By Lamin Njie

Sarjo Barrow said Saturday he might have erred in claiming former information minister Sheriff Bojang picked him from his house to go on television and announce that President Yahya Jammeh would not be leaving office.

Mr Barrow claimed in a Senn FM interview last week that during the 2016 political impasse, Mr Bojang came for him at his house and brought him to GRTS to read the text of Yahya Jammeh’s statement on television and on radio. Mr Bojang responded to Mr Barrow’s claims on Friday, saying Ramadan starvation might have foggied the veteran journalist’s memory.

“I had at no time ever summoned him or anyone to go on the radio or TV to announce that President Jammeh would not give up power,” Mr Bojang said.

“The last time I saw or spoke with Mr Barrow was almost 75 days before the political impasse.”

The former information minister however confirmed picking Mr Barrow from his house to perform a different task. He also confirmed giving him D1000.

Mr Bojang said: “On the night of 25 October 2016, at about 8.30pm I was summoned to the Office of the President by then secretary to the cabinet, Mrs Adama Ngum-Njie at the behest of President Jammeh to read a statement he had prepared on the television. It was about his decision to remove the country from the International Criminal Court. After I broadcast it in English, translations followed in the Gambian languages.

“On my way home, the president called to register his dissatisfaction with the translation in Mandinka. So I had to go back and together with the TV programmes director Baboucarr Senghore we decided to summon Mr Barrow to come and redo it. He came and after a couple of takes, we were satisfied. I personally drove him back to his home as it was about 11pm and gave him D1,000 for his troubles.”

Mr Barrow spoke to The Fatu Network on Saturday on Sheriff Bojang’s assertions, saying he might have confused things.

“He could be right about what he said,” he said. “But he has confirmed that he picked me up from my house and gave me D1000 and I think that is what matters. What is also not disputed is that he was the information minister at the time of the impasse.”

By DailyMail

Pope Francis has compared abortion to ‘hiring a hitman’ during a Vatican-sponsored anti-abortion conference.

He said abortion can never be condoned, even when the fetus is gravely sick or malformed.

He urged doctors and priests to support families to carry such pregnancies to term.

The Pope claimed his opposition to abortion was not for religious issues, but for human ones.

He said: ‘Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?

‘Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?’

Francis disagreed with abortions done on grounds of prenatal testing which reveals problems with the fetus.

He said a human being is ‘never incompatible with life’.

Francis has spoken out strongly against abortion, although he has also expressed sympathy for women who have had them and made it easier for them to be forgiven.

By Lamin Njie

Former spokesperson of Gambia Democratic Congress has said that his decision to leave the party was as a result of some ‘irregularities.’

Muhamadou M5 Jallow left GDC about six months ago, saying in a resignation letter to the party that the move was based upon his plan to leave the country for further studies.

“This is to inform the executive committee, militants, and the sympathizers of GDC and the general public of the Gambia, that I, Muhamadou M5 Jallow, commonly known as honorable M5 Jallow and once the public relation officer of the said GDC political party has resigned from the entire party,” he said in the letter.

He added: “I am of the firm conviction that my departure from the GDC, is of some genuine reasons and the most prominent of them is centred upon the basis of my profound interest to travel abroad for furthering my educational standard, departure upon my admission.”

But speaking to The Fatu Network on the issue, Jallow said their ‘were some internal issues that made me to leave the party.

“I left the party in December [2018] shortly after the congress because of some irregularities in the party,” he added.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

Sheikh Ba-Kawsu Fofana has revealed in startling fashion how his ambition to become SIC President over a decade ago had been thwarted by a group of renowned Gambian Islamic scholars and how the custodians of the Islamic religion in the country allegedly ganged up to sow seeds of discord between him and former President Jammeh.

Responding on Thursday to questions posed to him by The Fatu Network about the reasons for his fall-out with the former Gambian dictator, Ba-Kawsu gave a riveting account of his desire to run for the President of the Gambia’s apex Islamic body and how this desire subsequently put him in the bad books of dictator Jammeh.

Below is the transcription of his interview with The Fatu Network.

