiny former British colony.
“So far, The Gambia has recorded 3,239 COVID-19 cases with 99 fatalities.
Senegal has recorded 14,150 cases and 293 fatalities.
By Lamin Njie
There was mild drama at the high court on Thursday when a man told the court he no longer wanted to serve as a surety to businessman Alasan Ceesay.
Mr Ceesay was in court on Thursday over an ex-parte application filed against him by EM KAY Stores. Lawyers for EM KAY Stores are asking the court to ensure Mr Ceesay furnished the court with sufficient security that matches up to 19 million dalasis Ceesay and his Rahma Gambia Limited company allegedly owes the company till the case’s end.
On Thursday, the case came up at the high court in Bundung but was quickly sent back to the courts’ registry. The registry would now hand back the case to the judge assigned the case when the courts resume next month.
Ceesay’s lawyer Lamin Camara told The Fatu Network there is a conspiracy around the businessman.
The top lawyer said: “That guy who came to the court and said he wants to withdraw his bail, he’s lying, he’s not a surety. He has never ever deposited anything for Alasan.
“Something is going on that meets the eye. There is a conspiracy going on in this country right now. There are out to destroy this young Gambian investor in this country and that is totally unacceptable and we will fight. We will fight fair and square at the courts.
“You could easily tell the conspiracy, you could see people talking to each other, talking to the adverse party about the withdrawal of a security deposited for the man’s bail.
“The guy who came to court did not deposit any [bail]. As far as we are concerned he has put in adequate security. You have Gambians who are calling the other sureties and telling them, ‘this man is going to run away, go and withdraw your title deeds’. We’ve got those reports here.”
The Fatu Network understands two sureties are involved in Mr Ceesay’s bail of over 19 million dalasis.
An affidavit filed by the businessman’s lawyers and seen by The Fatu Network shows Ceesay swearing he has no intention of fleeing the country and that he has other businesses worth four million dollars.
By Hassoum Ceesay, The Gambia National Museum, Banjul
Introduction
One year since his demise, Gambians continue to pay homage to our elected Founding Father, as a democrat and champion of human rights and Gambians’ physical dignity. In the past 26 years, I have worked in the archives and has seen and read a lot about Jawara’s political career as Founder of the PPP(1959); Education Minister(1960-1961); Leader of the
Opposition(1961-1962); Premier(1962-1963); Prime Minister(1963-1970) and President of The Republic of The Gambia(1970-1994). This illustrious route has helped to put Jawara at the centre of Gambian political history. Future generations will surely remember him for this long record of selfless service to his people. I have been interviewed, and have written on this well known aspect of Jawara’s life.
In this article, however, I want to focus on a little known trajectory of Jawara’s life which we must no longer ignore or relegate to the endnotes, if we wish to really know why Jawara was a successful political leader: his scientific life. I want to dedicate the next 1000 words on this little discussed side of Jawara.
Jawara, FRCVS Jawara’s scientific life began at the prestigious Methodist Boys High School in Bathurst, where he gained his Cambridge Certificate in 1942 in the Sciences, and worked as a Dresser at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Bathurst. This was meant to prepare him for a career in the Sciences.
In 1945, he proceeded to Achimota College, another prestigious institution in Gold Coast to do his premed courses. In 1948, he matriculated into the prestigious Glasgow University School of Veterinary Medicine as the First African student. This institution was founded in 1862, and has always ranked as the best veterinary college in the UK.
At Glasgow, Jawara had to pass compulsory courses in biochemistry, physics, chemistry, math for him to proceed into his second year. He passed with flying colours in these basic scientific subjects.
In 1953, Jawara attained his BVSC degree in high mention and returned home to begin his career as a veterinary surgeon or cow doctor. He arrived in the midst of a rinderpest pandemic which threatened to wipe out the entire Gambian cattle population. In parts of the McCarthy Island Division, 78 per cent of cattle perished. Jawara, with assistants like Kaikai Sanyang, toured the country in 1953 and 1954 to put down the pandemic. They succeeded in stifling the rinderpest, and saved multitudes of Gambian herds. Mr. Sanyang who died in Brikama last year told me in an interview in 2014 how they managed to keep the vaccines in good order despite lack of ice block. ‘Now there is not a cow that does not know me personally in The Gambia’, Jawara happily told a friend after that successful anti-pandemic campaign. In 1955, Jawara went to do his post graduate course in Tropical Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He returned home in 1957, and was promoted Principal Veterinary Officer, the first Gambian to attain this rank. He was more qualified than his British boss, but because of colonial racism, he must have a lesser qualified dude as boss. In late 1959, Jawara completed his resignation formalities from The Gambia Civil Service to join politics.
