Police have announced they have arrested suspects involved in multiple house breaking and stealing activities.

Officers of the Police Anti Crime Unit arrested the alleged burglars whose activities are largely within the Serrekunda area.

Police said on its official Facebook page over the weekend: “Several Flat Screen TVs, Computers, Laptops and Motorcycle were recovered.

“The public is urged to come forward for identification of items and volunteer information that may be useful to investigations.”

The National Human Rights Commission has warned interactions between the Gambia Police Force and Three Years Jotna if not properly addressed, may lead to misunderstanding and disruption of public order.

NHRC has said it ushered in the New Year with a renewed commitment to promote and protect human rights in The Gambia.

The commission in a statement signed by its chairperson Emmanuel Daniel Joof said: “Several issues relating to and affecting human rights have been and continue to be monitored by the NHRC. Key concerns include civil society engagement with law enforcement and respect for the rights guaranteed by the constitution, such as the right to assembly, freedom of expression and rule of law.

“As our country transitions to a more democratic society, our law enforcement agencies will be faced with situations which would oblige them to uphold standards that do not compromise human rights and freedoms, while maintaining order, security and peace.

“The NHRC is aware of interactions between The Gambia Police Force and 3 Years Jotna Concerned Citizens which, if not properly addressed, may lead to misunderstanding and disruption of public order. Consequently, on Wednesday 8th January 2020, the Commission initiated a separate dialogue with both the Inspector General of Police and Executive members of the 3 Years Jotna Concerned Citizens. The meetings were neither supportive, nor dismissive of the demands and concerns of 3 Years Jotna Concerned Citizens, or convened to castigate or admonish the police. It was a dialogue to hear the concerns of the parties, encourage the nurturing of peace and order, and emphasize respect for and protection of constitutional and fundamental human rights by all and sundry.

“Protests, among other forms of civil engagement, are fundamental features of a functioning democracy. The Gambia Police Force performs the critical and challenging role of creating both a conducive environment, while maintaining order, and the protection of people and properties. It should be emphasized that the State, however, bears the primary obligation to respect, protect and fulfil the fundamental rights of everyone living within its jurisdiction without discrimination or any other considerations. Civil society organisations are encouraged to employ avenues that are governed by the laws of The Gambia and to act responsibly in their engagements and exercise of fundamental human rights.

“The NHRC urges the Government and the populace to draw lessons from the revelations of the ongoing Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) to build a society that is founded on fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law, constitutionalism and due process.

“The National Human Rights Commission is an independent institution established by an Act of National Assembly in 2017 to protect and promote human rights in The Gambia. The Commission is open to the general public and can receive, investigate and provide human rights redress to complainants.”

The Kanifing Magistrates Court has found Killa Ace guilty of assaulting a police officer.

Killa Ace was also found guilty of conducting himself in a manner that amounted to breach of the peace. The popular rapper was also found guilty of destruction of public property.

Ali Cham better known as Killa Ace was arrested in October 2018 and dragged before the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court where he was charged with assault and breach of peace.

The popular rapper was arrested by police after he conducted himself in a manner which the Kanifing Magistrates Court held led to breach of peace. He was also accused of assaulting a police officer, Corporal Demba Bah, on the same day.

The Kanifing Magistrates Court handed the rapper fines that amounted to D17,500.

By Lamin Njie

APRC has blasted reports the party took part in a pro-Barrow protest on the Banjul-Serrekunda highway.

Thousands of Gambians have taken to the streets on Sunday to call on President Barrow to stick to his plan of serving a full five-year term. A furore has however erupted after a banner bearing APRC was spotted in the protest. The banner read, ‘APRC – In Defense of the Constitution’.

APRC reacted late Sunday saying the banner is ‘fake’ and ‘fraudulent’.

APRC said: “The APRC wishes to inform the general public and all APRC militants that this banner photo/video circulating around social media portraying that the APRC IN DEFENSE OF THE CONSTITUTION is fake, fraudulent, a propaganda, and illegal representation of the party.

“Thus, investigation will be carried out and anyone found responsible will be dealt with.”

By Lamin Njie, editor-in-chief, and Adama Makasuba

Thousands of protesters on Sunday called on President Adama Barrow to proceed and complete a five-year term, shutting their eyes to calls for the Gambian leader to resign.

