No fewer than 25 people are believed to
have died or are missing, including a pregnant woman, when a group of migrant
boats got stranded at sea and was rescued off the Spanish coast on Thursday.
Briefing reporters in Geneva on Friday, spokesperson
for the UN High Commission for Refugees Elizabeth Throssell said that
colleagues in the field had reported that bodies had been found on two of the
boats.
“You can imagine how traumatising that was
for the people who were rescued,” Throssell said.
According to reports, the migrants had
sailed from North Africa. On one of the six vessels found adrift in the Straits
of Gibraltar, in the western Mediterranean Sea, 33 people had been rescued, but
12 had died and a further 12 were missing, UNHCR said.
On another of the boats, the UN refugee
agency said 57 people had been on board, including one that had already died by
the time of the rescue.
“There was a massive sea-swell that threw
them into the water”, Throssell said, adding that among the survivors was a
mother and her two-year-old child who was evacuated by helicopter, after she
was found to be suffering from hypothermia.
She added that many of the survivors were
being held at detention centres at the Port of Almeria in Spain.
“Our implementing partner is there to
provide the people with information and support and to help any potential
protection and other needs and of course to promote access to the asylum
process for those who may need it,” she said.
Delivering the latest overall statistics on
the deadly Mediterranean migration route, UN migration agency (IOM)
spokesperson, Joel Millman, said that as of December 19, 113,000 migrants had entered
Europe by sea so far in 2018.
According to him, the figure is the lowest
recorded in five years. Recently, however, he said the death rate for migrants
attempting to reach Spain, had tragically begun to tick upwards, with 769
fatalities registered on the western Mediterranean migration route.
“That’s only slightly more than half of all
on the Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, but what’s
remarkable is how rapidly that number has increased over the last three
months,” he said. Millman said it was likely that there would be “more
incidents like this” in the next 10 days. (NAN
Finance Minister Mambury Njie on Friday said nobody has the authority and right to tell him to resign from the position.
The finance minister has been sweating over a controversial supplementary appropriation bill. An initial additional estimate of 1.2 billion dalasis was last week rejected by the House only for the finance minister to go back to the House Thursday with the same bill albeit revised.
And speaking at the plenary, the National Assembly Member for Kombo South Kebba K Barrow slammed the revised bill as unconstitutional even as he called on the minister to resign.
“I think it is about time we stood and know our position as citizens of this country. This is The Gambia that we fought for and we will continue to do it. And I have said since day one… My position is very clear. At this age I’m not going to look into anybody’s eyes. And I don’t have anything to succumb to any pressure and nobody is going to convince me to support this bill. Madam speaker this is very wrong and it’s very untimely and it’s not professional and I want to urge the minister to resign because he is bringing things that is going to put people at loggerheads in this country,” the Kombo South lawmaker who is also the majority leader said.
The finance minister kicking back expressed disappointment that the lawmaker was asking him to resign.
The finance minister said: “You cannot just all of a sudden say, ‘we are all Gambians. We are patriotic and believe in this country.’ We have all done our quota and we have taken the risk. Nobody has the authority and right to come and tell you, ‘you resign’. We are Gambians. Nobody has that authority to do that. Because of what, sentiments? [I]’s wrong. I am a Gambian like any other Gambian and I have been called to serve my people and I intend to stay and serve my people. I will not resign.”
Meanwhile additional estimates of over 500 million dalasis have been approved by Gambian lawmakers after a marathon back-and-forth that began on Thursday and ended early Friday.
The Gambia’s biggest GSM operator Africell has said that it will continue to stay true to its caring and sharing approach as a company.
The company stated this as it this week made a Christmas season visit to various schools to deliver gifts to thousands of students.
“Let’s share what we have and look forward to sharing even more. It is Christmas and there is nothing more gratifying for Africell than sharing and caring,” the company said in a Christmas statement.
According to Africell, Christmas for them is a moment of reflection and giving thanks.
The company said: “We reflect and think of the less fortunate ones and deliver in a period we all cherish most.
“During Christmas as in every other christmas, Africell’s benevolence and goodwill comes to the forefront of the GSM company’s duties in putting a smile in the most gratifying matter to the thousands of vulnerable school children.
“Africell’s caring and sharing approach has seen the GSM operator, host a number of Christmas party’s for students of St. John’s school for the deaf, GOVI, Methodist academy and SOS children village, Bakoteh.
“It is that time of the year when goodwill, patience, and devotion, takes center stage at Africell and our efforts are geared towards sharing as a responsibility with the great Gambian public.
