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Breaking: Barrow Makes Ya Kumba Jaiteh’s Sacking Official

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By Lamin Njie

Nominated National Assembly Ya Kumba Jaiteh has been finally issued an official termination letter.

Reports over the weekend emerged of the sacking of Ms Jaiteh as a member of the National Assembly. But a source close to Ms Jaiteh told The Fatu Network she was yet to receive a letter of sack.

On Monday, President Adama Barrow, through Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service Ebrima Camara, finally informed Ms Jaiteh in a letter that her nomination has been revoked.

“I write to convey executive decision to revoke your nomination as national assembly member with immediate effect,” Mr Camara told Ms Jaiteh in a terse letter.

The development means she has automatically lost her seat at the House.

Ya Kumba Jaiteh was hand-picked by President Barrow in 2017 to be a member of the National Assembly.

The legal practitioner is a staunch supporter of the United Democratic Party and speculation has abounded that her removal could be as a result of comments she made at a recent UDP meeting.

President Bio Paid courtesy call on former President Sir Dawda Jawara of The Gambia

Banjul, Gambia, Friday 22 February, 2019

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has paid a courtesy call on Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, former President of the Republic of The Gambia.

The 95-year-old politician was a significant national leader, serving as the country’s Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as its first President from 1970 to 1994.

In his welcome statement, Sir Dawda Jawara said he was happy to receive the president of a country that shared a great history with The Gambia.

He noted that: “Sierra Leone and The Gambia have a long standing relationship that nobody can exactly explain how it all started. During my days in politics, the two countries witnessed a close tie that was beneficial. Education, farming and intermarriages were among the things that we can never forget in the two countries’ history.”

He further explained that the joy he’d received, during the visit of the Sierra Leonean President, was one that no man could ever imagine. He urged President Bio to keep close correspondence with the Gambian President, adding that the two countries had come a long way.

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio showed appreciation to the former politician for his dynamic leadership, not only in his fight leading Gambia to independence but also for his contributions in shaping the political landscape of some former British West African states.

“My visit to The Gambia would not have been completed if I hadn’t paid you this visit. I appreciate your roles in building the strong ties between Sierra Leone and The Gambia, and I promise to do everything I can to widen and deepen the existing relationship,” President Bio said.

OMVG: Electricity is a Major Catalyst for Development – Barrow

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By Lamin Njie

President Adama Barrow said Saturday electricity is a major catalyst for development.

President Barrow on Saturday administered the laying of the foundation stone of an electricity structure in Soma, Lower River Region.

The Gambia River Basin Development Organisation, a sub-regional institution, has mobilised borrowed funds totalling 722 million dollars for an electricity project that will affect four Ecowas countries including The Gambia.

Other countries of the OMVG project are Senegal Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry.

Speaking at the event, President Barrow reviewing The Gambia’s electricity condition said the striking electricity demand and supply disparity in the country “is enough to highlight the significance of this project.”

“The disparity also reflects the justification for the strong emphasis in the national development plan 2018-2021 on attracting investments, improving access to electricity and enhancing household energy security for national development,” the president said.

According President Barrow, “as an essential link in the economic and social development chain, electricity is a major catalyst or driving force for national development.”

“Mindful of this, the OMVG has re-energise its activities to enhance and support the development of appropriate energy infrastructure in member countries,” the president added.

Breaking: Violent Clashes Leave Scores Injured in Farato

By Lamin Njie

There was tension in Farato on Saturday as armed men of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency clashed with civilians.

The Fatu Network has learnt that a team of drug law agents have engaged in violent clashes with a group of youths with shots fired in the air at a farm in Farato.

Scores have been injured as a result of the clashes, one Buba Jobarteh who reached out to The Fatu Network said.

The clashes was between drug law enforcement agency PIU officers and a group of youth, Jobarteh added.

The Fatu Network understands fighting broke out after the drug law agents attempted to arrest some youths who were believed to have been in possession of cannabis.

Stand Against Authoritarianism Before It Gets Stronger and Bigger! The President Cannot Sack a Member of Parliament!