In 1967, Jawara became a founding member, and later Patron, of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association. For many years, he served also as President of the Association. He also served in the Scientific Committee of the Association. His task included peer reviewing scientific articles submitted for publications into the Association’s highly respected and cited Journal called JVCA. In 1969, as Prime Minister, another rinderpest outbreak hit The Gambia. Jawara again put on his veterinarian’s coat and toured the country inoculating cows. There is a famous photo of him driving a needle into the nape of a cow at Jokadu to kick start the inoculation campaign.
In 1988, in recognition of his services to veterinary science and medicine, Jawara was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS) in July 1988. The FRCVS was founded in 1844 as the Regulatory organ of veterinary work in the UK. Being a Fellow is the apotheosis of scientific recognition among veterinarians.
Over decades, Jawara had declined an Honorary Fellow or Associate of the Royal College. He insisted on his membership be adjudged on its merit of scientific publications, engagements and community service. In a front page banner headline, The Gambia Onward newspaper of 11 July 1988 stated: ‘Sir Dawda Now A Fellow’. The story went on to say that Jawara’s ascension to a FRCVS ‘is the highest honour in the veterinary profession… and is a major achievement in the interest of the veterinary profession and livestock industry’.
Professor Vaughan, the President of the College in his Citation, stated that ‘during his long period of high office, Sir Dawda never lost touch with the veterinary field…. and has maintained keen interest and involvement with, the promotion of animal health and production’. Professor Vaughan also mentioned the creation of the ITC as another indication of Jawara’s continued interest in veterinary science.
Jawara created ITC
In 1982, Jawara helped to found the International Trypanotolerant Centre(ITC) at Bijilo in The Gambia as a tool for regional cooperation in livestock in West Africa. He wrote the scientific proposal before asking the Civil Servants to put the needed policy ideas into it. He then asked his old teacher at Edinburgh, Dr. Mortelsmann, to assist secure funding for the new institution. The ITC has helped to develop the Ndama cattle, resistant to sleeping sickness, a major success story in livestock development in Africa. Jawara delivered scientific papers at several ITC Conferences.
Jawara as Visiting Professor of Veterinary Science In May 1989, Jawara’s scientific career was capped with a Poppensiek Visiting Professor in International Veterinary Medicine at the Ivy League Cornell University in USA. According to the Cornell Chronicle newspaper dated 4 May 1989, ‘this was an appointment rare in international diplomacy’. Jawara presented a scientific paper titled ‘Animal Diseases as a Factor in Limiting Economic Development in Africa’.
In this well argued paper, replete with citations and notes, Jawara argued that one of the causes for underdevelopment in Africa was the neglect of livestock sector and the rampant diseases which afflict the livestock populations on the continent. He argued that corruption, resources exploitation and bad leadership are bad for African development, but also are the many diseases that decimate the livestock population. After the presentation, he got a standing ovation from the assembled faculty. Jawara spent two days lecturing post graduate students at Cornell on topics like: Cattle: Bovine Nutrition; Cattle: Bovine Reproduction and Cattle: Mastitis and Lameness.
His paper was published as a scientific paper in 1990 in a peer reviewed journal called Cornell Veterinarian, Issue Vol.80, pages 17-25.
Lessons
Jawara therefore maintained a solid scientific career even as President of our great Republic; like Nkrumah and Nyerere and Senghor of Senegal who were able to be political leaders and yet maintained rigorous academic lives. As a historian, I want to draw three lessons how Jawara’s scientific life complemented his political life.
First, it brought rationality in his governance style. Civil Servants who worked with him for example, remember how he insisted on evidence on the table, irrefutable evidence I mean, before taking decisions. His high score on upholding the Rule of Law can be attributed to the scientist in him that put premium on tangible evidence as the core of any human action. I will illustrate this with one example.