“It is Africell’s desire and wishes to cater for all those in need during this festive period as a manifestation and care towards our esteem customers.”
Meanwhile the schools visited by Africell are Saint John’s school for the deaf, GOVI, Methodist, and SOS children village in Bakoteh.
Africell senior management staffers were all present to mark the occasion and entertain the kids namely; Hussein Diab, Director of operations, Ebrima Barry Dir. Admin & HR, Assan Mbye, Dir. Of Finance, and Musa Sise Senior Cooperate Affairs & Media Consultant.
The School children enjoyed the goodies, in their new school bag filled with books pencils and lunch packs.
They were also entertained with music and Christmas carols Food and refreshment were served to all the children and teachers.
The principals thanked Africell for the surprise visit and appreciated the gifts and hoped for more partnership in the near future.
The Constitutional Review Commission on Friday received a brand-new 4 wheel Toyota Land Cruiser from United Nations Development Programme. The vehicle is a partnership support aimed at making mobility easier for officials of the commission as they bid to draft a new constitution for the country.
Receiving the new car on behalf of the chairperson of the commission, Omar Ousaman Jobe-executive secretary of CRC expressed delight about the gesture, adding that UNDP has been rendering support to the commission since the commencement of it services.
According to him, the car is second of the commission’s mobility since its inception months ago which he said they had to hire vehicles for the transportation of some other people.
“If you are to come to the CRC secretariat today I can tell you that 95% of the furniture that you see there is coming from UNDP,” he said,
Yankuba Manjang-a commissioner described the gesture as magnanimous and that it will provide the CRC go long way in the work.
For her part, the UNDP resident representative in the country, Nessie Golakai-Goold said the gesture aims at facilitating the work of the commission in ensuring that every Gambian is involve in the constitutional review process.
She said: “This will able to facilitate the work of the CRC in reaching out the entire country to ensure that no one is left behind in term of having a voice.”
She added that her agency is also supporting youth and women groups across the country in areas of their internal sector to define the constitution they want.
The U.S. Government is pleased to announce that qualified Gambians can apply for the Cochran Fellowship Program, sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program is open to citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, The Gambia, and Senegal. The Fellowship offers short-term training opportunities to those working in the tourism and hospitality industry and government officials who oversee food safety. Gambians in the private sector who work in the hotel, restaurant, and Institutional sector and food safety regulators and policy makers from the government of The Gambia are encouraged to apply to participate in this capacity building opportunity.
The Cochran Fellowship is one of many ways the United States is helping to build capacity to promote mutual economic prosperity. The Program goals are: to help eligible countries develop agricultural systems necessary to meet the food and fiber needs of their domestic populations; and to strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and agricultural interests in the United States.
Applications are due on Thursday, January 24, 2019. Applicants are urged to clearly note in their application which topic – Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) Sector Development and the U.S. Southern Food Culture Experience – they have chosen and are applying to. Completed application (including passport photos, recommendation letters, and passport copy) can be dropped off at: U.S. Embassy Banjul – Attn. Public Affairs Officer. It can also be dropped off at: U.S. Embassy Dakar – Route des Almadies BP 49 Dakar (Senegal).
Approximately 600 Cochran fellows come to the United States each year, generally for 2-3 weeks, to work with U.S. universities, government agencies, and private companies. They receive hands-on training to enhance their technical knowledge and skills in areas related to agricultural trade, agribusiness development, management, policy, and marketing. USDA announces eligible countries and topics each year based on current trade issues. For further information on the program, please see this link: https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/cochran-fellowship-program.
The United States is firmly committed to promoting economic development led by Gambians.