 Section 88 establishes the National Assembly as comprising 53 elected members and five nominated members who are nominated by the President. Section 91 specifies the grounds upon which a NAM could be removed. These include the dissolution of the National Assembly or any reason that could have disqualified a person from contesting for the National Assembly or if she resigns or if elected as an independent and then she joins a political party or if she is recalled  by her constituents or if she is absent for 10 or more sittings of the National  Assembly and finally if she is found to be in contempt of the National Assembly. These are the grounds upon which a member of the National Assembly could be removed.

While the Constitution gave powers to the President to nominate five members, but it did not give him the same powers to dismiss a nominated member. To remove a member of the National Assembly there are laid down procedures in the Constitution such as Section 91(3) or Section 92 in the case of recall, both of which do not in any way involve the President. In fact, Section 92 requires that there is an act of parliament first to set up the procedure for recall of a member by her constituents yet there is no such act since 1997!

Even if one refers to the provisions under Section 231 ‘Construction of Various Powers’ which basically stipulates that the power to a person or authority to give or enforce an act, decision, proclamation or appointment also gives the same power to that person or authority take back that act it cannot still apply to the removal of NAMs, whether elected or nominated. Section 231 does not necessarily give any power of its own at first instance. Rather the powers expressed in this section derive from the powers given in the Constitution first and foremost.

In other words, since the Constitution did not give any first instance power to the President to remove a NAM therefore one cannot rely on Section 231 to just conclude that just because the President nominated then he can as well fire a nominated NAM. The reason the nomination powers of the President cannot automatically mean the power to fire in this case is simply because the Legislature is a substantive arm of the State which is not under the control of the Executive as the public service is. Rather the Constitution has set out clear procedures for the removal of NAMs without the direct involvement of the President. Therefore Section 231 cannot apply in this case.

From the foregoing it is therefore clear that the President has violated the Constitution by removing a Member of the National Assembly for which he has no authority. The President’s action constitutes a direct affront to the Constitution which has established the three arms of the State as the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary. The three arms serve as check against each other in order to restrain each other’s powers hence separation of powers and hold each other accountable as they perform their functions according to the Constitution and other laws of the Gambia hence the rule of law.

None of these three branches of the State has the authority or power to interfere into the work of the other. Doing so would be considered an authoritarian act which directly undermines the independence, legitimacy and authority of the respective branches. More seriously, when one arm infringes on the other and there is no redress or repair in full and immediately then the very sovereignty and freedoms of citizens are at risk. Thus, the action by Pres. Adama Barrow is an impeachable act!

We can all recall how human rights suffered irreparably under Yaya Jammeh because of his direct interference with the Judiciary and the Legislature in the same way as Barrow has now interfered with the Legislature in the illegal removal of Ya Kumba Jaiteh. It is actions like this which create a situation where the President now personalises State institutions hence weaken them, undermine democracy and create bad governance in the country.

It is for this reason that all NAMs and indeed all citizens must rise up to stop this unconstitutional act by the President. The President must be asked to immediately withdraw his unconstitutional decision and apologize to the nation. If he fails or refuses to do so I strongly urge the Speaker and NAMs to impeach Pres. Adama Barrow for violating the Constitution as per Section 67 of the Constitution.

We must remember that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are also Nominated Members. Hence if this illegal action by the President is allowed to stand then the very tenure of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are also at risk. If we allow the President to be able to remove Nominated Members as he likes it means we are practically allowing the President to control the Legislature as he wishes. In that case the Gambia cannot claim democracy anymore but would be seen to be a de facto dictatorship which can only threaten the rights and lives of citizens once again.

Let us organize as citizens to demand that the President abandons this most illegal act and to stand firm until he withdraws. If we allow the President to succeed, we are directly and effectively endangering our own lives. It means we are allowing yet again another president to personalise state institutions and conduct public affairs as per his whims and caprices.

The unconstitutional sacking of Nominated Member Ya Kumba Jaiteh must be vigorously confronted and reversed immediately. It is in our individual and collective interest to stand up against the dictatorial tendencies of Pres. Adama Barrow early on before it grows into another cancer that will consume our nation once again.