The Gambia’s political future remains uncertain as the bickering over whether President Barrow should leave office in line with a 2016 gentleman pact or stay in office until 2021 continues.

Pressure group Operation Three Years Jotna is the anti-Barrow movement spearheading campaigns for the president to leave office while Gambia For Five Years want the president to serve a five-year term.

And on Sunday, the protesters who included close President Barrow aides staged a walk from Sting Corner to Denton Bridge, calling on him to remain in office.

“We want five years because that’s where there is peace,” Ramou Njie who sits in a wheelchair told The Fatu Network.

Saikou Marong, national assembly member for Latrikuna Sabiji lashed out at ‘joke’ notion for President Barrow to resign.

“I can assure you that President Adama Barrow will never and he will never accept Three Years Jotna demand and step down. It will never happen. Why would he do that (step down)?” Mr Marong said.

Henry Gomez an adviser to President Barrow said the protest was proof that Gambians want Mr Barrow to serve for five years.

The protest comes barely a month after thousands of Gambians protested against Mr Barrow’s plan to back-pedal on a 2016 pledge. President Barrow had said he was not interested in power and was going to resign after a three-year term which will come to an end next Sunday.

The five years protesters ended their protest by handed over a petition to government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh for him to take it to President Barrow.

In the letter, the protesters branded their protest ‘patriotic’ and said it was prompted by Three Years Jotna movement’s campaign for the president to step down.

“Section (65) of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia which is an entrenched clause provides that an elected President of the Republic shall serve for a term of five years. This provision supersedes the 2016 Coalition Agreement. It is common knowledge that the said Agreement has been amended from three (3) to five (5) years aligning it with the dictates of constitution,” the protesters said in their letter to President Barrow.

They added: “It is our fervent believe that the three (3) Years Jotna Movement’s recent protest and petition calling for you to step down and the threat for another mass protest on the 20th January 2020 is unconstitutional.

“Economic activities in the country are dwindling, as fear is mounting in all corners that the anticipated protest of the 20th January, 2020 may lead to civil strife and instability in the country. We therefore call on your Government to take firm steps with a view to ameliorating the negative effects of three (3) years Jotna Movement’s scare-mongering tactics. Majority of Gambians are behind you and advocates for peace and stability and would not sit aside and watch the said group send the country down the drains.

“We wish to humbly remind your Excellency that you have taken a solemn oath to protect and uphold the Constitution of The Gambia. Serving the mandated term of five (5) years is a manifestation of upholding and protecting the constitution. We the majority of Gambians expect you to do just that.”

By Lamin Njie

Gambia For Five Years secretary general Ebrima Sorie Bah was comforted by protest mates after he burst into tears while reading out a protest letter addressed to President Adama Barrow.

Thousands of Gambians under Gambia For Five Years today took to the streets to demand President Barrow to serve a full five-year term, as the row over Mr Barrow’s rule takes a dramatic twist.

President Barrow is under pressure from pressure group Operation Three Years Jotna to step down as part an agreement that was reached by Gambia opposition parties in 2016. Mr Barrow’s U-turn to serve a full five-year term instead of a three-year period has sparked controversy.

Today, thousands of pro-Barrow supporters under Gambia For Five Years took to the streets to ask the Gambian leader to ignore calls for him to resign.

“We wish to stress that if you shall ever yield to the demands of Three (3) years Jotna, you will be betraying us the majority of Gambians and we shall hold you accountable for failing to protect and uphold the constitution,” Gambia For Five Years secretary general Ebrima Sorie Bah said as he burst into tears.

He added: “We will not relent in our stride and shall embark on mass protest until the will of the people is respected.”

By Lamin Njie

Gambia For Five Years and Peacebuilding will stage a protest on Sunday to demand that President Adama Barrow serve a full five-year term.

The protest will be in the form of a procession from Sting Corner to Denton Bridge – and will counter rival group Operation Three Years Jotna’s protest last month.

Gambia Five Years secretary general Ebrima Sorie Bah told The Fatu Network a staggering 100,000 are expected people to take part in the protest.

According to the group, their action is in the “general interest of the overwhelming majority of Gambians who voted during the last general elections in The Gambia”.