The center of gravity in our distress public debt seems to have shifted in favor of international advisors. The appointment of International Advisors by the current administration to advice and help negotiate on the country’s long-standing debt with the Paris Club and other development partners is like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. It is not a bad policy-management decision by the government. It sounds like a good idea for policy to be able to respond to changing circumstances but the timing isn’t right and the cost to bear will be too high for small and resource-constraint Gambia. Invariably, action consistency and application shows that having an advisor alone doesn’t help to solve the mystery behind the perennial and magnitude of our ever-growing debt portfolio as a country. We will agree to disagree that advisors are like consultants who will borrow your watch and tells you the time. The question is, do we want to be that country that will be told the time by the hired consultant in the name of an advisor to negotiate on our behalf for debt forgiveness under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiatives (HIPCI)? What strategies would they adopt differently in handling our national debt crises? How was the Potomac Group selected and was the bidding done through the open bidding process? How much will it cost the government for the Potomac’s Group services? What happens if the group fails to secure debt forgiveness or put our debt on the plank of sustainability? These are questions we need to know as part of a broader-centric citizenship monitoring mechanism to hold our government accountable. We do not have the luxury to pay for services that were negotiated in closed-doors and won’t make any difference in our state of our economy. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
It is important to note that there is no nation that is prune from public debt and of which developing economies are placed at the disadvantage for been at the receiving end where politics takes precedence instead of the real issues and policies. Yes, the problems abound and a country that is running a deficit in excess of 5% of GDP and a public debt of 116. 1 GDP is seriously in trouble with the likelihood of jumping off the cliff of endless economic challenges and running the risk of not likely to be granted a debt forgiveness. We have an agreement with our development partners like the IMF & WB that must be respected in managing the finances of our country, while ensuring we do not borrow beyond our limits and capacity to absorb. And, the Barrow economics must help to resuscitate the economy from the doses of stagnation, non-growth, despair, corruption, and poverty. That’s the economic model needed in this critical time of nation-building to help engineer a growing, robust, resilient and expansionary development economy to withstand both internal and external shocks.
The problems surrounding Gambia’s public debt are evidently complex and voluminous that the immediate need is for a policy environment that can push the country ahead on the curve of self-reliance. The state of health on the public debt isn’t encouraging and is beyond human imagination. To put in perspective, most of our debt constitutes 53% of the domestic stock. What this implies is that the principal part of our domestic debt is owed to local investors (financial institutions and individuals). It is heart-wrenching and worrying to hear from unconfirmed sources that our Debt-GDP has been recalculated with reports reaching out to be about 80%. No amount of GDP recalculation can address the problem of the public debt we incurred over the years when our development seems to be ignored in the face of parochial and self-serving interests of leaders and partisan politics. Our policy of response shouldn’t be built on the towers of pseudo-economics. The government has to avoid tip-toeing around the prevalent public debt distress narrative and develop a strategic policy direction within the dynamics of workable macroeconomic economic fundamentals in managing our economy and addressing the issues of debt and excessive government expenditure.
Addressing debt requires a political will form the government to prioritize its development programmes, hence meetings the needs and aspirations of the citizenry. And in this critical juncture of almost crossing the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of exceeding the debt ceiling in our public financial resource management spectrum, we must ensure we budget within our means and enforce austerity measures. It is worthy to note that the problem of our national debt is bigger than having an advisor to turn around things unless we muster the courage and pursue austerity measures to address the seemingly intractable challenges of the over-bloated and incessant government expenditure spending. More importantly, we have Gambians with the requisite knowledge and technical competency in debt management and their knowledge and skills are desperately needed to help cushion our public debt. In the art of enforcement, once a government has decided on a course of action, it should maintain that course in order for the goals to be pursued and achieved. Hoping the government will listen and act in good faith in delivering the expected public goods in fiscal management.
One of the most neglected regions in The Gambia Kiang will soon finally get to ascertaining how having electricity feels, that’s according to the Office of the President.
A news release from the Presidency on Thursday said the construction of the first OMVG hydro-electric power station, connecting communities from Jarra Soma, Lower River Region to Brikama, West Coast Region, will be launched in early 2019.
Following a closed-door discussion with His Excellency, President Adama Barrow at the State House in Banjul, Antonio Serifo Embalo, Chairman, Council of Ministers of the Gambia River Basin Development Project (OMVG in French) announced that the president has accepted to lay the foundation stone for the project in Jarra Soma.
Chairman Embalo expressed optimism that the project would have a significant impact on the economic progress of member countries: “This project lies at the heart of the industrialization of the member countries as power is key to development. Energy is also part of the five flagship programmes of the Gambia’s development blueprint (NDP 2018-2021)”.
The OMVG head said his discussion with President Barrow also centered around the 11th Ordinary Session of the Conference of the Heads of Government of OMVG member states which will be hosted in The Gambia, revealing that the timing coincides with the inauguration of the TransGambia Bridge in January.
President Barrow has given assurance that he will take it up with his counterparts for the OMVG organization to continue receiving financial support from member countries towards its effective functioning.
Under the first phase of the electricity project, 70MW of energy would be distributed in The Gambia through two substations in Jarra Soma and Brikama.