“You see, the way you come here [my house] was the way many elders came here,concerning the Supreme Islamic Council after a sermon was delivered by Abdoulie Fatty on the presence of Shia’ts in the country; how hostile they were to governments and how they kill people. After the sermon, the President [Jammeh] queried if the Shiats are in the country in the magnitude described by Imam Fatty and the danger they pose to the governments and the people. He also enquired as to whether the Supreme Islamic Council was not aware of this and the response was in the affirmative. The answer was it was in fact SIC that was playing host to the Shiats and that SIC Vice President, Ousman Jah, was the one receiving them on arrivals at the airport. Banding Drammeh was at the time President of the Supreme Islamic Council. This is how they pitched Yaya’s head against the Supreme Islamic Council. It was at this juncture Jammeh pronounced that the tenure of the Supreme Islamic Council President was over and that there must be fresh elections for a new executive.

“He said the time was up for election so that people can choose a new leader to steer the affairs of the council. Following this, lots of people have been coming to my house to express their desire for me to take the mantle and this also continued in gatherings; that they felt I had all it take to be the council’s president. When this continued unabated, I said…OK…If that is the case we can explore ways and means of getting there. We then went to Ismael Sambou who was then minister of religious affairs and Lansana Jammeh was his permanent secretary. We couldn’t meet the minister because he had been delegated by the President to attend the burial of the Caliph of Touba, Serign Salieu in Senegal.

“We however met Alasana Jammeh and he organised a meeting between us and him in his office. Lot of Imams were present and we told him we were there to seek Supreme Islamic Council leadership position. Alasan told us that the President [Jammeh] had already made it clear that the Supreme Islamic Council’s executives had their time expired and that the executive had been in office for a very long time. He said Banding had been occupying the position of council’s president for 13 years but that they [government] didn’t know anything about the council’s modus operandi. He then advised us to take recourse to the council’s constitution. When we referred to the constitution, they [officials] agreed that we can seek for a leadership role in the council as dictated by the constitution. The government officials indicated to us that in order to be eligible for the council leadership position; one must be a Gambian, has a huge following, fluent in either Arabic or English and must be able to give credibility to the council in and outside the country.

“The ministry was satisfied that I possessed all the qualities to head the council. They advised us to write a letter to the council’s executive to inform them that their mandate had expired and we were interested in the positions. We wrote a letter to them to that effect and subsequently embarked on a country-wide tour to prepare hearts and minds and a huge number of people backed us.

“So when it came to the elections, Banding was the incumbent and wanted to run again even after his mandate had expired. He was there for 13 years. Supreme Islamic Council was formed by Soriba Jabbie and the mandate for President was three years. When Banding came, he argued that three years was short and pushed for a five-year mandate. He served a one three-year mandate and one five-year mandate, making it eight years. Afterwards, they argued the council was now for a term limit of ten years but Banding had already served another five years, making it 13.  They said his time was over but he insisted that the eight years will not be part of it and counting had to begin with the last five-year mandate given to him. He insisted he will run again and majority of council members were opposed to this but they cannot manifest their opposition to his bid. I insisted I wasn’t competing with him but that his time was over and that there must be elections that any qualified person can contest. However few days to the election, Banding and his entire team were removed by Jammeh and fresh election was called up.

“However, two or three days to the elections, they ganged together to choose Lamin Touray who led the prayers at State House that day. Lamin Touray had never campaigned throughout the country and people didn’t know him. It was me and Banding who toured the country and when Banding was sacked, I went unopposed.

“But they contended that Ba-Kawsu was young and they didn’t want to replace Banding with him and they then changed their positions. They also changed the President’s mind because he wanted me to lead the council since at the outset. He felt he could work with me when I win but they told the President that Ba-Kawsu is unlike other council members who would not hesitate to tell truth to the powers that be and that he wouldn’t bow down to anybody. They also told the President I could undermine his authority considering the number of people following me. The President, at this point, changed his mind in favour of Lamin Touray.