For the Gambia Our Homeland

Anger as Barrow Fires UDP’s Ya Kumba Jaiteh

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By Lamin Njie

A raft of Gambians on Friday took to social media to rip into President Adama Barrow over his decision to sack nominated National Assembly Member Ya Kumba Jaiteh.

Ya Kumba Jaiteh, a member of the United Democratic Party, has been removed as a member of the national assembly by president Barrow, The Fatu Network has learnt.

A source close to the legal practitioner confirmed the development but added Ms Jaiteh has not received a formal communication. It is not known why Ms Jaiteh was sacked but a source said it is because of comments she made at a UDP meeting in Gunjur.

Gambians have taken to Facebook to react to Ms Jaiteh’s sack.

Madi Jobarteh, a political commentator said in a Facebook post: “All NAMs must rise up against the unconstitutional dismissal of National Assembly Member Kumba Jaiteh! The President has no such powers. The President has directly violated separation of powers and it is an impeachable act to undermine the independence, legitimacy & authority of the Legislature!”

ML Jabbie said: “A president who run a country by issuing executive oders and fires anyone who disagree with him is not a president. He’s a dictator.”

Buba Gassama said: “Not a good move at all.look let’s stop creating a conducive environment for dictatorship to thrive, dictators are not born but created.”

Darboesulayman Sulayman said: “Is disheartening to give your authority to someone who’ll abuse your trust. If we have mistakenly entrusted our authority to an abuser,we have all right to revoke and reclaim our power.”

Breaking: Taal Elected as New Gambia Bar Association President

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By Lamin Njie

Salieu Taal has been elected new president of the Gambia Bar Association.

Mr Taal was elected unopposed at the association’s annual general meeting held in Banjul on Friday. He replaces Rachael Mendy and will be in office for a term of two years.

“Personally, it is a privilege to be elected to serve as President of the Bar. It is a challenging time for the bar and the country. I will work with my team and the general members to reposition our role as lawyers in the country whilst maintaining our independence and integrity,” the respected legal practitioner reacting to his election told The Fatu Network on Friday.

Taal’s emergence comes a few weeks after his predecessor Rachael Mendy sparked controversy following her sharp public criticism of President Adama Barrow’s movement.

Mendy at the opening of the 2019 legal year had said the Bar Association was “opposed to the action taken recently to resuscitate the establishment of a youth movement based on a personal agenda.” Supporters and at least one minister of President Barrow have slapped back at the Bar as being partisan.

But according to Taal who is also an activist, it is his belief the new team will unite and strengthen the Bar while maintaining their integrity.

HOMOSEXUALITY: Kenya Court Postpones Decision on Colonial-Era Laws

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By AFP

Kenya’s High Court on Friday postponed a much-anticipated ruling on whether to scrap colonial-era laws which criminalise homosexuality, citing a heavy case load.

“The files are above my height… we are still working,” said Chacha Mwita, one of the judges, who added that one of his colleagues was on leave and other members of the three-judge bench were juggling multiple cases.

He set the decision for May 24.

“We plan to meet in April if all goes well and see whether we can come up with a decision. You do not appreciate what the judges are going through.”

Gay rights organisations are asking the court to scrap two sections of the penal code that criminalise homosexuality.

One section states that anyone who has “carnal knowledge… against the order of nature” can be imprisoned for 14 years. Another provides for a five-year jail term for “indecent practices between males”.

The petition was initially filed in 2016, and activists had been eagerly awaiting the decision, which could reverberate around Africa where several nations are grappling with similar laws.

On social media Kenya’s LGBT community and allies have been anxiously counting down the hours to the ruling.

“To say we are disappointed would be an understatement,” the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Council (NGLHRC), one of the petitioners, wrote on Twitter.

Baby Who Was Stolen in Tanji is Found

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A toddler who was stolen from her mother in Tanji has been found, it has been confirmed.

A three-month-old baby last month went missing in Tanji after it was snatched from a beachside stall by a stranger.

The Standard newspaper reported on Friday police have recovered the toddler and that three suspects are currently arrested in connection with the incident with the principal suspect, named as one Fatima Jawara, still at large.