At one of his regular news conferences with the Banjul Press in early 1980s, Mr. Dixon-Colley, the consistent editor of The Nation asked Jawara about corruption at The Gambia Cooperatives Union. ‘Well, whenever you come here, you ask me about corruption here and there. Bring me the evidence. I will send it to the Police and they will do their work. Because we see a Gambian building a house or riding a new car, we say corruption? Bring the evidence, we will act. That is how we run this country,’ Jawara retorted. Dixon-Colley persisted and reframed his question still talking about corruption. Now, Jawara was getting agitated. The newly appointed Press Officer at OP, J. Saidy cut in and asked Baboucarr Gaye of AP to ask the next question. (Aptly, Baboucarr’s question was on Jawara’s impending visit to Baghdad to meet with the Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein, and thence to Tehran to meet the Mullah of the Iranian Revolution Ayatollah Khomenei. Jawara was sent by the OIC to bring an end to the notorious Iran-Iraq war) Second, Jawara legendary respect for human dignity can be linked to his professional calling ‘to protect animal health, relief suffering and promote public welfare’ as stated in the Oath of Veterinarians. Jawara respected the wholesomeness of the Gambian dignity and body just as his calling as a veterinarian required not to inflict pain and torture but to sooth.
Finally, Jawara’s work as a scientist also made him to be tolerant and democratic. Scientists, like all academics, feed on peer review, debate and healthy exchange of ideas in order to be able to publish research. Criticisms make academics/scientists grow. Tolerance of peers’ opinions, even if you do not agree, is a hallmark of a scientist.
All told, therefore, Jawara was a fine scientist who became a great political leader of our Republic. This is why I want to call him the Scientist-President.
Hassoum Ceesay, The Gambia National Museum, Banjul.
By Sarjo Brito
The Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure, Ebrima Sillah, has come under heavy criticism following censorship claims by international journalist Esau Williams. Williams have accused the minister of trying to censor him after an interview he appeared on failed to be rebroadcasted by QTV and in fact deleted from its YouTube channel after Sillah allegedly asked the television station to pull it down.
Esau Williams had said: “Freedom of the press is officially in jeopardy in The Gambia. I have been told by QTV that my interview was pulled down because the Minister of Information, Ebrima Sillah, was unhappy with it.”
Sillah has since denied the allegations and insists that he has never contacted the management of the TV nor its reporter to have the interview pulled down. The Minister who is a seasoned journalist himself said he knows better than to interfere in the work of a private television.
“It will be irresponsible of me to go to the media house and put pressure on an editor to drop a story that they have in fact already broadcasted to the whole world. We are not in the business of censoring anybody,” he insisted.
Sillah reiterated government’s commitment in strengthening democracy in The Gambia and maintains that press freedom is not under threat in this country.
Leading private clinic Africmed has on Thursday detailed how it ditched a salary cut move after an ‘aggressive’ reaction by staff.
Staff of the Brusubi-based clinic earlier this month protested outside the clinic demanding the resignation of some top officials. It came as they complained of a move by the clinic that saw their salary cut by 25%.
Africmed said today in a statement: “In its quest to show compassion to staff during these trying times and financial challenges for individuals as well as business entities including Africmed, the management did its best to avoid laying of staff even though there were some whose contracts were due to expire or have expired.
“Mainly for this reason, the management made a collective decision to temporarily cut all staff salaries including the management by 25% for the next five (5) months (August to December 2020) and made the commitment to start to repay the 25 cut in January of 2021. After this collective decision was made, a memo to this effect was written and given to all staff soliciting their support, understanding and acceptance.
“The deductions were effected on the August salaries as stated above and this sparked anger among some staff members. When management became aware of the aggressive reaction to this decision amongst some staff, message was communicated to all staff that the 25% that was deducted can be collected from the finance office with immediate effect. However, the disgruntled staff continued to mobilize and staged protest to make demands not related or relevant to the 25% cut.
“The CEO had personally approached the disgruntled individuals and asked them to meet him in his office on the morning of the incident when he became aware of it, but they declined. The Head of Nursing similarly tried to engage them without success. The management was baffled as to why Social media was involved; what was the motive?”
It is deeply regretted that the Gambia is going back to the days of media censorship, if the Minister of Information asked the QTV Gambia not to air the interview of issues-based host Mr Mboge and the Dynamic Journalist Essau Williams. It means the Government responsible for media do not uphold the current 1997 constitution of the Gambia section (25)(a) that freedom of speech and expression which includes freedom of media, (25)(b) Freedom of thought and conscience including academic freedom.
It can be recalled that the Honourable Minister was a media personnel who stood against Censorship and even exiled when his freedom was not respected. Honourable Minister Sillah should have been in the fore front in providing equal opportunity to the opposition in all state own mediums under his watch as stipulated in the Constitution Section (208) that all state owned Newspapers, Journals and Television shall afford fair opportunities and facilities for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions. The Government of the operates in the contrary to the constitutional provisions as it’s not suitable with their propaganda.