“But to make sure I lose the election, they handpicked their own supporters to preside over the process and when we raised the alarm, the entire electoral supervisory process was transferred to the IEC. So, when we met for election they connived with some Nigerians to make new ballot papers. When you are in for Ba-Kawsu, they will erase your name, put a new name there and backdate it. They also tinkered the constitution so I cannot qualify to run. So, when the country met on Saturday, 16 August and Sunday, 17 August2007, people didn’t like their conduct and they met on Sunday and elected Lamin Touray.”

By Lamin Njie

Sheriff Bojang has responded to Sarjo Barrow’s audacious claims that he ordered him to go on television and announce that President Yahya Jammeh would not be leaving office.

Sarjo Barrow last week told Senn FM in an exclusive interview that during the 2016 political impasse, the minister of information, Sheriff Bojang, came for him at his house and brought him to GRTS to read the text of Yahya Jammeh’s statement on television and on radio.

“That day I was at the television till 2am. Sheriff Bojang was sitting, I did the translation till it ended. He told me ‘If the big man hears this, he will like it’,” Mr Barrow said.

He added: “While I was reading it, between me Allah and His Messenger, I was greatly perturbed because I knew it was going to create a big problem; a problem that would transcend The Gambia’s frontiers. I knew the words I was reading had dire connotations and could inimically affect the state. But [the government] knew I would deliver and deliver I did to the extent that when Sheriff Bojang was returning me to my house, he gave me D1,000…”

Mr Bojang responded to Mr Barrow’s claims in a story published by The Standard newspaper on Friday, saying “I had at no time ever summoned him or anyone to go on the radio or TV to announce that President Jammeh would not give up power.”

Mr Bojang added: “On the night of 25 October 2016, at about 8.30pm I was summoned to the Office of the President by then secretary to the cabinet, Mrs Adama Ngum-Njie at the behest of President Jammeh to read a statement he had prepared on the television. It was about his decision to remove the country from the International Criminal Court. After I broadcast it in English, translations followed in the Gambian languages.

“On my way home, the president called to register his dissatisfaction with the translation in Mandinka. So I had to go back and together with the TV programmes director Baboucarr Senghore we decided to summon Mr Barrow to come and redo it. He came and after a couple of takes, we were satisfied. I personally drove him back to his home as it was about 11pm and gave him D1,000 for his troubles. The last time I saw or spoke with Mr Barrow was almost 75 days before the political impasse.”

Theresa May broke down in tears today as she read the last rites on her troubled premiership after bowing to a massive Tory mutiny over her Brexit plans.

Watched by husband Philip, the Prime Minister was overcome by emotion on the steps of Downing Street as she admitted her desperate struggle to get the UK out of the EU will end in failure.

‘I’ve done my best,’ she said. ‘I have done everything I can to convince MPs to back that deal … sadly I have not been able to do so.

‘It is and will always remain a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit.’

Mrs May was almost unable to continue as she was overtaken by tears while voicing her pride at having served the country. She declared she will resign as Conservative leader on June 7, triggering a contest that should be complete by the end of July.

Mrs May said it had been the ‘honour of my life’ to be PM, and she hoped she would not be the last woman to lead the country. In a parting shot at the bitter Brexit divisions that have blighted her time in office, she urged MPs from all parties to remember that ‘compromise is not a dirty word’.

Having delivered her painful message, she then hurried back through the famous black No10 doors and was immediately whisked away via the back exit.

The dramatic move comes after Mrs May’s last-ditch effort to get her EU deal through the Commons backfired spectacularly. Tories were up in arms and the Cabinet mounted an open revolt after she offered MPs a vote on holding a second referendum and joining a temporary customs union with the EU.

The PM humiliatingly pulled her Withdrawal Agreement Bill – known as WAB – yesterday after seemingly accepting the inevitable.

Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the powerful Tory 1922 committee, met her in No10 this morning. He had been instructed by Tory backbenchers to enforce an exit date if Mrs May refused to volunteer one, with MPs threatening to change party rules to allow a fresh no-confidence vote.