Those arrested are the parents of Ms Jawara and an accomplice who was believed to have helped her snatch the baby, the paper added.

According to The Standard, the development is confirmed by police spokesperson ASP Lamin Njie.

TRRC: Ndow Exhorts Barrow to Fire Implicated Army Personnel

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A US-based Gambian Momodou Ndow has asked President Adama Barrow to grow a pair and terminate serving members of the Gambian army who are implicated in acts of torture and murder.

“The Army is directly under Barrow’s control as Commander In Chief and he doesn’t have to wait for the commission’s recommendations to fire anyone. If I am your boss and you get implicated in torture or murder, I will fire you right away,” Ndow said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

A section of the Gambian public has been calling for the dismissal of all serving military personnel whose name have been mentioned at the TRRC, to have been culpable of acts of torture and other human rights abuses during former president Yahya Jammeh’s 22 years rule.

According to Ndow, the commission’s recommendations are more about who will be prosecuted.

“Barrow can fire these people based on the fact that they are implicated in serious crimes. If not, he might even create a hostile work environment for them! I would definitely not want to work with someone who’s implicated in heinous crimes of human rights violations. They should be fired if Barrow wants a healthy work environment in the army.

“Who wants to be seen with alleged executioners? Heck, am even kicking myself for knowing Alhagie Martin and the Singhateh brothers back in the day. Had I known they would turn out to be monsters, nekon dumalen buga hamm sah! Rotten lot! Smh,” he said.

‘THAT IS A BLUE LIE, THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE FIGHTING:’ Ex-Soldier Rubbishes Jammeh’s November 11 Claims

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By Lamin Njie

Sait Darboe has slammed as a ‘blue’ lie claims by former president Yahya Jammeh that the death of army officer Basirou Barrow and other soldiers was as a result of a gun battle.

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission on Thursday screened a video of the former president where he is seen justifying the killing of over a dozen soldiers on November 11, 1994.

Reacting to the video, Darboe a former member of the Gambia National Army testifying before the commission said, “there was nothing like fighting, they were captured and massacred.”

“We never fight (sic). All is false. There was nothing like fighting,” Darboe said.

In the video, Jammeh also claimed that the coup plotters lined up soldiers at Yundum Barracks and wanted to shoot them. These soldiers, he claimed, were loyal to his AFPRC government.

Darboe, rejecting this claim, said: “No, no, no. That is blue lie. They are the ones who lined up these people, the coup plotters to kill them [and] not the coup plotters.”

‘BACKWAY’: 2,000 Returned Gambian Migrants Receive Assistance, IOM Says

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By IOM

The voluntary return of Gambians to their homes is averaging about 143 men and women per month since the start of 2017, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported this week, or the equivalent of one medium-sized charter flight every four weeks.

As of 8 February 2019, 3,668 Gambians have been assisted to voluntarily return home under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration since the start of 2017. Over 70 per cent of these individuals were returned just from Libya, with another 25 per cent coming home from Niger. The remaining 5 per cent came home from Mali, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia.

Almost two-thirds of all returnees have already received their reintegration assistance. Jalika is one of the 2,097 Gambian returnees who received reintegration assistance from IOM in The Gambia after she returned from a perilous journey across the desert. Upon voluntarily returning from Niger in March 2018 with her 10-year-old daughter, she received grocery goods which allowed her to open her own shop.

“I am happy to be back home safe and sound,” she said. “After some ups and downs, IOM helped me stabilize my income. I want to expand the shop with more goods and get my son to work in the shop.”

Within six months after the return of many Gambian migrants, counseling sessions with the returnees aim to tailor reintegration assistance to their specific needs, interests and skills based on the available opportunities in the country. Returnees classified as vulnerable cases, such as Jalika, are provided expedited assistance within two to four weeks. Close to 90 per cent of assisted Gambian returnees opt to establish their own microbusiness mainly in retail (39 per cent), construction (31 per cent) and transport (13 per cent).