Former President Yahya Jammeh has been hit by fresh sanctions by the United States. The US State Department last weekend publicly designated the former dictator over his involvement in corruption under section 7031(c)(A) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act 2018. He is the first former president to be banned under this new law. And the US government through its Embassy in Banjul has been responding to questions from The Fatu Network regarding this development. Excerpts;-
TFN: How did the US State Department arrive at the decision to publicly designate former President Yahya Jammeh and what does it mean?
US GOV’T: The Department has credible information that Mr. Jammeh was involved in significant corruption while president of The Gambia.
As a general matter, when an individual is determined to be ineligible for entry into the United States, that individual will not be able to obtain a visa and will not be permitted to enter the United States.
TFN: Aside Yahya Jammeh, can you give us some examples of former presidents who were publicly designated by the US State Department in the past?
US GOV’T: The first Section 7031(c)(1)(A) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act public designation was released in2018. Mr. Jammeh is the first former president designated under this visa authority. Public designations from this past year can be found in the report to Congress on Anti-Kleptocracy and Human Rights Visa Restrictions.
TFN: Why is this coming almost two years since ex-president Jammeh left The Gambia for Equatorial Guinea where he now lives in exile?
US GOV’T: The Department obtained credible information regarding Mr. Jammeh’s involvement in significant corruption.
TFN: There has been mixed reaction in The Gambia with regard to this move. While many have celebrated the decision, there are those who have slammed the US over this move. That the US plays double standard when it comes to human rights. What do you say to this?
US GOV’T: Under the circumstances in this particular case, we believe it is important for the Gambian government and the Gambian people to know just how seriously we view public corruption and Mr. Jammeh’s involvement in corrupt acts.
TFN: We know the ex-president has some assets in the US among them a $3.5M Mansion. What will happen to these assets now that he has been blocked from entering?
US GOV’T: The announcement against former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, and his immediate family, complements our efforts— using all available tools— to promote accountability for human rights abusers and corrupt actors. Jammeh’s 2017 designation under Executive Order 13818 and the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act already imposed visa and financial sanctions on him. However, the significance of the designation under section 7031(c) is it gives us another means of denouncing his corruption and applies to his immediate family too. Section 7031(c) renders officials who have been involved in significant corruption and gross violations of human rights ineligible for entry into the United States, as well as their immediate family members. This action is not related to the forthcoming Africa Strategy; rather, this action exemplifies the administration’s commitment to holding accountable human rights abusers and corrupt actors, including those who enable or benefit from these corrosive actions.
TFN: The move also affects his immediate family but we know his children are U.S. citizens. Can such a ban apply to US citizens?
US GOV’T: Designations under 7031(c) would not impact U.S. citizens, since it is a visa restriction. However, due to privacy considerations, we cannot comment on an individual’s citizenship status.
TFN: The Gambia government on Tuesday issued a statement thanking the US government for this latest action against Jammeh. Is the US government aware of this statement if yes, what does it make of it?
US GOV’T: Yes, we are aware of the Statement. We are encouraged that the Government has welcomed the designation. We echo the Minister of Justice’s statement that the United States stands in solidarity with the Government of The Gambia in its transition toward good governance and respect for human rights. We are eager to collaborate with The Gambia on matters of mutual interest.
TFN: The Gambia government has also restated its commitment towards working with the US on various areas. What specific areas of interest does the US share with The Gambia?
US GOV’T: We work with closely with the Government of The Gambia on many issues. In fact, the United States is currently working on projects in TheGambia that touch on all of the items in The Gambia’s National Development Plan. The United States goals in The Gambia are to strengthen democracy, improve education, and encourage development led by Gambians. We support the government of The Gambia in many areas, mostly related to increasing the government’s capacity to address the needs of its citizens. We provide support to the Security Sector Reform (SSR) process through a USG-funded security sector advisor; we provide technical support to the Ministry of Finance on issues related to debt management and budget formulation; we provide training to National Assembly members on various issues related to National Assembly operations and constituency outreach; we provide support to civil society in the areas of elections, women empowerment, youth employment, transitional justice, and media outreach. We also provide grants to local organizations for community-led projects that increase the wellbeing of local communities. We are committed to continuing to support the democratic transition in The Gambia in any way possible through the government, but also as direct support to the Gambian people.
The United States has said that designations under section 7031(c)(A) of its department of state, foreign operations and related programs appropriation act 2018 would not impact US citizens as it is a visa restriction.
The US last week handed former President Jammeh a fresh setback after it said it was publicly designating him over his involvement in significant corruption. His immediate family is also affected by the sanction.
