Women and Children Minister Fatou Kinteh on Thursday re-tabled a bill for the establishment of the Gambia Women Enterprise Fund.

The overall objective of the Women Enterprise Fund is to lift the productivity potential of women entrepreneurs by providing them access to finance, Mrs Kinteh told Gambian lawmakers, while reading the bill for the second time in two days.

“The Gambian economy is characterise by taxpayers in the informal sector with women playing a pivotal role. According to statistics, 63% of small and medium enterprises are micro-enterprises and 90% of these are informal with 80% comprising who form the majority of the population of The Gambia – 51% – and the majority of the poor. Due to inadequate collateral, they rarely access bank loan. This coupled with higher interest rates charged by the banks do not make sure loans appropriate for alleviating poverty, more especially among women,” she told Gambian lawmakers.

The lawmakers have now started debating the bill which if approved will pave way for the setting up of the fund.

Fatou Kinteh was hired as women and children minister last year following the creation of Women and Children ministry.

By Lamin Njie

Attila LAJOS has explained that deportation of undocumented Gambians in Europe needs to take place because leaving them there would be an ‘encouragement’ to many ‘new guys’.

LAJOS made the explanation during an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network on Tuesday.

The EU top diplomat in the country said: “We restarted a few operations early this year and then because of the COVID circumstances, we also suspended such operations. What I want to explain by this is that, the fact that the European Union is very much listening and understanding the challenges in the country.

“On the other hand, we will also have to these operations because if you don’t do such operations, that will be an encouragement for many new guys, many new Gambians to decide on the ‘back way’.

“The ‘back way’ is not the interest of The Gambia, not in the interest of the individual and not in the interest of any receiving state. Not to mention the dangers associated with it.”

Principal of Brikama Upper and Senior Secondary school Kemo Fatty has died, his family has said.

The veteran educationist died on Wednesday at his residence in Brikama Misira aged 55.

Fatty became principal of of Brikama Upper and Senior Secondary School in the last academic year after serving as vice principal for four years in the school, also called Alpha Khan.

He served as vice Principal in Mingdaw Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School, Principal St Vincent and Vice principal Tujereng Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School.

Fatty was laid to rest Wednesday afternoon.

By Lamin Njie

Senegal’s army chief General Birame Diop met with with the nation’s foremost military official on Tuesday at the border in Farafenni, army spokesman Lamin Sanyang has confirmed to The Fatu Network.

Diop was nominated to the role of army chief of Senegal last year.

“When he heard the CDS is on a tour he seized on that opportunity to meet him to discuss issues of defence and security and also to discuss on strengthening their relationship,” Major Lamin K Sanyang said.

“The proposals are to look at further joint training and exercises between the two armed forces and also joint patrols, and also the implementation of the hot pursuit.”

According to the army spokesman, the condition for the joint hot pursuit has to do with the setting up of a joint technical committee.

“That’s what the CDS alluded to, that we need to work on getting the committee before we can go about implementing the hot pursuit,” Major Sanyang said.

Minister of Youth and Sports Hadrammeh Sidibeh has told the country’s lawmakers the Gambia Football Federation is in talks with world football governing body FIFA for the construction of a new 60,000 capacity stadium for West Coast Region.

The Gambia currently has one stadium, the Independence Stadium. The rest are mini-stadiums or parks.

The Independence Stadium is in a bad state and the country’s lawmakers on Wednesday invited the sport minister for him to shed light on any plan to fix the dilapidated stadium.

“My ministry in consultation with the relevant ministries had developed and costed a plan to engage partners for construction and refurbishment of the said facility and the construction of news facilities… Gambia Football Federation is also in consultation with Fifa in financing a 60,000 seater capacity stadium in the West Coast Region,” Hadrammeh Sidibeh said on Wednesday.

Thirteen people have died from coronavirus in Senegal in recent days, Senego reported on Wednesday.

The record death happened in a span of 72 hours beginning Monday, according to the outlet. Four people died on Monday, six died on Tuesday and three died on Wednesday.

The Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Health and Social Action, Dr Aloyse Waly Diouf, gave the updates, the outlet added.

It brought the total number of people who died from the virus to 73 in the country.

Imam Baba Leigh has rubbished claims he asked President Adama Barrow to allow homosexuality lifestyle in The Gambia.

Imam Leigh came under fire last week following his comments every human being should be given the right he deserves – as he responded to criticism directed at the National Human Rights Commission over its recommendation for the protection of the LGBT community.

The prominent Islamic leader has now returned to make amends, saying in an audio message obtained by The Fatu Network: “The prophet said all human beings are prone to mistake but the one that is best among those who make mistakes is the one when he makes a mistake would look back and see that he has made a mistake and repent and go back to his Lord.

