By Lamin Njie

Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations on Thursday carpeted the police for granting APRC a permit to protest.

Thousands of APRC adherents led by party chiefs on Thursday staged a protest demanding the return to the country of former president Yahya Jammeh.

Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violation, the body providing support to hundreds of Gambians who were victims of Jammeh’s tyranny issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying the protest is a mockery of ‘all victims’ of Jammeh’s rule.

“While we recognise their right to protest, we believe that it is not done in good faith and it is geared towards mocking a nation. This party is demanding the return of a man who tried to stifle the voices of Gambians at all costs; who has brutalised, maimed, killed, sexually abused, tortured and victimised Gambians and non-Gambians in many ways.

“Thus, we have also requested for a permit to stage a peaceful protest on the 23rd of January 2020 from the Arch 22 to the police headquarters in Banjul, to express our dissatisfaction with the issuance of the permit to APRC,” the group said.

By Lamin Njie

Gambians online have reacted to an investigation by The Sun suggesting Gambian children are being sold to British paedophiles.

UK newspaper The Sun on Thursday reported tragic Gambian children are being sold to British paedophiles for as little as £2-a-time (about 150 dalasis) by their desperate parents.

The story, titled, ‘Inside ‘paedo paradise’ The Gambia where sex beasts are buying African children and toddlers to rape’, has racked up at least 100 comments on The Sun’s website.

Gambians have been reacting to the story which is doing the rounds on social media networks.

Kexx Sanneh commented a post on the story on Whats On – Gambia: “It not Gambia alone. Many poor counties suffer the same. Government should put a measure regard the paedophiles and any paedophiles caught should be prosecuted and this will discourage many of them to venture into such activities while parents must protect their children.

“Government should also worked out a better living standards for citizens and engage in counselling for the parents and children’s to the impact of such activities in their children’s lives for the future.”

Mai Tine wrote: “This is horrific!!!…the parents should know that they going to answer to the almighty for the upbringing of their children, protect your children!!!this money is not worth it,, the security forces need to step up and stop this …so sad!”

Ndey Sukai Cham said: “I hope our government will take actions about this matter. This is very scary.”

Meanwhile, Child Protection Alliance national coordinator Lamin Fatty who was interviewed by The Sun told The Fatu Network the newspaper misquoted him on the sale of Gambian children.

By Adama Makasuba

Opposition APRC deputy spokesman has lashed out at the triple international bodies of UN, AU, and Ecowas, accusing them of ignoring calls by his party for former president Yahya Jammeh to return to The Gambia.

Jammeh who is living in exile in Equatorial Guinea after shockingly losing in a 2016 presidential election, ruled the country with an iron fist for 22 years.

Thousands of APRC supporters gathered at Sukuta traffic light to demand for his return home.

Speaking to The Fatu Network at the protest, Dodou Jah said:”There was a joint declaration and we feel they’re ignoring it in a sense. We engaged them privately on several times but still they’re giving us a deaf ear.

“So we said it is high time the party come (came) out in our large numbers to saw them APRC is telling them to respect the declaration.”

Interim APRC leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta has ripped into the EU ambassador to The Gambia calling on the diplomat to stop ‘interfering’ in Gambian politics.

“They [EU] are part of it. When we had the Abuko rally, the theme was the homecoming of Babili Mansa… We heard his comments. Is he a Gambian? What right does he have to interfere in the political issues of The Gambia? Let him mind his business. What he will not do in Europe, he will not do it here,” Mr Jatta, referring to Mr Attila Lajos, told Kerr Fatou on Thursday as thousands of APRC supporters took to the streets to call for the return to the country of former president Yahya Jammeh.

The EU ambassador last year frowned at APRC top figures over comments they directed at female witnesses of the TRRC during a rally held in Abuko.

The diplomat argued the comments were abhorrent and could hamper the country’s efforts to reverse the abusive legacy of the past and eliminate climate of fear.

Opposition APRC have begun its protest demanding the return to the country of former president Yahya Jammeh.

Thousands of supporters are taking part in the protest which will be in the form of a walk from Sukuta traffic light to Brusubi turntable.

“These allegations against Jammeh are propaganda,” one protester shouted.

More follows…

By Lamin Njie

Opposition APRC will stage a protest on Thursday 16 January to call for the return to the country of former President Yahya Jammeh.

APRC applied for a permit to hold a protest in support of Mr Jammeh’s return from Equatorial Guinea where he has been living in exile since his 2016 political annihilation. The Inspector General of Mamour Jobe is yet to respond to APRC’s permit request even as the party chiefs informed him they wanted to stage the protest on Thursday 16 January.

Sources have told The Fatu Network the party has now set aside the issue of a permit and will now go ahead with its protest.