However, the US government responding to a question from The Fatu Network regarding the fate of Mr Jammeh’s children who are believed to be US citizens said designations under 7031(c) would not impact U.S. citizens, since it is a visa restriction.
“However, due to privacy considerations, we cannot comment on an individual’s citizenship status,” it said.
The United States has said that former president Yahya Jammeh is the first former president to be banned from entering the country under section 7031 (c)(A) of its new Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.
The United States last week announced travel restrictions on former president Yahya Jammeh, his wife and two children. It said the move was because of the former president’s involvement in ‘significant corruption.’
The US government through its embassy in Banjul told The Fatu Network it obtained credible information regarding Mr. Jammeh’s involvement in corruption and gross human rights violations.
Yes, I just called you Prince Mr. President, and please do not cringe at this appellation, for it is not a title you chose for yourself. It is my choice to label you so and in this democratic space that we are all luxuriating in, my freedom of speech allows me to call you so. Indeed I am not one of those to call you our “Chief Servant”. In fact I find it so uncouth and untoward that our Head of State should be called servant. It is true that you have come to serve us and you are gladly doing that but that does not make you a servant and our rich and enriching culture and tradition would not be amenable to such appellation.
I know the fears of our people about long titles and undue sense of entitlement that characterized the past but that is no reason for us to demean our leadership.
Excuse me for the digression Your Excellency, but the foregoing matter has been a deep cause of concern for meand the continuation of such appellation is sure to have a practical impact on our society. I am not a psychologist, notam I an anthropologist but my little reading in these fields has convinced me that labeling the leader of a nation with such untoward appellation is sure to have an impact on the leader’s psyche as well as the society’s psyche.
Moving on to the thesis of this epistle, Your Excellency, Mr. President and Commander in Chief of The Gambia Armed Forces, it was indeed a great source of joy and pride to see you preside over a series of groundbreaking events this past weekend; marking the official commencement works for the construction of roads, bridges, and a modern college in the furthest region of our dear motherland, the Upper River Region (URR). I am not one of those who say that your predecessor did nothing in this country during his reign; indeed my ride to URR, was on the great roads he laid out, the Trans-Gambia road.
However, the man could have done better in the URR. I was shocked at the state of the road network in Wulli; and further mentally tormented to have heard that the road in a certain part of Wulli is so bad and dangerous that it is called Morocco, symbolizing the dangers of that area with the perils of the treacherous backway.
Your Excellency, the construction of roads, bridges and a center for higher education in the URR is what I have dubbed a transition from “rhetoric to praxis, thatsymbolizes a major paradigm shift in our national development trajectory!” For more than 52 years the deployment our national resources has been unduly tilted in favour of our urban centers, leaving the hinterland to mercy of NGOs and other charitable institutions funded by foreign donors. With the effective implementation of your new projects in URR, this injustice would be turned around leading to the harnessing of the huge potential of our rural areas.
Mr. President, the projects in URR will not only benefit the Gambia and Gambians, but the spillover effects would be felt as far away as Senegal, Guinea Conakry and beyond. You have certainly rolled out an initiative that is sure to get the founding fathers of the African Union, like Kwame Nkrumah and Leopold Sedar Senghore smiling in heir graves. Your rollout of the URR roads and bridges project(in addition to the Trans-Gambia Bridge) is a knockout blow against the barriers of regional integration.
You have surely taken a giant step that would aid regional integration, bringing people closer!
I was there at your rally in Wulli Foday Kunda, when Honourbale Mai Ahmad Fatty and Honourble Sidia Jatta(both natives of that area) addressed the gathering. Mai Fatty has demonstrated that he is not a selfish politician but a brilliant patriot who loves his people and cares for them. By calling on his people to rally behind you and support your development projects, Mai has demonstrated that his agenda is “Gambia First” and from the thunderous applause that greeted his appeal, I believe that the people of Wulliare fully in support of your development agenda.
And then the icing on the cake at the Foday Kunda rally came from no less an authority than the man I shall call the King of Wulli. Just like you, Honourable Sidia Jatta would not be too please with me calling him “King” but I do know that the people of Wulli will never feel offended that Icalled the long-suffering Sidia Jatta Wulli Mansa. Truly,my good old mother the late Aja Kaddy Jammeh is right “dimbaa toe foe, wobukadaajanni” (mentioning the name of fire never burns the mouth!). The legendary Jalali Wally would not be prouder of any other heir to his throne at the royal courts of Wulli. So the King of Wulli said this and I do believe that what he said shall come to pass as the truth and nothing but the truth inshaa Allah: The light that will extinguish the darkness engulfing The Gambia will shine from the URR and spread out countrywide; this will happen and no one can stop it!