Jeremy Corbyn immediately seized on the news to demand a general election, saying the Conservatives were ‘divided and disintegrating’.

But despite the brutal assault on her position from her own side, there was an outpouring of sympathy today after she finally fell on her sword.

Boris Johnson paid tribute to Mrs May’s ‘stoical service to our country’, urging politicians to ‘follow her urgings’ by ‘coming together to deliver Brexit’.

Andrea Leadsom, whose resignation as Commons Leader put the final nail in Mrs May’s political coffin, tweeted: ‘A very dignified speech by @theresa_may. An illustration of her total commitment to country and duty. She did her utmost, and I wish her all the very best.’

Prominent Tory Brexiteer Steve Baker, who strongly opposed the PM’s Brexit deal, tweeted: ‘Very dignified statement from Theresa May, beginning to set out the many things which she has achieved in office. This is a sad but necessary day.’

Environment Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: ‘A moving speech from a Prime Minister who deserves our respect and gratitude. Thank you @theresa_may.’

David Cameron also weighed in, describing it as a ‘strong and brave speech’. (DailyMail)

By Lamin Njie

The general court martial at Yundum Barracks has set Monday May 27, 2019 for judgment in the case of two yet-to-be-discharged top generals of the Gambia Armed Forces.

Major General Umpa Mendy and Major General Ansumana Tamba have been standing trial on allegations they deserted the army. The pair got themselves into trouble after they fled the country alongside former president Yahya Jammeh in January 2017 to Equatorial Guinea, but they returned unexpectedly to The Gambia in January last year. They were arrested and charged with desertion. They face up to life in prison.

Umpa Mendy was the former president Jammeh’s principal protection officer, while Ansumana Tamba was the former head of the then State Guards Battalion.

Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says Yahya Jammeh, ousted Gambian president, ordered the execution of 50 persons, including nine Nigerians, in 2005.

In a statement on Thursday, the human rights lawyer said his law firm had been able to identify Omozemoje Paul Enagameh as one of the Nigerians killed by the Jammeh regime.

Following Jammeh’s removal, the Human Rights Watch and TRIAL International had revealed that a paramilitary unit controlled by Jammeh summarily executed Nigerians, Ghanaians and other West African migrants in July 2005.

Gambian officials had told Human Rights Watch that the migrants, who were bound for Europe were suspected of being mercenaries intent on overthrowing Jammeh.

They were murdered after being detained by the former president’s closest deputies in the army, navy, and police.

Falana said his firm found that the nine Nigerians who were involved were traveling with their passports as of the time they were killed.

“On July 21, 2005, the Gambian Navy seized a boat conveying 58 immigrants. Aboard the boat were nine Nigerians, 40 Ghanaians, 3 Senegaleze, 3 Sierra Leoneans and two Togolese sailing towards a fishing vessel anchored on the high sea to stowaway to Europe,” the statement read.

“Apart from two Ghanaian nationals who were released to a Ghanaian government delegation another Ghanaian escaped from the custody of the navy. But the remaining 55 immigrants were illegally executed on the orders of the brutal regime of Mr. Yayah Jameh, former President of Gambia.

“In the investigation conducted by our law firm into the killings it has been established that the 9 Nigerians involved were travelling with their passports. However, the Nigerian Community in Senegal confirmed the identity of one of the massacred Nigerian immigrants. The details are:-

“Name:    Omozemoje Paul Enagameh

Passport No:           A1548206

Place of Birth:         Lagos

Date of Birth:           9th December 1976.”

Thanking Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, for providing vital information in the investigation, Falana called on family members of the deceased to take opportunity to seek redress in the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission currently sitting in Banjul, the Gambia capital.

Jammeh, who lost Gambia’s presidential election in 2016, refused to step aside but he bowed to pressure after an intervention leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He has since been on exile. (The Cable)

By State House Media

First Lady, Fatou Bah- Barrow presided over the presentation of about 8 tonnes of food items to the Fatoumatta Bah Barrow Foundation (FaBB) donated by the Turkish Cooperation Coordination Agency (TIKA), on Thursday, May 23, 2019.