“This is quite evident from the feedbacks we have been receiving during our recently concluded nationwide peace dialogue tour of communities,” the group said.

At the protest, Gambia For Five Years will hand over a petition to a government representative for onward delivery to President Barrow. They will demand that he disregards his three years pledge and serve a full five-year term in office.

By Lamin Njie

President Adama Barrow on Saturday insisted his government remains supportive of the One-China policy, two years after his much-ridiculed interview with international news channel, CGTN.

President Barrow visited China in December 2017 and was asked during an interview with CGTN why the One-China policy was so strategically important to The Gambia.

Mr Barrow told the news channel: “The One-China policy is important to The Gambia for the simply reason that we believe in unity, we believe in oneness. If we are together, we are stronger. It’s because, The Gambia, we were together, that’s why we were able to change from dictatorship from democracy. That unity, that spirit was very important in our history and we believe that [is] one-China policy.”

Gambians ridiculed the president’s performance with some suggesting he didn’t understand what the One-China policy was about.

Mr Barrow presided over the inauguration of the IOC conference centre on Saturday where he hailed China as “one of our strongest partners”.

“Evidently, the People’s Republic of China is one of our strongest partners. With them, we will continue to explore new frontiers, ranging from cultural exchanges to trade and investment expansion through a South-South Cooperation framework,” the president said.

On the One-China policy, he said: “Bilaterally, my government will continue to work with the Chinese Government and remain supportive of the One-China Policy.”

The “One-China policy” is a principle that says there is only one sovereign state under the name China and that’s the People’s Republic of China.

Taiwan has been fighting for total breakage from mainland China and has its own name, Republic of China. The One-China policy seeks to check Taiwan’s fight for total independence and the use of the name ‘China’ as part of its official name.

By Lamin Njie

Former president Yahya Jammeh told Ousman Rambo Jatta ‘I’m not a cat’ after the deputy APRC interim leader used a proverb to suggest people were taking advantage of the former dictator’s absence.

Mr Jammeh spoke to Mr Jatta from Equatorial Guinea in a conversation that emerged on social media on Saturday.

During the conversation, Mr Jammeh claimed people have been insulting him in a bid to provoke his supporters.

Rambo Jatta interjected by telling Jammeh: “But you’re our supreme leader…”

Jammeh then said: “When I was in The Gambia, did anybody insult me?”

Replying, Rambo said: “No sir, not at all.”

The deputy APRC interim leader then said: “But sir I think you heard Bob Marley sing that, ‘when the cat’s away the mice play’.”

Jammeh responded by saying, “But I’m not a cat.”

A laughing Rambo responded: “But it’s a proverb and I believe you know what that means.”

The conversation then took an awkward dimension with Jammeh weirdly saying: “But these are not mice, a mice is a very clean animal [sic]. Have you ever seen a mouse sin?”

Rambo replied: “No sir, not at all.”

By Lamin Njie

President Adama Barrow has inaugurated the China-funded and built conference facility ahead of the 2022 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit to be held in The Gambia.

The 1,031 capacity conference centre cost 50 million dollars (approximately 2.5 billion dalasis).

However, the complex appeared to have two names and this has sparked a furore.

The Gambia government had last week announced the centre was named after the former president Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara as sources told The Fatu Network China had wanted the centre to be named, ‘The Gambia International Conference Centre’.

China was reportedly not happy with the naming of the centre after Sir Dawda but the East Asian nation through its embassy in Banjul told The Fatu Network the claims were mere ‘rumours’.

At the inauguration on Saturday, a placard at the front of the complex bore the name, ‘The Gambia International Conference Centre’ while ‘Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre’ could be seen written elsewhere.

Gambians online reacted to the unveiling of the structure but most jumped at the name debacle.

Ismaila Drammeh commented: “We were informed in a press release by the government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure on the official Facebook page of the State House of The Gambia dated January 6th, 2020 that and I quote ꟷ ‘The Ministry further informs the public that the International Conference Center (ICC) will be named after the former president, ‘Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center’.

“So, where is Sir Dawda’s name perhaps it is written somewhere inside the building and it is not visible to someone outside of the building or what?! Something is not right here!”

Ndeye Fatou Sohna said: “This Govt NEVER gets it right the first time around. They always misfire, then a huge explanation follows! If you are explaining too much, then you must be doing something wrong!”

