By Lamin Njie

The United Democratic Party has rejected accusations the party was not being consistent on whether President Adama Barrow should step aside in December or continue until 2021.

The country’s biggest political party came under criticism Monday after reports emerged of its representatives at the ongoing coalition talks marching out of a recent meeting in protest of stakeholders refusing to sign the memorandum of understanding that is asking for President Barrow to step down after three years.

The UDP’s initial position – seemingly – was for President Barrow to serve for five years following its leader’s astonishing comments that he will sue anyone who asks President Barrow to step down after three years.

The spokesperson of the party Almami Taal told The Fatu Network in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that the party is yet to make its position known.

Mr Taal said: “There is no flip-flopping. It is a matter of public record that the party leader of the UDP Alhaji Ousainou Darboe at a meeting or discussion… The question is Mr Darboe said that he is going to take anybody who wants to enforce the term of the coalition agreement or memorandum to court.

“Mr Darboe everyone knows is a lawyer and he looks at problems from their constitutional point of view. And everybody’s also agreed that the constitution of The Gambia doesn’t talk about even parties. It talks about the person elected president should serve for five years. Having said that, this is not a UDP position. Yes it was said by the party leader. Up to now we are in discussion as to what should be our position.”

By Lamin Njie

Arrangements have been finalised for the remains of Sheikh Bethio Thioune to be flown back to Senegal.

The Thiantacoune leader died on Tuesday in Paris, France after a long illness.

Thioune’s death came one day after a court in Senegal sentenced him in absentia to 10 years of hard labour for abetting the murder of two followers.

The high criminal court in Mbour on Monday found him guilty of failing to denounce a crime and being an accomplice to murder seven years ago.

The 81-year-old will be buried Madinnatul Salam on Friday May 10.

By Lamin Njie

The spokesman of the Gambia Immigration Department has said that he is not aware of any complaint of a GID officer ripping apart a man’s ID card.

What’s on Gambia reported Monday that an immigration officer tore up Ebrima Touray’s ID card into pieces ‘because he wasn’t convinced that he was a Gambian’.

“The Immigration guy approached me and asked for my ID card. He further asked if I’m Gambian and I said yes. I told him I was born in Kololi. He looked at me and said being born in Kololi doesn’t mean I am a citizen of this country. He then cut my ID card into pieces and threw it,” Touray told the outlet.

The alleged incident is said to have happened at the weekend.

The Fatu Network reached out to the public relations officer of the Gambia Immigration Department Mamanding Dibba and he said he wasn’t any of any formal complaint against an officer.

“Should it come to my notice, of course I will prefer an investigation into the matter,” Dibba said.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

Hundreds of commercial vehicle drivers on Tuesday descended on the offices of the Gambia Transport Union (GTU) in Banjul, agitating for the closure of the office as the long-standing leadership struggle within the union showed no sign of abating.

GTU offices on Buckle Street was yesterday inundated by members of rival groups of the union who went there to insist that the office be vacated with both sides pointing accusing fingers at each other for what they called the unproductivity of the union.

Protesters stormed the offices to force its closure but the other camp insisted the office remain open until such time that a national congress is convened to elect a new leadership. Protesters could be seen removing some office equipment, culminating in fracas between the two camps.

It could be recalled that Gambia’s former dictator, Yaya Jammeh, imposed a ban on GTU and its executives were charged with economic crimes but the case was subsequently dismissed.

Claiming to be speaking in the capacity of GTU President, Omar Ceesay explained: “Following 2016 Presidential elections in the country, drivers decided to come under one umbrella to defend and promote their interests. It was during this that I was elected President whilst the former executives were on trial. However since their case was thrown out, they [executive] were bent on threatening us with violence because we refuse their attempts to impose themselves on us.”  He added that Tuesday’s protest was engendered by an attempt made by the past executive to occupy the Buckle Street offices.

“We are waiting for an arbitration from the central Government before we organise ourselves for congress,” he stated.

Meanwhile the rift between the two rival groups of GTU emerged two years ago and Malick Ngom, who claims to be the secretary general of the union, made a passionate call on relevant authorities to intervene.

By Lamin Njie

The Kanifing Magistrates Court has sentenced four people after they were convicted of stealing goats.

Modou Bah, Alfusainey Jallow, Ndeneh Ndow and Barra Jobe were sentenced on Tuesday, one week after their goat larceny gang was smashed.

According to the evidence presented by police prosecutors, the thieves stole five goats and three sheep. The thefts occurred about two weeks ago.

On Tuesday, a magistrate of the Kanifing Magistrates Court found them guilty of larceny.