IOM in The Gambia supports the reintegration of returnees through a holistic approach, addressing both migrants’ and their communities’ economic, social and psychosocial needs. Reintegration assistance may come in the form of medical and psychosocial support, support to set up or strengthen a small business, support to pursue education or vocational training, support for job insertion or referrals to other services available in the country.

This assistance forms part of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration. Launched in November 2017 with the funding of the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the initial target for The Gambia was to facilitate the voluntary returns and reintegration of 1,500 individuals over a period of three years. Less than two years after the launch, that target has been significantly exceeded.

Voluntary return options are an important protection measure for vulnerable and stranded migrants who are facing exploitation or abuse along the migration routes and who wish to return to their countries of origin but do not have the necessary means to do so. Returns are done at the explicit request of the individual returning, who has the right to pull out at any time of the process.

While IOM is not involved in or does not provide any financial contribution to forced returns, migrants who are forcibly returned may nevertheless find themselves in vulnerable situations and in need of assistance and protection as much as any voluntary returnee. Under certain conditions and safeguards, IOM can provide post-arrival and reintegration assistance to vulnerable migrants who were forcibly returned.

“The EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in The Gambia serves a threefold purpose: saving lives by assisting those en route, offering voluntary return assistance to those who want it, and providing reintegration support to returning Gambian migrants and their communities,” said Ambassador Attila Lajos, Head of the EU Delegation to The Gambia.

“Essentially, the Joint Initiative is about making sure that the migration process is safer and better managed, and that migrant rights and dignity are respected,” he added. “Personally, I am very proud of the interim results achieved so far by these joint efforts by the EU, IOM and the Gambian government. Saving 3,668 Gambian lives and already assisting almost two-thirds of them to find their way to make it in The Gambia is a great achievement which the country can be proud of.”

IOM also offers returnees the option to venture into collective or community-based projects. The Gambia Returnees from the Backway Association, an organization formed by returnees while in detention in Libya, embarked this year on a collective poultry project for 12 members and was supported by IOM through a two-day training on agribusiness, financial management, conflict management and leadership.

“Facilitating the voluntary returns of over double the initial target is a huge milestone for IOM in The Gambia. Moving forward, we are hoping to diversify the types of industries returnees engage in for their reintegration, enhance referrals to existing vocational training programmes, and further link economic reintegration to psychosocial support,” said Fumiko Nagano, IOM Chief of Mission in The Gambia.

The EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration is funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and implemented in close collaboration with 26 African countries. The Joint Initiative facilitates orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration management through the development of rights-based and development-focused policies and processes on protection and sustainable reintegration.

For more information, please contact Miko Alazas at IOM The Gambia; Tel: +220 330 3168, Email: [email protected] or visit www.migrationjointinitiative.org.

TRRC Screens Video of Jammeh Explaining November 11

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By Lamin Njie

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission on Thursday played a video of former president Yahya Jammeh regarding the November 11, 1994 incident.

The recording which appeared to have been made shortly after the incident showed the former president speaking about how he supervised a large-scale military action which led to the killing of at least 20 people.

Below is full transcript of what the former leader said in the video.

“The rest of the civilian cabinet members who have been there since 94 will tell you. That I suspended cabinet and asked them to go and talk to these soldiers. They were there from 8 O’Clock on Thursday up to 7 O’Clock [Friday]. And I ask them to leave the camp. If they got the message that’s it. If they have not got the message let them go ahead we know what to do.

“And then they gave me the assurance that oh okay, ‘you know it was a misunderstanding, we thought that it was true that soldiers at State House guard are paid 10,000 dalasis a month.’ I said but how is that possible. Everybody is paid from army headquarters, so you know the pay scale of everybody. They said no no they were told and they will not reveal their source. That even though they received money, their normal salary this 10,000 dalasis is paid through a secret account.

“But we know that some of those officers were very close to members of the former regime. In fact some of them went into the army through the back door through those people that they know. So we warned them. They came around 7 and we thought that that was the end of it, they’ve got the message. By 1 0’Clock, they’ve already lined up people they thought were loyalist to us, and they were going to shoot them. But the mistake they made was they were brutalising them, that is punishing them, asking them to crawl and they had guns pointed at them. And they said they will drill them for one hour as a lesson to others who may want to betray once they start moving on us.