The donated food items which included rice, sugar, cooking oil, dates, among others, were given to the First Lady’s foundation for onward distribution to organizations like Tanka-Tanka Psychiatric Hospital and the prisons.

Acting CEO of the FaBB Foundation, Ms. Fatou Ceesay spoke on behalf of First Lady Bah Barrow, describing TIKA as a true partner and thanked its officials for coming to complement the work of the foundation in giving support to the needy.

In his opening remarks, TIKA’s new Country Representative, Mr. Mohmet Akif Eyigum said they were happy to entrust FaBB Foundation with the donated food items for onward distribution to needy people. The main objective of TIKA, he said, is to extend helping hand to countries in need by providing technical and development assistance.

“Furthermore, I will like to thank the FaBB Foundation for such a wonderful initiative of supporting the less privilege in society in the holy month of Ramadan’’, Mr. Akif Eyigum said. ‘’This initiative is no doubt in line with TIKA’s objective of improving the welfare of vulnerable people in partner countries and strengthening bilateral relations between Turkey and The Gambia”.

Turkish Ambassador to The Gambia, Mr. Ismael Yusuf said the donation was timely, coming at a very good period in the Ramadan. He described TIKA’s humanitarian gesture as a noble cause, stating that over a thousand packages of food items will be going to the needy people in the coming days. A lot more will be distributed through other institutions.

The ambassador said Turkey is committed to the development agenda of The Gambia. As First Lady’s foundation is playing an important role in the humanitarian services to the country, Turkey will continue to support the work that FaBB does.

Turkish Cooperation Coordination Agency (TIKA) is the official international development assistance agency of the Turkish government.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

A prominent Gambian Islamic scholar has warned that The Gambia is currently at crossroads, calling on President Adama Barrow to honour his earlier vow of staying in office for only three years.

He also called on Mr. Barrow to exercise restraint in the face of sustained pressure for him to quit office come December of this year, suggesting that a referrendum may be the panacea to the current political squabbles in the country.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, Imam Ba-Kawsu Fofana said: “You know that Yaya Jammeh and Barrow [Lt. Barrow] staged a coup and agreed to be in power for only six months and as a result of this agreement, many lost their lives.

“These people [coalition] also agreed on a three-year transition government. Adama had been with us and he was very calm and some were even saying Adama doesn’t talk much but as a result of this three years talk, he is now a changed man and is aggressive.

“This is why people should be circumspect when it comes to the position of president. Yaya Jammeh started executing people when Barrow [Basiru Barrow] said they will be in power for only six months and many lives were lost. And now, President Barrow is getting more and more aggressive; lots of sackings and is seeing many as enemies now.”

He argued that if the coalition’s three-year agreement is indeed in conflict with the constitution, referendum could be the best way out.

“His government is not here to stay long in office as per the coalition agreement. The coalition was formed based on knowledge and foresight for the fact that no one party can defeat Jammeh at the polls. So, they came together to change the government and make reforms. The coalition president should not be sit-tight because that is not good for the country. I think Barrow should honour his promise to the people.”

Senegal started importing turbines for its first large-scale wind farm on Thursday, the biggest such project in West Africa that will supply nearly a sixth of the country’s power, Reuters reported Thursday.

Privately-owned British renewable power company Lekela expects the wind farm, located in Taiba Ndiaye, about 100 km from the capital Dakar, to reach 158.7 megawatts (MW) by 2020.

President Macky Sall is keen to make Senegal a leader in renewables in Africa, with a 30 percent target for clean energy in the coming years, of which this project will provide half. A smaller solar project underway aims to produce 30 megawatts.

“On the environmental level, Senegal has never had a project on this scale,” said Massaer Cisse, Lekela’s Senegal head. “This farm will avoid … 300,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.”

The 200 billion CFA franc ($342 million) farm will be roughly half financed by Lekela, and the other half split between U.S.-based Overseas Private Investment Corp and Danish export credit company EKF.

Lekela also has renewable projects in Egypt, Ghana and South Africa.