Isatou Janneh Njie subsequently sentenced them as follows; Modou Bah fined  D10,000 in default 6 months imprisonment; Alfusainey Jallow fined D10,000 in default 6 months imprisonment; Ndeneh Ndow fined D10,000 in default 6 months imprisonment; and Barra Jobe the receiver of the stolen properties fined D20,000 in default 9 months imprisonment.

The thieves paid the fines and were released by the court.

The spokesman of the Gambia Police Force Lamin Njie speaking to The Fatu Network on Wednesday said the police remain commitment to the fight against crime and criminality in the country.

“We want to encourage people to share information about crime and criminal activities especially unusual persons and activities within the communities,” he said.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

The Gambia is currently embarking on various sectoral reforms aimed at sanitising some institutions of government as well as bringing them into conformity with internationally acceptable standards.

This disclosure was made on Monday by the minister of justice in a press conference at the conference hall of the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Justice in Banjul.

According to Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou, legislative reforms will be the preoccupation of the justice ministry in 2019 with focus in the areas of criminal justice system, media, electoral laws, security, legislations against corruption among other reforms.

Monday press conference followed hot on the heels of the presentation of the Gambia Government’s combined human rights report to the African Commission in Egypt last week.

Dilating on security sector reform, the Justice minister said:” As you all know, the aim of the security sector reform is to get a security service in The Gambia that reflects the current geographic, political, social and economic realities of our country and which responds to its needs as a modern democratic state. Difficult decisions will have to be made but that comes with responsibility. The ECOMIG forces that are assisting in stabilising our country following the political impasse will not be here forever. And so, we need to quickly and adequately prepare ourselves for a post-ECOMIG Gambia in the provision of protection and safety for all Gambians, irrespective of tribe or ethnic origin.”

Touching on the Faraba Banta killings of three civilians by uniformed men, Justice Minister Tambadou explained: “We have reviewed the Faraba Banta commission report and concluded, given the entire circumstances surrounding the event, the charge of murder should be substituted for man-slaughter. The PIU officers implicated in the killings will thus be prosecuted on the basis of manslaughter.”

On the ministry of agriculture fertiliser saga, Mr Tambadou informed the press that: “We have conveyed our opinion to the Gambia Police Force on February 26, 2019 recommending charges be preferred against three individuals and the police should conduct the prosecution of the case.”

On electoral reforms, the minister acknowledged the ongoing efforts of the Constitutional Review Commission to sanitise the country’s electoral laws but added that his ministry will, notwithstanding, help in ensuring a level playing field for all.

On prisons, he posited that a comprehensive review of the 1954 Prisons Act was underway and that modernisation efforts of the criminal justice system was also underway.

Turning to the obnoxious media laws in the country, Justice Tambadou revealed that the ministry of Justice has been working in tandem with the ministry of information and Article 19 for a comprehensive review of the media law regime in the country.

” This involves the promulgation of a Media Service Act that will consolidate and modernise a variety of currently desperate and often obsolete media-related laws that have no place in the modern society,” he added.

By Lamin Njie

US ambassador to The Gambia Richard Paschall has greeted Gambians on the occasion of this year’s Ramadan.

Speaking in a video message Sunday, Paschall said Ramadan highlights values that The Gambia and the United States share.

He said: “I would like to seize this opportunity to wish all Gambians a joyous Holy Month of Ramadan. Ramadan highlights values that The Gambia and the United States share; peace, friendship and goodwill.

“During Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad through fellowship and prayer. I look forward to sharing iftar with my Gambian friends and hearing what Ramadan means to you.”

By Lamin Njie

The ministry of justice has recommended the prosecution of three people allegedly involved in the reported unlawful selling of expired government fertilizer.

Last year, Kerr Fatou reported news of the involvement of some officials at the ministry of agriculture in the selling of thousands of bags of expired fertilizer. The fertilizer had been kept in government stores awaiting safe discarding.

The scandal led to the then agriculture minister Omar Jallow suing Kerr Fatou after his name emerged in a story carried by the online news outlet.

The minister of justice Abubacarr Tambadou spoke on the scandal on Tuesday – the first time in months – saying his ministry has handed prosecution recommendations against three people to the police.

Tambadou said: “We have made our opinion to the Gambia Police Force on 26 February 2019 recommending that charges be preferred against three individuals and that the police should conduct the prosecution of the case.”

President Adama Barrow has appointed Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou as the chair of the steering committee on the security sector reform in The Gambia.

Confirming the development to journalists at a press conference in Banjul on Tuesday, Mr Tambadou said his role will be to provide strategic leadership to this reform process and to help accelerate it.

“As you all know the aim of the security sector reform is to get a security service in The Gambia that reflects the current geographic, political, social and economic realities of our country and in response to its needs as a modern democratic state,” he said.