“So they were subject to all sorts of maltreatment to a point where they decided to kill them. Well it happened that they line them up… I don’t know whether you have ever been to Yundum Barracks. They have lined them up on a tarred road, the road that runs right through the camp. But then if a vehicle is passing on the highway you can see people. So what they did was they cannot just line them up like that and shoot them without anybody seeing them. And they didn’t also want to alert us by stopping traffic. So they decided to put the lights out. The moment they put the lights out in order to shoot these people, these people ran away. And one escaped, he ran on foot from Yundum up to Fajara where he informed Sabally. Sabally was shocked when he saw his body. He said that he was beaten. He had a lot of lacerations on his back.

“And then Sabally called me I told him, ‘look, don’t worry.’ I called the camp and somebody picked up and then he told me, ‘yes, the so-called chairman we are going to kick your…’ Then I laughed and I told him, ‘we are going to teach you a lesson.’ I said, ‘okay this thing is for real.’ Then we sent scouts to go and check and they realised that these people were already, in fact they were hunting for these people and in fact they were mobilising. We just sent a few people to attack Yundum little did we know that the whole problem was at Bakau. That they have amassed all their weapons in Bakau. So we thought that it was only Yundum only to realise that Bakau is the headquarters of these so-called rebels.

“So it all came to a point when I called Bakau to find out what was going on but incidentally, the signaller didn’t know what was going on. They locked him inside. So he thought that everything was okay. I told him to go out and check what was going on around the guard room. Then all of a sudden he said, ‘sir, I have been locked in.’ I said, ‘good, just stay there.’ It wasn’t a question of… these people were paid.

“When the fight started by 1 O’Clock, by 1:45, I don’t want to name names here but a former Western ambassador called Fafa Mbai and told him, ‘well, it seems that the AFPRC are gaining the upper hand.’ That the rebels are losing. He (Fafa) said, ‘how do you know? He (ambassador) said, ‘from sources’. He said, ‘you are an ambassador, you are supposed to be in your house.’ Then I just called to tell you that unfortunately the AFPRC is gaining the upper hand in the fight. Fafa Mbai called me. I told him I know what is going on. I said, ‘you remember what he said when he last came to the office?’ He said, ‘oh I didn’t think that they would be stupid enough to go that far.’ I said, ‘yes but I will teach them a lesson, after that we know what we are going to do to them.’

“So by 4 [am], the fight was over. These people were running around and we were chasing them everywhere. And behind that particular country’s embassy, we found eight uniforms and also blood stains. And by eight O’Clock we got news that some of the mutineers who escaped from the camp and were seriously injured were in Senegalese military hospitals in Casamance. And we wondered how they got to know about it. And all of a sudden, we were told that Bakary Darbo escaped and he’s in Kolda, the home of the former Senegalese High Commissioner.

“So I told him [Sana Sabally], ‘look, how did Bakary Darbo escape, how did he get to Kolda and can you explain how your vehicle had to pass Kanlaji checkpoint by 5 am?’ He said,’ well, he didn’t know.’ Because I gave instructions that no matter what happened, they should not touch diplomatic vehicles. Let them allow them to pass. What we thought was that they will try to do the normal thing, try to evacuate their citizens. Because that’s what they do. They create trouble and the first thing they do is to evacuate their citizens. So I told them, ‘look, don’t touch any diplomatic vehicle and that was the mistake. We would have got Bakary Darbo, the main sponsor of the attempted coup.”

TRRC: NOVEMBER 11 HORROR: Barrow’s Adviser’s Name Emerges Again

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By Lamin Njie

A former member of the Gambia National Army on Thursday told the TRRC Momodou Badjie was present when a group of soldiers were slaughtered in a bloodbath over two decades ago.

Sait Darboe said Badjie who is currently the national security adviser of The Gambia came to Yundum Barracks on November 11, 1994 when the names of detained soldiers were being called. The soldiers were being packed in a waiting vehicle to be conveyed to a shooting range in Brikama to be executed.

“During the killings he was there and he could have stopped them, at that time he was a senior officer. They were standing allowing these people killing them,” Darboe told the TRRC.