Renewables currently make up a tiny portion of Africa’s power generation, but several projects aim to increase that share. South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia are all developing industrial-scale wind farms.

On Thursday, the unassembled parts of the 46 white wind turbines were sitting in the sun in the Dakar port, ready to be shipped to the 40 hectare farm.

As part of the project, young locals will be trained in electrical engineering and computer science to help with Senegal’s chronic unemployment, Cisse said.

The ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG) on Thursday said it has monitored the reports and several concerns raised in respect of the shooting of Ismaila Tamba.

Tamba was shot at a Gambian army checkpoint in Kanilai Village last Sunday.

On Thursday, Ecomig issued a statement saying “the isolated incident is unfortunate and regrettable especially coming in the course of an otherwise genuine duty call at the said check point by the GAF soldier.”

“The ECOWAS Mission urge the general public to remain calm and exercise maximum restraint while GAF conducts its thorough investigative process in order to come out with positive measures to avert a re-occurrence of this isolated incident,” the statement signed by acting force commander Abubakar A Bello said.

It added: “As part of the ECOMIG Mandate, the Mission further assures the populace that ECOMIG will continue to work in harmony with GAF, the Police and other security agencies to ensure peace and stability for Gambians to go about their normal duties without any fear and concerns about their safety.

“Once again, the ECOWAS Mission wishes the best of recovery to Ismaila Tamba and assures the public of their security and safety as it works in consonance with GAF and other stakeholders to ensure peace and stability in the country.”

Non-governmental organisation Foni Agency for Rural Development, FARD, on Wednesday extended financial support to Ismaila Tamba.

Mr Tamba has been admitted in hospital following Sunday’s shooting incident in Kanilai.

The chairman of Foni Agency for Rural Development (FARD), Rtd General Lang Tombong Tamba, accompanied by three executive members, Tombong Tamba, Lamin Faye and Buba Manjang, handed over D5000 to the family of Ismaila Tamba at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital as part of their contributions to his medical bill, the group said in Facebook post Wednesday.

“Our organization, which is not political and comprises of people of all tribes and religions from across Foni, is established to alleviate the suffering of the people of Foni by providing the much needed basic services to the population” General Tamba informed the family. FARD has decided to come to the family’s aid in this very difficult moment and hopes that the token amount would make a difference in the life of a brother,” the group’s chairman was quoting as saying.

Receiving the money, Ismaila’s mother expressed joy at the support FARD gave and said that it would go a long way in helping them. His wife also prayed for FARD and thanked the organization for the gesture.

By Alhassan Darboe

Essa Bokarr Sey, the public relations officer hired by the OIC secretariat in the Gambia all the way from America has hit back at analysts and critics alike who insisted that his handling of OIC event was unprofessional and incompetent.

In an interview with The Fatu Network’s Omar Wally, Essa Bokarr Sey insisted: “Any person who talks about my incompetence, I Essa Bokarr Sey, I won’t be offended because I have passed tests with Gambia government. Passed tests with external governments and the records are there to speak for themselves. Anybody who want to make a name of trying to find a prey (an easy target) for the process of character assassination you can go ahead but I personally and, Lamin Sanneh having worked with banks and, all that. And, the people we have there. I know for a fact that I am not incompetent. The only thing I can do is to show case my achievement as an individual, as a professional. I cannot force people to see me like that”.

When asked by Omar Wally as to whether Gambia would not be hosting the OIC summit, Essa Bokarr Sey responded, “well, I wouldn’t  give a yes and no answer to that because like I said and I keep repeating is that we are professionals who are hired to mobilize resources and implement projects. Until and unless I receive a formal letter or information, or a press conference is organized to that effect. I wouldn’t be able to because ….I can’t say that I knew about it neither would I say that I didn’t know about it because it’s based on procedure.”

Two weeks after news broke of Gambia’s OIC hosting failure, Bokarr Sey has been playing hide and seek with the media without ever confirming or denying the postponement of the world’s second biggest event scheduled to be held in Banjul in November,2019.