The Fatu Network has now gathered scores of APRC adherents will converge at Sukuta traffic light on Thursday at 8am. They will stage a walk from Sukuta traffic light to Brusubi turntable.

By Omar Wally

The Interior Ministry on Wednesday warned members of Operation Three Years Jotna against flouting the Public Order Act.

On the 16 December 2019, OTYJ held a procession from Sting Corner to Denton Bridge calling on President Adama Barrow to honor the coalition agreement and handover power at the end of his three years mandate.

Operation 3 Years Jotna then applied for another permit to hold another demonstration on 19th January but was denied by the police. The IGP’s move has now been supported by Interior Ministry.

The police chief had argued that following ‘meticulous’ security assessment, monitoring and intelligence gathering, it decided to withhold the granting of permit to the ‘Operation 3 Years Jotna Movement’. MamourJobe added the denial was due to ‘compelling’ National Security and Public Safety concerns. However, Operation 3 Years Jotna has threatened it hold a procession with or without permit.

On Wednesday afternoon, interior ministry issued a statement supporting the decision taken by the Inspector General of Police and called on Operation 3 Years Jotna to comply with the decision.

A statement signed by interior minister Yankuba JN Sonko said the violation of the police decision by any person(s) “shall be deemed as a flagrant violation of both the constitution and the Public Order Act and a direct affront to not the peace, security and public safety as well as economic well-being of The Gambia and it’s people”.

Press release

The Fatu Network hereby announces its 2019 Gambian heroes awards event.

The Fatu Network is the leading online news provider in The Gambia and this year, we are coming up with an awards program that seeks to recognise and celebrate Gambians who have offered valuable service to the country and to their communities.

The awards event for 2019 is scheduled to take place on 14 March 2020 where we will honor a number of Gambians. The event will attract at least 1000 people drawn from corporate Gambia.

As part of the activities, an awards committee has already been set up which comprises seven Gambians – three women and four men. The awards committee is tasked with identifying the different awards categories and candidates for each of the categories. This committee will work independently of The Fatu Network. The names and biography of all members of the awards committee will be published soon.

This event will be graced by high profile guests from both in and outside The Gambia.

The chief executive officer of The Fatu Network, Fatu Camara, said: “The event will be one of its kind in The Gambia. I feel that it is time to recognise the efforts of Gambians who have been working tirelessly in different sectors of our society.

“The Gambian diaspora also plays and continues to play a signicant role in the socio-economic development of the country. They will also be awarded.”

By Adama Makasuba

The director general of Food Safety and and Quality Authority has announced the dismissal of some staff of the authority after they allegedly organised a press conference without ‘authorisation’.

FSQA director general is fighting to clear her name amid allegations of abuse of office.
FSQA staff last year wrote to the Vice President Dr Isatou Touray informing her their director Zainab Jallow was abusing her office. They accused her of bad leadership, corruption and sacking staff illegally.

On Wednesday, staff of FSQA held a press conference to saying their petition action against their director general had been ‘frustrated’ – while calling for it to be implemented.

Zainab Jallow has now reacted to the press conference branding it ‘illegal’ and then saying those who took part in it have been dismissed.

“Everybody who was involved in telling these lies in that illegal press conference… They’re not the head of institution [but] they held an illegal press conference in government office without authorization. Therefore, the decision has been taken to dismiss them…from the office of the vice President,” Zainab Jallow said.

A staff of FSQA Saidina Alieu Jarjou who took part in Wednesday’s press conference told The Fatu Network Zainab Jallow’s comment has proven ‘once again how dictatorial she is’.

“Apparently, The Gambia is not a lawlessness state and if she thinks she has the authority to take the law into her hand, well, we shall see what the future holds,” Mr Jarjou said.

He then added: “However, we as staff petitioners will continue to be law-abiding citizens for a better Gambia we want where the sovereign citizens consume safe and quality food.

“Besides, we have exhausted all the diplomatic communication channels and still the status quo remains the same. It is in that regards we called a press conference to shed light on the issue at hand.”

At least 20 staff had earlier been sent on administrative leave after they reportedly refused to go on posting as the row over Zainab Jallow’s leadership deepened.

By Lamin Njie

Opposition APRC will stage a permit-less protest on Thursday to call on the government of President Adama Barrow to respect a 2017 deal that could see former president Yahya Jammeh return to the country.

APRC applied for a permit to hold a protest in support of Mr Jammeh’s return from Equatorial Guinea where he has been living in exile since his 2016 political annihilation. The Inspector General of Mamour Jobe is yet to respond to APRC’s permit request even as the party informed him it wanted to stage the protest on Thursday 16 January.

Sources have now told The Fatu Network the party has now set aside the issue of a permit and will now go ahead with its protest.

It comes amid the denial of a permit to Operation Three Years Jotna – a group that has been soaked in an arduous campaign for President Barrow to step down from power next Sunday.