I would like to remind the Barrow Administration that it’s the Constitution Section ( 207)(1) that guarantees the freedom and responsibility of the media and Section (207)(3) States that, The press and other information media shall at all times be free to uphold the principles, provisions and objectives of the Constitution and the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the People of the Gambia.
MC Cham Jnr
GDC National Youth President
Amie Faburay has recovered from coronavirus five weeks after contracting the disease which has killed nearly 100 people in the country.
Government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh said late on Wednesday: “The Government of The Gambia is pleased to announce that the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Amie Faburay has fully recovered from the Covid-19 Virus after her retest turned negative.
“Accordingly, Minister Faburay has since been discharged and is fit to return to work as she is well.
“It can be recalled that Madam Faburay had initially tested positive for COVID-19 on 1st August, 2020.
“Subsequently, Hon. Amie Faburay tested negative after a repeat test and discharged from the Covid treatment centre on 8th September, 2020.”
Her recovery means all four cabinet ministers that got infected have now recovered.
By CGTN Africa
Twelve candidates were given the go-ahead on Wednesday to contest in the October presidential elections in Guinea, where incumbent President Alpha Conde is seeking a controversial third term.
The constitutional court approved 12 applications that had been filed by the Tuesday midnight deadline, excluding a 13th bid submitted by a minority candidate, on medical grounds.
Approval by the court marks a key step towards polling day on October 18 in one of Africa’s most volatile countries.
The coming elections have already been overshadowed by a row over the president’s future and a split that emerged on Wednesday within anti-Conde ranks is set to add to the tension.
Conde this year pushed through a revised constitution that opponents say was crafted to get around a two-term limit for presidents.
Last week he ended months of speculation by confirming that he would seek a third term despite protests in which dozens have been killed.
The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), an anti-Conde coalition of parties, labor unions and civil society groups, have been campaigning against the revision which it has denounced as a constitutional coup.
The National Human Rights Commission said on Wednesday it has in partnership with the Gambia Bar Association, the Police, Ministry of Interior and TANGO concluded investigations into alleged torture claim against the Commander of the Anti-Crime Unit, Deputy Commissioner Gorgi Mboob.
Gorgi Mboob’s career as a police officer has since July been thrown into uncertainty over claims he tortured 26-year-old Ebrima Sanneh on his genitals by hitting him with a hoe.
According NHRC, the joint panel received testimonies from 17 witnesses from August 17th to August 29th 2020.
“Based on the facts and evidence presented, the panel concluded its findings and made recommendations to the relevant authorities and as per the NHRC Act 2017, the authorities are obligated ‘to respond within 30 days to the specific case and to the more general finding, conclusion, recommendation or other decision made by the Commission as the remedy for the human rights violation’. The general public will be informed in due course,” the commission said in a statement on its official Facebook page.
The chairman of the commission Emmanuel Joof did not respond to a request for comment while another official of the commission said he was not privy to the content of the report as he was not on the joint investigation panel.
Police chief Mamour Jobe confirmed to The Fatu Network he did receive the report but will not be also to discuss its content as the report was not addressed to him.
While NHRC failed to reveal its findings, a quote in its Wednesday statement suggests a violation had taken place.
There is no Justification for ECOMIG’s Continued Presence in the Gambia
By Madi Jobarteh
The legal advisers of Pres. Barrow must guide him to know, first and foremost, that he needs to obtain the approval of the National Assembly to bring, maintain and extend the presence of foreign forces in the Gambia. The Constitution states in Section 79(1)(c) that while it is the responsibility of the President to negotiate treaties and other international agreements, the conclusion of such negotiation is subject to the approval of the National Assembly.
The presence of foreign forces in the Gambia is a matter of international agreement. Hence the President must follow the constitutional requirements to make such agreements stand. Therefore, the decision by ECOWAS leaders to extend ECOMIG’s stay in the Gambia cannot stand until Barrow takes the decision to the National Assembly to seek their approval first. Failure to do so would be unconstitutional hence the presence of ECOMIG in the country would also be a violation of the Constitution which is enough grounds to impeach the President.
One would have thought that Pres. Barrow would have the good sense to first go to the National Assembly to seek their approval before going to ask ECOWAS to maintain ECOMIG in this country. That would have been a demonstration of a sense of responsibility, respect for the National Assembly and submission to the dictates of the Constitution thereby enhancing the good governance of the country. But disappointingly, Barrow failed to do the responsible thing.