The office of the president of The Gambia Adama Barrow, however this evening May 21^st, confirmed reports that Gambia would not be hosting the OIC event later this year. The Communique cited infrastructural, energy and logistical challenges for the postponement.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

The Director of Press at the Office of the President has said she is not aware of any anti-Barrow protest in the country.

Mrs Amie Bojang-Sissoho expressed her ignorance of the anti-Barrow protest in a press conference held at the Presidency in Banjul on Wednesday.

“The issue of what they call anti-Barrow….. Okay, I’m not sure about any anti-Barrow movement. So, if there is anything called anti-Barrow protest, I’m not aware of it,” she evinced.

Mrs Bojang’s comments come at a time when the country’s media is awash with reports of a protest movement that is agitating for President Adama Barrow to step aside come December of this year.

A group called Operation 3Yrs Jotna has vowed to continue to pile pressure on Mr. Adama Barrow to honour his earlier promise of handing over power after overseeing a three-year transition programme. The movement is poised for mass rallies and protestations in the months towards the end of the year.

Many are finding it difficult to understand why the State House press boss could not be aware of a movement that the police say were inimical to the peace and security of the country, but many see it as part of the Barrow government’s penchant for secrecy and reticence. A US-based Gambian political and social commentator, Pa Samba Jow, recently indicated to The Fatu Network that the most exasperating thing about this present dispensation is the secrecy that many issues of national significance are shrouded in.

Readers may recall that 15 Gambian nationals have been arrested and have now been charged with offences ranging from unlawful assembly to conduct conducive to the breach of peace. Their case is currently at the courts.

A former Head of Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative, CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short, has called on the government of Ghana to take urgent steps to bring former president Yahya Jammeh to Ghana to face justice for the massacre of some 44 Ghanaians in 2005.

Under a coalition of Civil Society groups called CSO Coalition Partners on Justice to Jammeh Ghana Campaign, efforts are being made to get the government of Ghana to bring Jammeh to the country to face the courts.

In 2005, some Ghanaians who were in the Gambia attempting to join a vessel to Europe were allegedly killed by forces of the Gambian government allegedly on the instructions of Jammeh.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark one year of the advocacy to get justice for the families of the deceased, Emile Short said government could do more to ensure that justice is served.

“National governments can assume jurisdiction in respect of serious crimes against international law. It does not matter where the crime was committed nor does it matter where the accused person is resident or whether the accused person is a citizen of the country that has taken over jurisdiction, there are other grounds on which Ghana can assume jurisdiction on this matter.”

“My plea to the government of Ghana is to take this matter seriously. I will urge the government to initiate and expedite actions, steps; legal, political, diplomatic to make sure justice is served. The family of the victims have waited for far too long and I think the government of Ghana holds to the families and Civil Society Organisations that justice is served.”

The only survivor of the massacre, Martin Kyere, has expressed disappointment in government for doing virtually nothing about the incident.

“Our independence has become meaningless to Africa and Ghanaians. We want our government to say, yes, it is time to find justice for the people…” he said. (Ghanaweb.com)

By Lamin Njie

The soldier who shot Ismaila Tamba has been arrested, The Fatu Network understands.

The embattled soldier was arrested on Monday by men of military police as investigation continued into Sunday’s shooting incident in Kanilai, Foni.

A source told The Fatu Network: “The soldier has been arrested and [he] is in custody of the military police in Yundumm Barracks.”

The Fatu Network is not naming the soldier as he is yet to be charged before a court law for a crime.

The spokesperson of the Gambia Armed Forces could not be immediately reached for comment but it comes at the back of a statement by the army on Tuesday saying the soldier was trying to shoot out the tyres of the vehicle of Ismaila Tamba.

“The driver (Tamba) was challenged by the soldier on sentry duty to stop the vehicle and return back to the check point for the routine search procedure as required. However, the driver failed to do so and attempted to drive away. In an apparent attempt to disable the tyre of the vehicle, the soldier on sentry duty shot at the vehicle thereby resulting to the injury of the driver on his back,” the army said in a statement signed by its deputy spokesperson Malick Sanyang.