Darboe’s claims come one month after another witness claimed the former army colonel witnessed the brutal elimination of soldiers who were accused of trying to overthrow Yahya Jammeh’s government.

Badjie has since denied being present when the senseless killings took place.

He said he was serving as divisional commissioner in Mansakonko during the gut-churning incident.

TRRC Seizes Documents in NIA HQ Storming

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Investigators at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission have raided the headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency now called State Intelligence Service.

Five days after their initial visit to the NIA, investigators at the commission on Wednesday stormed the premises, seizing volumes of documents and locking up at least one office, The Standard newspaper reported on Thursday.

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

The NIA headquarters has been identified as one of the places allegedly used by the former president to detain, torture and even kill his opponents.

The TRRC during its initial visit toured the famous Bambadinka cell, an interrogation room, two investigation cells, a staff clinic and 10 round hooks detached from a wall in a room and a metal table bed.

Leaders of 1994 Coup Wanted to Flee Gambia after First Attempt Crumbled – Darboe

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The leaders of the 1994 military coup wanted to flee The Gambia after the venture failed after it was first attempted, a former member of the Gambian army has told the TRRC.

Sait Darboe, a private soldier at the time of the 1994 military takeover, testifying before the commission on Thursday said a group of young Gambian army officers led by Yahya Jammeh first attempted to overthrow former president Sir Dawda Jawara’s government on July 21, 1994.

Their plan entailed arresting Jawara as soon as he landed at the Banjul International Airport. Jawara was returning to the country from a trip in London.

Lieutenants Yahya Jammeh and Edward Singhatey were armed, and as per their plan, the latter was supposed to hold Jawara at gunpoint while the former fire shots in the air announcing the takeover, according to Darboe.

The plan fell apart after the two officers were suddenly disarmed.

Darboe said: “They first searched us at the Barracks. I think RSM Jeng… They inspected our weapons. [But when] we went to the airport, things were confused. We were standing. Later, they came. RSM Jeng was there. They started inspecting our weapons again to check whether we carried live rounds or not. No live round was found but Yahya Jammeh was armed with a pistol. Edward too was armed with a pistol. These people were disarmed right at the airport. From there the guard of honor was not done.

“We went back to Barracks with frustration thinking what will happen next because the coup d’etat didn’t work. By the time we came back to the barracks, that very July 21st, a lot of soldiers went home. Then some of us who were there had a meeting with Edward Singhatey, Sanna Sabally, Sadibou Hydara. We told them that, ‘Sir, don’t worry we can still make it.’ And I will add one thing; that time they were all ready to run, to leave the country. Each of them was having his passport inside his pocket.”

Sex Abuse Survivors Describe Horrors to World’s Bishops

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Survivors of clerical paedophilia related their traumatic experiences to the world’s top bishops on Thursday at a landmark summit at the Vatican on the protection of minors.

Here are some extracts from their video testimonies, the transcripts of which were provided by the Vatican, without identifying the speakers.

– Victim from South America –

“The first thing they did was to treat me as a liar, turn their backs and tell me that I, and others, were enemies of the Church.

“You are the physicians of the soul and yet, with rare exceptions, you have been transformed — in some cases — into murderers of the soul, into murderers of the faith.

“The only thing I ask of you — and I ask the Holy Spirit — to help restore that trust in the Church, so that those who do not want to listen to the Holy Spirit and who want to continue to cover-up, leave the Church to give way to those who want to create a new Church, a renewed Church and a Church absolutely free from sexual abuse.”

– Victim from Africa –

“From the age of 15, I had sexual relations with a priest. This lasted for 13 years. I got pregnant three times and he made me have an abortion three times, quite simply because he did not want to use condoms or contraceptives.

“At first I trusted him so much that I did not know he could abuse me. I was afraid of him, and every time I refused to have sex with him, he would beat me.

“And since I was completely dependent on him economically, I suffered all the humiliations he inflicted on me.”

– Victim from Eastern Europe –

“An encounter with a priest hurt me. As a teenager, after my conversion, I went to the priest so he could teach me how to read the Scriptures during Mass; and he touched my private parts. I spent a night in his bed. This hurt me deeply.