Secondly I find no justification why ECOMIG should continue to remain in this country. There is no security issue of any kind to justify their continued presence. Rather ECOMIG’s presence undermines the security sector reform thereby endangering national security as a whole. The evidence of that lie in the fact that until now no security agency has reformed to any satisfactory level. Therefore, I totally disagree with the President when he told ECOWAS leaders that disarmament and demobilization of troops was an issue in the Gambia. I disagree with him further when he also said that the security sector reform process is ongoing.
Disarmament and demobilization take place in a country that underwent actual armed conflict or civil war in which the national army was shattered with armed civilians and rebel groups all over the place and guns littering the space. This kind of situation has never been our experience in the Gambia. There is no situation where small arms are scattered around the country in people’s hands as it was in Sierra Leone or Liberia which went through an actual civil war. Even with the impasse, the Gambia army remained intact as one body. Some soldiers did flee immediately the Tyrant left but they never posed a threat as there was never an attempted incursion from 2017 to date. Therefore, what justification does Pres. Barrow has to speak about disarmament and demobilization.
What is obvious is that both the political leadership and the military/security leadership of this country are not interested in security sector reforms. This is why apart from promotions of officers the very structure, culture and modus operandi of the military, police, intelligence and prisons among others remained essentially the same as before. Therefore Pres. Barrow needs to be honest and take the necessary leadership to insist on his security chiefs to make reforms a reality.
It is almost four years now since Barrow took office and still there is no review of the Police Act, the NIA Act, the Prisons Act, the Immigration Act, Drug Control Act, the GRA Act or the Gambia Armed Forces Act. Security sector reform cannot kick off without first doing a review of the laws that established the security agencies in the first place. At the same time there has been no review of the state of affairs in the respective security agencies so as to understand their challenges, conditions of service, welfare and their needs. Such reviews are necessary to modernize and professionalize these institutions and bring them in line with international standards for security agencies in a democracy. It is this kind of assessments that will identify instances of corruption, abuse and weaknesses so that solutions are proffered.
I recall that it was in August 2017 that the Gambia Government established the security sector reforms steering committee comprising ministers and ambassadors of international partners. The committee went further to set up a 27-member technical working group which they said was meant to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the security and justice needs of the people and the state as the basis for the envisaged security sector reforms. Where is their report? What is the status of implementation? Clearly the reality indicates that no change has taken place so far.
Then in May 2019 the President appointed the former Minister of Justice Tambedou to become the new chair of this steering committee of ministers and ambassadors. Tambedou had since left yet no one hears about what this steering committee had done or is doing. Apart from that, we also have the Office of the National Security. Nowadays, one hardly hears about that office or what it is doing. Therefore, how can Pres. Barrow stand before his colleagues to tell them that his Government is undertaking security sector reforms? More seriously, why would Pres. Barrow generate self-inflicting fears, imaginary scenarios and false information just to try to convince ECOWAS of the need for ECOMIG’s continued and unconstitutional presence in the Gambia?
I wish to therefore call on the President to withdraw his baseless intention to maintain ECOMIG in the Gambia. Rather he needs to go to the National Assembly to respectfully inform them that he has canceled the presence of foreign forces in our country. For that matter the Pres. Barrow should undertake security sector reforms more vigorously with seriousness knowing full well that the presence of foreign forces undermines his connection with his troops and his ability to perform his duties as the Commander-In-Chief. He needs to hold security chiefs by the neck to ensure that they deliver on reforms ASAP!
Failure to do so, I urge the National Assembly to summon the President under Section 77(2) to put it to him that they do not approve of the presence of ECOMIG and order him to make sure that ECOMIG leaves the shores of the Gambia within 30 days. Failure to do so means the National Assembly is also reneging on its duties with great harm to the Republic.
The need and urgency for security sector reforms cannot be overemphasized. This is because the whole game of Dictatorship was about violence and fear in which security agencies are at the centre and front. Hence the transformation of the Gambia from Dictatorship to Democracy will be grossly inadequate so long as our security agencies are not transformed toward and in line with democratic norms and standards. Anyone who downplays security sector reforms will only serve to maintain the Gambia as a Dictatorship. The slow, if not the lack of security sector reforms so far is precisely the reason why this country cannot still witness system change, hence in our inability to bring about true democracy and good governance.
As citizens we must all raise our voices to demand both the President and the National Assembly to stand for the national interest by removing ECOMIG out of the Gambia ASAP.
For The Gambia Our Homeland