The Security Sector Reform project is an initiative by the Barrow administration to transform the country’s security sector into institutions that are effective, professional and accountable to the state and the people of The Gambia.

A new investigation by the Guardian newspaper and open-source journalism site Bellingcat has offered new evidence of large-scale mosque razing in China’s Xinjiang province.

Using satellite imagery, the Guardian and Bellingcat open-source analyst Nick Waters checked the locations of 100 mosques and shrines identified by former residents, researchers, and crowdsourced mapping tools.

Out of 91 sites analysed, 31 mosques and two major shrines, including the Imam Asim complex and another site, suffered significant structural damage between 2016 and 2018.

Of those, 15 mosques and both shrines appear to have been completely or almost completely razed. The rest of the damaged mosques had gatehouses, domes, and minarets removed.

A further nine locations identified by former Xinjiang residents as mosques, but where buildings did not have obvious indicators of being a mosque such as minarets or domes, also appeared to have been destroyed.

Xinjiang province is a territory where rights groups say Muslim minorities suffer severe religious repression.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

Muslims in The Gambia today join the rest of the Muslim Ummah to observe a month of fasting. The month-long fasting widely referred to as Ramadan is a period of spiritual revival and rejuvenation, repentance, forgiveness and generosity of spirit among other virtues. However, it is also a period when prices of basic commodities in The Gambia shoot up and the man in the street is always at the receiving end of these price hikes.

Well The Fatu Network was at Serekunda market on Monday, one of the largest markets in The Gambia, to talk to vendors and buyers about their expectations as to the prices of essential goods vis-a-vis Ramadan.

Sally Jatta: Well, things seem to be going on normal as we speak but efforts need to be stepped up to ensure that the poor doesn’t suffer from unnecessary price hikes. All measures should, therefore, be in place to make sure businesspeople do not exploit the situation.

Musu Manneh: The prices remain the same. Though the commodities I sell here are within reach of the common man, I cannot say for certain whether the status quo will remain considering the market forces of demand and supply. We hope to sell at reasonable prices but the supply prices are the ultimate determinant factors in retail pricing. So we are hopeful that government will help in regulating prices for the benefit of the poor, especially during this month of fasting.

Binta Kah: The price of goods such as meat,sugar,rice, Irish potato,fish and carrot needs to be looked into. It is the average Gambian that suffers from all these market variables and its about time government looked into their plight[ the poor].

Fanta Bojang: We are vendors and we don’t determine prices. Prices are determined by suppliers. But our hopes and expectations are that prices will remain affordable to everyone even though this may sound a toll order.

Salieu Jah: I’m doing my utmost to ensure I sell meat to my customers at an affordable price. Prices of meat still remain affordable since the coming into office of President Adama Barrow two years or so ago. I am also ensuring that anyone that comes to my stall laughs away satisfied because they are able to get value for their money.

By Lamin Njie

Social media network Facebook saw less political content in The Gambia Monday as Muslims in the country joined the rest of the Muslim Ummah to observe the start of this year’s Ramadan.

Checks by The Fatu Network on Monday revealed social media networks like Facebook and WhatsApp were instead recording a hike in religious content.

Thousands of Gambians have also taken to the two platforms to greet each other on what is the holiest month of the Islamic year.

Momodou Sabally is a social media user and he told The Fatu Network it is best that Gambians abstained from politics during Ramadan.

“For the politics, maybe after two, three days you will hear statements. But if we can take a break that will be better because too much of everything is bad,” Sabally said.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are popular platforms in The Gambia .

By Lamin Njie

President Adama Barrow woke up early on Monday to begin his day at work, his spokesperson Amie Bojang Sissoho has said.

Muslims in The Gambia fasted on Monday officially marking the start of this year’s Ramadan fast.

Speaking to The Fatu Network on Monday on whether the President’s work life has been affected by the Ramadan fast, Amie Bojang Sissoho said it is business as usual for President Barrow.

Nothing has changed up to this time, she added.

President Barrow’s work life during Ramadan contrasts sharply to former president Yahya Jammeh whose typical day started late and ended late.

Jammeh would often come to the office at around 2pm and leave at the end of the day-long fast.

Meghan Markle, aka the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a son. This is her first child with husband Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.

The newborn prince was born at 5:26 a.m. local time and weighed 7lbs, 3oz.

The royal couple confirmed the news via their official Instagram on Monday.

“We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019.”

The duchess went into labor “in the early hours of this morning,” the palace said in a statement provided to BuzzFeed News.

“The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days.”

Prince Harry greeted reporters after the baby’s birth, saying the birth has “been the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine.”

He also had plenty of praise for his wife.