“The other thing that hurt me was the bishop to whom, after many years, as an adult, I talked about the incident… I met the bishop and he attacked me without trying to understand me, and this hurt me.”

– Victim from the United States –

“I still carry pain. My parents still carry pain at the dysfunction, the betrayal, the manipulation that this bad man — who was our Catholic priest at the time — wrought upon my family and myself.

“I would ask the bishops for leadership. Leadership and vision and courage.”

– Victim from Asia –

“I have been sexually molested for a long time, over a hundred times, and this sexual molestation has created traumas and flashbacks all across my life. It’s difficult to live life, it’s difficult to be with people, to get connected with people.

“They have all practically covered (up) every issue, covered (up for) the perpetrators and that kills me.

“I’ll request the Bishops get their act clear because this is one of the time bombs happening in the church of Asia.”

Let’s Make Gambia Great for the Future

Gambians, what does celebrating the birth of our nation mean to you? We could have celebrated much more than we did, only if we had invested the money towards our future. Investments into building a hospital or provide medical care to Gambians such as the family of Isatou Jallow and many other Gambians that are in need of medical attention. The country and her people have a long way to go. The Gambia might be independent, but half the population are living in poverty, we can’t continue to ignore this situation. Our ignorance and negligence is the reason we are going through the TRRC 54 years later and the country is still crying for help from her people when we can’t even provide basic needs for our people such as health care, security and energy.

It is extremely disheartening to see a country’s population, who is less than 3 million, still relying on the public for medical treatment while the present government is purely focused on staying in power without a sense of development or the improvement of her citizenry.

Mental illness in our youth and an uprise shown of HIV and AIDS infection is clear evidence of economic oppression by the Gambian government. If citizen have no means of reliable income their struggle leads to desperate acts and sexual activities as a way of survival. This is why am calling on the president to change his direction to the development of young people and the health care system. It is the only way to develop a country. When you look back historically at countries that have suffered from economic depression they have issues in common, mental health and sexually related diseases. This is why we need to pay attention to the health care system and address this problem. We need awareness and action to take place.

A nation is great not by its size alone, it is the will, the cohesion, the stamina, the discipline of its people and the quality of their leaders which ensure it an honourable place in the world, So Gambia let’s take a step back and ask ourselves what do we want? The future is no longer waiting for us. Let us put aside our differences and come together for the betterment of our country, the Gambia. Our attention needs to be here on these issues more than ever before. Let’s make the Gambia great for the future generation.

Thank you and God bless the Gambia and her citizens.

US Committed to Strong Partnership with Gambia, Says Pompeo

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By Lamin Njie

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that his country remains committed to a strong partnership with The Gambia.

The foremost US diplomat stated this while congratulating Gambians on the occasion of the 54th independence anniversary of The Gambia, which was marked on Monday.

“We remain committed to a strong partnership with The Gambia and look forward to continued cooperation on efforts to promote democracy, good governance, and economic growth.

“The United States celebrates with The Gambia as you honor this historic day,” Mr Pompeo said.

Anti-Homosexuality Laws Widespread in Africa Despite Gains – Watchdogs

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More than half of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa have anti-homosexuality laws, although others have moved towards legal tolerance, watchdogs say.

Twenty-eight out of 49 countries have laws penalising same-sex relationships, according to Neela Ghoshal, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) specialist in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights.

The death penalty is on the books, under sharia, in Mauritania, Sudan and northern Nigeria, although there have been no known executions in recent times.

In southern Somalia, gay men are believed to have been put to death in territory ruled by the Al Shabaab jihadist group.

However, Angola, Mozambique and Seychelles have scrapped anti-gay laws in recent years, and on Friday a High Court ruling in Nairobi will determine whether Kenya follows suit.

On the other hand, Chad and Uganda have introduced or toughened legislation. Rights groups say many anti-gay laws date from the colonial area.

They represent a peril even in countries where they are not implemented, according to campaigners, as their existence on the statute books entrenches stigma and encourages harassment, they say.

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