God bless you Mr. President and God bless The Gambia and all people who love our country and wish us well.
Momodou Sabally
The Gambia’s Pen
Former S.G and Presidential Affairs Minister, MomodouSabally, is a prolific author, Economist, and Motivational Speaker.
A US-based political activist has slammed Dembo By Force Bojang over his attack on Mandinkas.
Speaking at the United Democratic Party national congress earlier this month, the UDP national president who also doubles as religious adviser to President Adama Barrow said that Mandinkas were the people insulting President Barrow, Ousainou Darboe, Mai Fatty and others on social media.
His comments have since prompted anger from Gambians.
“From all due respect to Honourable Uncle Dembo that statement was awful,” Pata Saidykhan told The Fatu Network in an exclusive interview.
“When you’re in a gathering like that, you’re addressing your party member or even addressing the nation, you don’t confine that speech to one particular group of people when you’re talking to a whole nation.”
Mr Saidykhan who is also a UDP hardliner said when you go to social media “you will not find only Mandinkas insulting there.”
“There is nothing wrong with admonishing the UDP without having a sectionalist kind of approach to it. That was ugly. You don’t do that at that setting,” he said.
Leading up to The Gambia’s 2016 general elections, the agreement between the coalition parties was that the flag bearer and elected president of the coalition government will serve a three-year term at the end of which he or she will not run for re- election. After the defeat of Jammeh, and the coming of president Adama Barrow, many pundits argued that the coalition agreement was as hasty and significantly flawed agreement that disregarded all political and legal implications that it could create. This argument followed that as mandated by the Gambian constitution and the political will of the Gambian electorates, the president in the 2016 elections was elected to serve a five-year term and not a three-year term. Consequently, he should be allowed to serve his entire five-year term. Although Adama Barrow has clearly won the legal argument on the three-year term, but by defying the three-year term agreement, he cannot be absolved of immoral and unethical political behavior. Far from the contrary, what this argument has done is to embolden president Barrow and muddy the entire political landscape of the Gambia, shifting focus and discourse from key sectors of national development to the newest political bickering and suspicion that has become a staple.
By now, many Gambians have heard the audio messages laced with rhetoric and passing remarks between some of our political leaders. The noise and political bickering has been nothing more than a supplemental disquietude to an already existing frustrating situation. The most disheartening thing revealed in these audios was the clandestine summoning of UDP elements and the flattering statements of president Adama Barrow in some political back-channeling exercise that went at the state house. What has been lurking in the minds of many Gambians over the past few months is what could be the true political aspirations of Adama Barrow. The answers to this question have been quite elusive in the past, but with time the political rift and posturing is becoming evident. There is reason to fear that Barrow will not only get away with the three-year term limit he entered with the coalition partners, he will not respect the agreement not to run for re-election at the end of his term in 2021.
As a transitional leader, when focus should be on prepping the ground for the next government to assume power, and not to sustain his stay in power, today, Barrow is morphing into a possible contender for the 2021 elections. Far from the modest rookie president we saw on the political stage, Barrow has assumed an air of confidence that has led him into feats of praising singing and constant reminders about his efforts and political achievements. The formation of the Barrow movement, openly expressing his future political motives have all added fuel to the burning rumors. Like previous African political leaders that preceded him, Barrow has also begun embarking on large infrastructure projects that are physically heavy, costly, and enduring the timing of which could be attributed to an attempt at exerting political influence and to remind the electorates about who controls power. These are all hallmarks and behaviors of a presidential aspirant. In a country saddle with a high debt burden, we should be wary of the cost of such large infrastructure projects we’ve the past regime use as instruments of centralized control and a means of accomplishing their political agenda.
It is fair to say that I have been one of the staunchest allies and early supporters of Barrow, and I still am, but the latest news and political developments are concerning and should be addressed not out of political allegiance, tribal identity or regional origin, but out of a moral obligation and common interest to protect our budding democracy and the welfare of all Gambian citizens. As a novice, Adama Barrow should be guided where he falters. After all he is not a saint among sinners. We have undergone 22 hard years of dictatorship. What is evident is that the era that saw the emergence of Yahya Jammeh and the era of Adama Barrow’s presidency are polar opposites. There is a wind of change blowing over the coast of Africa, the impunity and calm waters enjoyed by despots or imperial presidents of the past are long gone. You don’t have to look far to see examples of leaders who have failed miserably to reverse the course of a progressive political change. The Gambia has not only gone through a political transformation but our country is going through a rapid social reformation. Where silence has once reigned, today is replayed by irreverence and questioning. It is easy for half-baked politicians to fall into the cajoling hands of internal influencers or foreign powers that are at an advantage to bargain with less experienced and sophisticated political actors.