A court in Senegal court on Monday sentenced in absentia Muslim leader Sheikh Bethio Thioune to 10 years of hard labour for abetting the murder of two followers.

The high criminal court in Mbour found the influential head of a branch of the Mouride Brotherhood guilty of failing to denounce a crime and being an accomplice to murder seven years ago.

His deputy, Sheikh Faye, was convicted of the same charges and received the same sentence from the court in the coastal town about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Dakar.

Ten other defendants, more or less directly involved in the grisly killings, were given 15 years of hard labour, while two were given eight years.

Prosecutor Youssou Diallo last week asked the court to give hard labour for life to Sheikh Bethio over the killings on April 22, 2012.

The charges ranged from murder entailing barbaric acts, criminal association, receiving and burying corpses without authorisation, possessing weapons illegally and failing to report a crime.

The case bas been widely followed in the West African country, where 90 percent of the population are Muslims and the Mouride Brotherhood is a Sufi order of Islam wielding considerable political sway.

Thioune was arrested on April 23, 2012, a day after the deaths of two followers whose savagely beaten bodies were found 800 metres (yards) from his house in the village of Keur Samba Laobe, western Senegal.

When the trial began exactly five years after the arrest, one of the sheikh’s defence attorneys, El Hadji Mamadou Ndiaye, said he had barred one of the victims from entering his home.

The man, according to this account, had been accused of zealously worshipping Thioune and even comparing him to God — an act of sacrilege.

He refused to obey the ban on entering the residence, which prompted Thioune’s outraged supporters to kill him and one of his friends, the lawyer said.

Thioune was freed on bail in February 2013 and has been in France for medical treatment during the trial.

The court announced that he would not be summoned “because of his age”, but seized his assets and awarded 100 million CFA francs (about 152,500 euros / $171,000) to the heirs of each murdered man.

The Duchess of Sussex has gone into labour, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Meghan went into labour “in the early hours” of Monday morning, the palace said in a statement.

Prince Harry was by her side and a further announcement “will be made soon”, it added.

The new arrival – whose sex is not yet known – will be the Queen’s eighth great-grandchild, and seventh in line to the throne.

The infant will be behind the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and his children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – and the Duke of Sussex.

Harry and Meghan have said they will only share the news of the baby’s arrival once they have had a chance to celebrate privately as a family.

The couple announced the pregnancy publicly on 15 October 2018 – the first day of their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The duchess was last seen on an official engagement on 19 March when she signed a book of condolences in London with Harry for the victims of the Christchurch terror attack.

The former actress and the duke moved into their renovated home Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate at the beginning of April, as they prepared for their baby’s arrival.

The baby will not be an HRH, or a prince or princess, unless the Queen steps in, because George V limited royal titles in 1917.

A boy will be able to use one of Harry’s lesser titles and be known as the Earl of Dumbarton, but a girl is not allowed to become the Countess of Dumbarton because of male bias in the rules surrounding hereditary peer titles.

Instead, a daughter would be Lady (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor. (BBC)

By Fatu Network reporter

The lead investigator of TRRC has married the investigation’s No. 2 lawyer.

Alhagie Barrow and Horeja Balla Gaye got married on Thursday, a source close to Mr Barrow has told The Fatu Network.

The pair are said to have met at a few months ago at the TRRC, the source added.

A close friend of Barrow, Bubacarr Sidiqi Jammeh congratulating the newlyweds said in a Facebook post Saturday: “Am super stoked and happy for my Kotoké Alagie Saidy-Barrow and Horeja Bala Gaye on their wedding. Two amazing humans.”

The TRRC is an investigation into the human rights violations and abuses of the 22 years rule of former president Yahya Jammeh.

By Lamin Njie

The Ecowas Mission in The Gambia has announced the death of one of its peacekeepers, Staff Sergeant Bamidele Akinwale of the Nigerian Contingent.

Akinwale, 45, passed on in the early hours of Friday 3 May, 2019 after a suspected cardiac arrest, a statement by ECOMIG on Friday said.

The body of the late Soldier is currently being kept at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Morgue for an autopsy while arrangements being made to convey the body home (Nigeria) for the necessary rites and burial in accordance with national, traditional and military customs, it added.

Meanwhile President Adama Barrow has condoled with the family of Staff Sergeant Bamidele Akinwale.

Director of press and public relations Amie Bojang Sissoho said in a statement on Friday said President Barrow “has received with deep sadness the news of the untimely demise of Sergeant Chief Bamidele AKINWALE of the Nigerian Contingent of the ECOWAS Military Intervention in The Gambia.”

“On behalf of the Gambian people, the president sends his condolences to the family of the deceased. Thank you to the late Sergeant AKINWALE for his bravery and dedication to peace and security in The Gambia and the subregion,” she said.