“I just want to clarify my stance in the commission and the work I do there, a work I love. The commission is mandated to address every right of the human being but before going further I want to let you know the commission cannot legislate any law, it can’t legalise anything.

“Legal or otherwise, it’s only God that decides that. I am a member of the commission, a muslim, an imam, someone who’s listened to in many countries in the world. So when I speak, there will be a lot of people who would be happy and there would be those who would not be happy.

“I made a statement not long ago. In the statement, I made a mistake and the mistake would even happen to many people. I brought a hadith but I labelled it as an Iyaa (verse) of the Quran. That’s a mistake from me and I seek forgiveness from Allah, since he’s the only one who can forgive.

“There are some who said I went to President Adama Barrow and asked him that we should let that bad lifestyle that every Muslim would condemn. Two men getting married and two women getting married. Wallahi Summa Wallahi Tallahi, I didn’t say it today, I didn’t say it tomorrow and I will never say it and I don’t like it.”

By Lamin Njie

The EU top diplomat in the country Ambassador Attila LAJOS has stated that the European has always accepted what The Gambia decided regarding homosexuality, pushing back at claims the EU was engaged in fresh pro-gay campaigns in the country.

Mr LAJOS told The Fatu Network exclusively on Tuesday: “In this regard, I have nothing to say. Because we do not have any campaign, any project regarding LGBT issues.

“Just because many people are saying that, it may not be true. What we did, we commemorate the international day against homophobia on the 17th of May by posting two short brief posts on the website of the European Union delegation and that’s it.

“We are not pushing that, we have no project, we have no campaign. I never made outreach to the government or any Gambian authority in that regard. The only thing we did as a diplomatic representation, we represent the values of the European Union and in that sense, we commemorated the day of the 17th of May which is the international day against homophobia. What we also posted there was the pure fact that last year, there was one Gambian who was discriminated on such grounds, for which we had to mobilise protection mechanism and safeguard him from those threatening his life. We were very loud against any sort of discrimination because we learnt throughout the history in Europe that discrimination never leads anywhere good.

“The European Union always accepted what The Gambia decided. As like The Gambia informed the human rights council last year about having no intention to decriminalise homosexuality and that’s it. Have you heard any comments from the European Union or from me on that basis?

“I don’t have message to them because I do believe if someone looks at facts and not twisted narratives can really see what happened. And the European Union, neither my humble self we are not involved in any campaign or lobbying in this regard and I think that is what the government is very aware of.”

In its efforts to relocate roadside vendors and businesses with minimal disruption ahead of road constructions in the Greater Banjul Area, the Management of The Gambia O.I.C. Secretariat and members of its subcommittee facilitating the road project implementation on Tuesday 16th June 2020 conducted an inspection tour of public reserve lands earmarked for car parks, markets, and other commercial and social amenities in the West Coast Region.

Members of the Road Reserve Committee include the National Road Authority, Ministry of Lands, NAWEC, GAMTEL, NDMA, Kanifing Municipality, Brikama Area Councils, and other stakeholders.

The tour is part of ongoing efforts to smoothly facilitate the relocation of roadside vendors, truckers, motorcar dealers, among others, ahead of the forthcoming road work in the Oicgambia Project Impact Zone, including the Bertil Harding Highway and other strategic routes across the Greater Banjul Area.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Secretariat, Mr. Yankuba Dibba described the exercise as a necessary step to providing support and alternative to all the people and businesses that will be affected.

‘’It will facilitate the coordination and networking necessary to achieve the objective of relocating some of the social services with minimal disruptions to business and social lives’’, CEO Dibba said.

‘’The tour is also a manifestation of the resolve of stakeholders to ensure that key priority projects of the OIC programme are implemented in a timely fashion; thus fulfilling the key development objectives of the National Development Plan’’.

As part of its efforts to prepare the country for the OIC Heads of State Summit in 2022, Oicgmbia has secured funding to construct 20 new urban roads and expand the Bertil Harding Highway into a dual-carriage road of 2 lanes on each side, alongside a pedestrian walkway.

The Head of Brand and Communication, Nfally Fadera said Tuesday’s exercise marks the beginning of a comprehensive programme to consult and cater to the needs of the lives and livelihoods that will be affected by our work.

‘’In the days and weeks to come, we will consult and engage the affected communities in a respectful and courteous manner with the hoping of carrying out our work smoothly. We will not only offer alternative places to relocate them but we will also support in other ways, including providing basic business management and value addition courses.’’

The country’s coronavirus cases has risen to 34 following the confirmation of four new cases.

The ministry of health in its latest report on Tuesday said four new laboratory confirmed cases registered, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country to 34.