A ministry of works official had told The Fatu Network the naming of the centre came from the office of the president and the ministry of foreign affairs. A foreign affairs spokesman said they are not aware of a standoff between China and The Gambia over the naming of the facility.

State House press secretary Amie Bojang Sissoho said she could only comment on the issue if The Fatu Network disclosed the source of its information that there was a naming debacle.

The inauguration of the complex comes days before a three years term that President Barrow agreed to in 2016 ends and it’s seen in some quarters as an attempt by the president to boost his popularity as the three years row rumbles on. State House said those were mere ‘opinions’.

By Omar Wally

APRC is a party for dignified, honest, god fearing, development oriented, peace loving and people who love being Gambians and want to see [The] Gambia prosper into a great nation, says former president Yahya Jammeh.

“That is what the APRC is and that is why [it] is called Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC),” Jammeh said during a conversation with Ousman Rambo Jatta.

He dismissed claims that APRC is a Jola party. Former President Jammeh is from the Jola ethic group.

Jammeh said: “You think I alone can form the party? So people labeling APRC as Jola party should be expelled. I will rather set up a religious party which will benefit me than anything else but a Jola party? God forbid! Accusing someone of what he is not, I thank them of taking my sins.

“What I told Barrow was not to compromised the peace and security of The Gambia, so I cannot turn around and say burn this country. That is satanic. I’m appealing to APRC supporters: if they hear anybody insulting Babili Mansa (Jammeh himself) just forget the person.”

By Omar Wally

Former president Yahya Jammeh has said former ruling APRC party will not go into a coalition or alliance with any political party in The Gambia.

Speaking from his base in faraway Equatorial Guinea, Jammeh said APRC will not form an alliance with anybody whose “hands are not clean, in fact we don’t need an alliance with any party because APRC is the majority and [the] party with discipline and APRC cannot bring unruly people in our midst”.

“All we need are clean, honest and geniune Gambians and God fearing, and people who want peace and want Gambia to move forward,” he said in an audio conversation with APRC’s interim deputy leader Ousman Rambo Jatta.

On the vexed issue of his return to the country, Jammeh said those who are asking about when he would come back to The Gambia should ask Gambia Radio and Television Services to re-broadcast his last statement or the statement he made when he spoke to President Barrow.

“I told Gambians how long I will be out, I will not go into details, I’m on leave,” he said.
Jammeh said it is only Allah that can say, ‘only Yahya Jammeh’s dead body will come back to Gambia but not Yahya Jammeh’.

He then dismissed claims that he was driven out of The Gambia, adding, “apart from God nobody can take me out of The Gambia”.

“Now there are lions and lionesses saying, ‘when we kicked out Yahya Jammeh…’ Most of them benefited from my generosity. However, during my time, I’m not saying people were not dying in hospitals [but] even village health centers had enough medication.

“When I was in power, even frogs were saved, I’m not bragging. It means I put life everywhere.”

Jammeh added that when he was in the helms of affairs not many times cats got killed but now[adays] people are ‘dying worse than rats’.

The German Ambassador to The Gambia, Stephen Roken, has said his country is ready to work with The Gambia in creating jobs for the country’s youths.

Germany is the biggest receiver of Gambian migrants in recent years but Germany’s top diplomat said his country will increase its diplomatic presence in the country beginning this year, with one most area of cooperation being irregular migration.

“We want to increase our diplomatic presence. For the first time, we will send a diplomat from Germany, in a few weeks, to intensify political, economic and cultural relations,” the diplomat said after meeting President Adama Barrow at State House on Friday, according to a State House statement.

“The next steps of economic cooperation will start to improve this year, with the stabilisation fund that will support value addition in the production chains to provide jobs in horticulture, fish processing and smoking, and vocational training,” the ambassador said, according to the statement added.

The diplomat is of the view that young people in The Gambia need to explore the possibility to be successful here, to earn decent living and create families.

“What they need is job opportunities and that is what our cooperation is about. That is where we have a common interest to fight illegal migration,” the ambassador added, according to statement.

The Ambassador expressed condolence to the President for the boat tragedy that claimed 60 lives of Gambian youths off the coast of Mauritania. He described it as ‘a tragedy that should not be repeated,’ according to State House.