The Fatu Network understands Operation Three Years Jotna will stage a protest on Sunday without a permit.

By Lamin Njie

Police on Tuesday handed a letter to officials of Three Years Jotna informing them their request for a permit to stage a protest on Sunday has been rejected.

Police chief Mamour Jobe told the anti-Barrow group he could not grant them a permit due to ‘compelling’ national security and public safety concerns. The move has divided Gambian opinion.

A source close to OTYJ has however told The Fatu Network the pressure group’s planned protest for President Barrow to step down remains on course.

“Members of Operation Three Years Jotna remain determined to go ahead with their protest with or without a permit,” the source said.

The Fatu Network understands UN and Ecowas officials on Tuesday met Operation Three Years Jotna top figures.

The Fatu Network could not immediately piece together if the summit had to do with the police’s permit move.

New Turkey ambassador Tolga Bermek has met foreign minister Dr Mamadou Tangara, announcing Turkey will continue working with The Gambia

Mr Bermek promised that his country will continue working towards strengthening the already cordial bilateral relations with The Gambia in the areas of defense and economy, foreign affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. The Ambassador talked about the possibility to increase the operations of Turkish Airline in The Gambia from 3 to 4 weekly flights, the ambassador added, according to foreign affairs.

“Ambassador Bermek spoke about the opening of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in April last year noting that it would further enhance development cooperation between the two countries in the areas of education, health and agriculture,” the statement added.

Mr Bermek is Turkey’s new ambassador to The Gambia, succeeding Ismail Sefa Yuceer who left the role last month.

Almost 1,000 refugees and migrants have been intercepted at sea and returned to war-ravaged Libya this year already, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“At least 953 migrants, among them 136 women and 85 children, have been returned to Libyan shores in the first two weeks of 2020,” IOM spokesperson Safa Msehli said on Tuesday.

Libya, a large oil producer, has been engulfed in chaos since 2011 when longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in an uprising.

It is now split between two rival administrations: the internationally backed Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and the House of

Representatives allied to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA).

The IOM said most of the refugees and migrants were “disembarked in Tripoli and all were taken to detention centres”.

About 4,500 people are currently held in “official” detention centres across Libya. Thousands more are held in “prisons” run by armed groups.

Both types are said to be overcrowded with unhygienic and inhumane conditions, with abuse and violence rampant. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, but an abundance of torture and forced labour.

“The conditions in these centres are crazy,” Alkalo, 17, a migrant from The Gambia, told Al Jazeera.

“Sometimes you get food, sometimes you don’t. If they give you bread, you eat half and save half. You don’t know when you will eat next. If you don’t have money, your only way out is either escaping or death.

“If they catch people running away, they shoot at you. They may shoot you in the leg, they may shoot you in the head.” (Al Jazeera)

By Adama Makasuba

The Gambia government has said it will afford trafficking in persons greater attention by support all ‘relevant’ institutions charged with fighting the problem.

The Gambia last year stood at risk sanctions from the United States after it was found to have not made ‘significant efforts’ to fight human trafficking.

The US Department of State in the 2019 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report released in June 2019 placed The Gambia in Tier 3, the last of three tiers. A country in Tier 3 is placed under special scrutiny and risks US sanctions.

The Gambia government on Tuesday responded by bringing together officials from the police, army, immigration, state intelligence service and custom officials to proffer measures aimed at addressing human trafficking in The Gambia.

At the opening of the two-day workshop at Coral Beach Hotel, Vice President Dr Isatou Touray said: “The government will put all efforts together and support all relevant institutions to address the issue of trafficking in persons because it’s a human rights violation and also has a gender dimension.

“The trafficking in persons will be giving greater attention by the government and relevant institution to take it further and address the gross violation of human rights.”

The head of The Gambia anti-human trafficking agency Tulie Jawara-Ceesay said human trafficking was a global problem that needed to be addressed.

She called on everyone to participate in fighting trafficking in persons describing it doers’ hyenas who had to be hunted for their heinous actions and penalised.

“Trafficking person is a criminal offense. It is prohibited by law and the offenders must be punished,” NAATIP executive director added.

By Lamin Njie

One hundred and fifty soldiers who were sent for training in Senegal as part of a grand new presidential guard project have returned to the country.

Major Ousman Bah was in August 2019 tapped to lead troops into a three-month training program in Fatick, Senegal. Nine women took part in the training.

Sources told The Fatu Network deputy army chief Yankuba Drammeh met the troops at Fajara Barracks today. The troops returned to the country at the weekend.

The Barrow administration has been building a new presidential guard, an elite unit that will ultimately be in charge of the security the president and the State House – once EMOMIG leaves The Gambia.

The new presidential guard of The Gambia currently boasts of 150 Gambian soldiers, but the newly returned 150 soldiers brings the number to 300.