“All four cases were in quarantine on account of recent travel to an affected country – three of the confirmed cases are epi-linked for being traveling companions,” the ministry of health said.

It comes following the relaxation of the state of public emergency measures earlier this month.

By Lamin Njie

Former information minister Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh has told the TRRC he took into consideration the possibility of being the ‘sacrificial lamb’ over his change campaign eight years ago.

Dr Janneh was jailed for life in 2012 after he was found guilty of treason for distributing t-shirts with messages of regime change.

“That was a possibility that I took into consideration,” Dr Janneh told the TRRC when asked if he had put his mind to being the ‘sacrificial lamb’ for change to take place in Gambia.

“I may have started the activity too soon but I don’t think it went wrong,” he told the probe when asked what went wrong in respect of his campaign.

Dr Janneh then recollected of his arrest: “On June 6, a group of plain cloth officers came to my office at Kotu and told me I was in trouble for distributing t-shirt and arrested me.

“I was told that the president was very upset by the message on the t-shirt and that was a serious crime.”

Luck smiled on Dr Janneh in September 2012 when then-President Yahya Jammeh forgave him following an appeal on his behalf by visiting prominent US activist Reverend Jesse Jackson.

He then renewed his bad blood with President Jammeh as soon as he arrived in United States where he was deported.

Unicef has called on the Gambia government to strongly enforce all laws that protect children in The Gambia.

The Gambia today joins the rest of the world to mark this year’s Day of the African Child.

The UN child agency Unicef is calling for child-friendly justice system in line with the theme of this year’s commemoration.

Unicef said: “The Gambia has ten years to achieve the SDGs. Ten years to end extreme poverty, to achieve quality education, to reduce inequality, and to empower children and women. Ten years to provide access to justice for all, especially the most vulnerable in society: our children.

“For children to benefit from a child-friendly justice system, UNICEF is calling for the implementation of the following actions: the justice system to strongly enforce all laws that protect children in The Gambia, including from violence, abuse, discrimination, FGM/C, child marriage, and child labor; the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Judiciary to ensure that every child, everywhere in The Gambia has access to child-friendly justice by expanding the children’s court to cover the entire country; the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare to coordinate within the Government of the Gambia the full implementation of the Children’s Act to provide children with alternatives to detention and diversion such as community rehabilitation, community service, and counseling; the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare to coordinate all efforts, including at community level, to protect children, anywhere in the country, from violence, harm, and abuse; [and] the government, civil society, and all caregivers to empower children, including members of the Children’s National Assembly of The Gambia, to participate in the national discourse, and have their concerns listened to and addressed by the concerned decision makers.

“UNICEF The Gambia recognizes the work of partners, including civil society, private sector, local communities, development partners, and the security in protecting children, and calls for stronger action from all partners to support the government build a child-sensitive justice system to protect children and improve their rights.”

Unicef said on Tuesday it is encouraged by the decision of the President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, to grant amnesty to two children who were held at the Juvenile Wing of the Jeshwang Prison as part of his general amnesty in the month of Ramadan.

The agency said the release of these children, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic is ‘vital in keeping them safe from the virus’.

The agency spoke as the world marks Day of the African Child and Unicef is warning that keeping children in detention centers without proper rehabilitation services could seriously jeopardize their wellbeing and mental growth.

The agency said in a statement: “Children in contact with the law must be protected from any type of punishment and provided all the rehabilitation support to reintegrate back into society.

“The Day of the African Child should serve as a point of reflection on the state of child rights on the continent. This year is particularly important as it marks the 30th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which was adopted by the Organization of African Unity in 1990 and entered into force in 1999. Like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Children’s Charter is a comprehensive instrument that sets out rights and defines universal principles and norms for the status of children.

“The Gambia Government has made commendable gains in protecting the rights of children in the country through the enactment of laws, including the Children’s Act, the establishment of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, and the setting up of children’s courts in Kanifing, Brikama, Mansakonko and Basse.

“Yet, children in contact with the law have limited access to legal aid, no alternative to detention, and no diversion practice to avoid jail time.

“UNICEF is encouraged by the decision of the President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, to grant amnesty to two children who were held at the Juvenile Wing of the Jeshwang Prison as part of his general amnesty in the month of Ramadan. The release of these children, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic is vital in keeping them safe from the virus.”

By Reuters

Two Senegalese soldiers were killed and several others injured after their vehicle hit an anti-tank mine in the south of the country, the army said in a statement on Monday.

The incident occurred in the Casamance region of the country, home to separatist rebels who in 1982 formed the Movement of Democratic Forces for Casamance (MFDC), one of Africa’s oldest rebellions fighting for independence.

The army said the soldiers were carrying out an operation aimed at accompanying residents back to the area, while combating illegal trafficking and armed groups.