By Adama Makasuba

Bakaray Bunja Darbo, the man who briefly worked for former president Yahya Jammeh as his finance minister has described the former leader’s rule as a ‘most’ destructive dictatorship.

Mr Darboe speaking to journalists at a news conference on Wednesday days after his Gambia For All party was registered by IEC, said despite the 2016 elections helped free “our people from the clutches from a most destructive dictatorship, we had to recognise that the legacy that dictatorship is still very much in place.”

He said: “”What is that legacy? It’s clear by all objective standard that in the wake of two decades of misrule, of mismanagement and of institutionalise corruption, the characteristics the country was left with include an extremely weak state with a much polarised society… A weak and fragile state whose key state institution are either decimated in advanced state of decay, and a fragile state with an economy in doldrums.”

BB Darbo is a former vice president of The Gambia, serving in the role under former president Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara for ten years. He is now the leader of Gambia For All after his bitter fall-out with People’s Progressive Party.

Former president Yahya Jammeh ruled The Gambia for 22 unbroken years, a period which saw the country record some of the most terrible human rights violations and abuses.

By Lamin Njie

The Gambia government said on Thursday Gambian students scored more credits in maths compared to English in the 2019 WASSCE.

Many Gambian students often complain they’re not a big fan of math and they’d then go on to struggle in the core subject.

However, President Adama Barrow on Thursday presided over the first cabinet session of 2020 during which the minister of basic and secondary education presented an information paper on the results of the 2019 West Africa Senior Secondary School Examination Results.

According to a statement by the government at the end of the session, the 2019 results have registered a marked improvements over the 2018 one and the candidates qualified for university entrance also doubled over the 2018 results.

“A higher improvement has been observed in core subjects like English and Mathematics with 1402 candidates scoring credit in English while 2548 candidates have credits in Mathematics. Female candidates have particularly performed very well in the science subjects compared to the 2018 results,” a statement read by information minister Ebrima Sillah said.

“One notable issue in the 2019 results is the remarkable performance by Senior Secondary Schools n rural areas due to the rationalization of teaching resources and the availability of trained teachers across the country which is now paying dividends. More students have also registered great improvement in core technical subjects thank to the strengthening of the Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) in schools.”

By Lamin Njie

Kora genius Jaliba Kuyateh will launch his album Democracy on Saturday 10 January at QCity.

The top musician met journalists on Monday ahead of the big event saying he’s expecting a full-house.

Jaliba said of the launch of his 9-song album: “All the launching I did, I started in Kairaba hall people didn’t fit. We went to Jokor the park was full…

“I believe from all the launchings, this one is the biggest because of the organisation that I have seen. So I think we will not fit in QCity.

“One man expressed his concern about democracy and the country seems chaotic about this topic democracy. I thought I should come up with this (democracy) to explain what it really means.

“When I started Kora, it was totally [about] praise-singing of our warriors, of our kings. I am the one who turned the page. That is we try to educate through the music.”

Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations has branded former president Yahya Jammeh a ‘fugitive’ calling on the Inspector General of Police to deny APRC a permit to stage a protest.

APRC has announced it is planning to stage a protest demanding that the former leader return to the country from exile in Equatorial Guinea.

In a letter to the Inspector General of Police and seen by The Fatu Network, Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations warned the police chief against issuing APRC a permit.

The group told the IGP: “It has come to our notice that the APRC Party / militants are in the process of applying for a permit to stage a protest. We write to express our concerns and the concerns of victims that the application made by the APRC for a permit to stage protest for the return of Yahya Jammeh to the Gambia planned January 16th, 2020, be put on hold for several reasons, key among them is the interference of the on-going TRRC testimonies and the security of the Country.

“Therefore, we object to this application for the time being, as it is considered as a provocative moved against victims of Yahya Jammeh and his regime as well as the peace and tranquility of the Country.

“It is our position that Yahya Jammeh is a fugitive and that any activity that tend to be in denial of that fact or aimed at provoking victims of his regime must not be entertained.

“It is not in the interest of peace and stability in the Gambia to allow a political party that had enabled and in blatant denial of serious human rights violations committed against Gambians and non-Gambians to stage a protest for the return of the very person who had masterminded and committed these violations as evident from the testimonies emerging from the TRRC.”