The intractable political and economic development challenges in our country are enormous, and what the Gambia needs now more than ever, is unity, discipline, loyalty, and the concerted effort of every Gambian in developing our country from Koina to Kartong. We have long begged for time and patience on behalf this new administration, and we hope that precious time will not continue to be diverted towards nesting political feathers or sowing seeds of political discord amongst members of the coalition government and by extension the larger Gambian population.
Let our president and his cabinet be reminded that In the hearts of every legend is truth. Time always reveals the truth. To the members of the coalition who came into agreement with president Barrow, be aware that Gambians are keenly watching your actions and inactions. Politics is only a game or a coalition of essential backers and expendables. There is an old African proverb that if a lion adopts a goat as a child, in times of extreme hunger, it will not fail to devour it. You had peers that were once in the coalition, and now they are gone. This is a lesson to teach you that your allegiance should be to the Gambian people and not promoting the political interest of anyone person. Uphold the truth where it is due, and guide the country in the right direction even if it means breaking political relationships. After all, it is better to be politically inaccurate than to be historically accurate.
We hope president Barrow and his team of rivals pay their debt of gratitude to the Gambian electorates not by measure of how many bridges are built or roads are constructed, but by upholding the values, promise, and truth that got them elected into office. Mr. President, as a wordsmith and a lover of proverbs I will like to remind you of the saying that it is beautiful beneath the sea, but if you stay too long, you drown. The real opponent you should be wrestling at this point of your presidency are your ungoverned desires, and the bad influence of detractors. Every true Gambians will like to see you succeed and retire respectfully at the end of your five year-term. It will be an honor to see you join the ranks of notables like Nelson Mandela who freed their country and left the political scene after one term. In leadership, you choose two roles: you are either the sunshine that nourishes the plant or the saltwater that destroys its roots. We urge you to be the former and not the latter. God bless The Gambia!
A US-based political activist and member of the United Democratic Party Pata Saidykhan has warned President Adama Barrow against starting a fight that he cannot win.
“It is very smart of a politician to actually pick up your fights pretty well. Ousainou does not have any problem with President Barrow as a vice president but Mr Darboe is a leader of a political party when he was being appointed as a foreign minister and appointed as a vice president,” Mr Saidykhan speaking to The Fatu Network in a private capacity on Tuesday said.
According to him, everybody knew that Ousainou Darboe was leading a political party at the time of his appointment into government.
Saidykhan said: “It will be irresponsible for Darboe to say I’m going to leave my political party only because I’m a vice president. If President Barrow has any problem with anybody within his cabinet, that is not serving he can remove them but you cannot pick up a fight with somebody who has more political power in cabinet than you.”
The leader of People’s Progressive Party Omar Amadou Jallow has said that the party is poised to bringing back its lost glory.
Mr Jallow said PPP has awoken and is coming back to the political fold with ‘full force.’
The former agriculture minister made these comments on Monday during a press conference held as the PPP prepares for its upcoming national congress.
People’s Progressive Party is the first party to rule The Gambia spanning over three decades but it was pushed to the sides after its toppling in 1994.
The party will hold a national congress between December 28 and December 30, the first time in over 20 years. The event is themed, ‘Reviving the PPP to Serve The Gambia Better.’
According Omar Jallow better known as OJ, PPP as a party continues to identify with The Gambia development strides despite its past challenges.
“That is why we in the PPP have a history which a lot of young people in this country are not aware of,” he said.
“We will sensitize and educate particularly the young people of what PPP stood for and what the party did in this country to take its shoulder high among all African countries.”
The PPP leader went on to say that “we were one of the most clean (sic) governments in Africa and then when we want to bring back to the Gambian people and instill it in young people.”
He added: “Young people shouldn’t allow to be used by parties… The moment you allow your leaders to be a curse on you, then you are creating a dictatorship but when you the leaders are afraid and listen to the people you are creating a genuine democratic dispensation.”
Bakary Bunja Darboe, a senior PPP official highlighted the need for the restructuring of the party:
“Work starts on the 31th December. We are not going [to] sit… There is a whole [lot] of rebuilding to be done from the lowest level of the party. We are going to work very hard to bring the party back to its speed within the shortly possible time,” he said.
A top US businesswoman Anita E Hawkins has announced plans to support victims of domestic violence in The Gambia.
Mrs Anita is an American lifestyle expert extraordinaire, entrepreneur, model, author and philanthropist who will visit The Gambia between January 4 and January 13, 2019. She will first attend the GLAMU master class event which is geared towards training women how to take care of their skin, apply their own makeup, and most importantly help them boost their confidence.
Mrs Anita will then use the rest of her Gambia visit to meet with various institutions, women and children groups. She also plans to visit the SOS Children’s Village in Bakoteh where she will interact with children of the orphanage.
Who is Anita E Hawkins?
Anita grew up in Gary, Indiana, where her entrepreneurial spirit took flight when she was still in her teens. Upon inheriting her grandmother’s hair salon, Anita did what very few young women at her age would have had the insight and resolve to do…she worked it! After getting her cosmetology license, Anita grew her clientele by operating both in the salon and going house to house servicing clients who were unable to travel to her location. This was to be the first of many successful business ventures for the tiny young woman with big dreams—dreams she would manage to accomplish in spite of having her childhood and youthful innocence shattered at an early age. Anita was molested for a period of years beginning in the 2nd grade. This unimaginable violation sent her down a devastating path of promiscuity and self-doubt that resulted in teen pregnancy and her becoming a ward of the state after being disowned by her father. Ultimately, Anita was tasked with the incredible challenge of building a life for herself and her infant son all by the age of fifteen. It was the love and generosity of a family friend who took Anita in and cared for her son free of charge. This enabled her to continue her high school education and begin to build a life for herself and her son.
By 2000, Anita was married. She and her husband, former MLB pitcher LaTroy Hawkins moved to Frisco, TX where they had a daughter. There she launched Trokar Industries, LLC. Since its inception, Trokar has acquired a number of land developments around the state of Texas. It has also celebrated a tremendous victory as a result of D.R. Horton purchasing a parcel of land from Trokar for 1.53 million dollars.
After being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, Anita decided it was time to make some lifestyle changes of her own. Her love of healthy eating and exercise led to her acquisition of the Fresh Healthy Café franchise master designation for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. She operated the franchise under Lady Eloise, LLC. Restaurant ownership had always been a desire for the mother of two; thus, after doing a great deal of research, she decided upon the Fresh Healthy Café brand because of the company’s commitment to its values. These values mirrored her own philosophies and with that purchased the Master Franchise for the DFW Metroplex. Her tenacity and business savviness has not gone without notice. Anita has been recognized by the National Association of Professional Women for Outstanding Excellence and Dedication to Her Profession and the Advancement of Women, and she was recognized as one of the National Association of Distinguished Professionals’ prestigious Women of Distinction. She was also identified by 10 Shades of Success as one of Dallas’ Most Successful Women. 10 Shades of Success further asked her to serve as Key Note Speaker for its awards banquet.
Anita is as abundant in beauty as she is in business know-how. As a model, model coach and spokesperson, Anita has walked the runway in a number of high fashion events including MegaFest, Designer’s Rack at Neiman Marcus, LA Fashion Week, NY Fashion Week, & Philly Fashion Week. She graced the cover of Curvy Connect Magazine (CCM) and was featured in a dazzling seven-page editorial spread. CCM rightfully dubbed Anita “The One to Watch!” Anita has also been featured on Dallas’ CW 33, FOX 4, Good Morning Texas, Dallas High Life TV on the UA Network, Saigon Network’s The Chau Show, the nationally syndicated morning television show Eye Opener, KRNB 105.7, K104 FM, Heaven 97, KRLD Talk Radio’s CEO Spotlight, Street Speaker Radio and The Andy Brown Online Happy Hour. Additionally, she has engaged in editorial features provided the The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Weekly, Southern Dallas County Magazine, Pose Magazine, Garbed in Modesty Magazine and Texas Metro News. Anita has further participated in the panel discussion “Turning Passion into Profit” during the Full Figured Fashion Week in New York. In 2016, she was named Duchess of the Krewe de Etoiles Gala Masquerade Ball Royal Court, and she and her husband were selected King and Queen for the Dallas Chapter of Continental Societies Annual Naw’lins Mardi Gras Jam. Anita has also served as a judge for DFW Teen Fashion Week and a panelist for the JBolin Fashion Bootcamp: The Power of Perseverance and Pumps, Passion and Purpose.
With her tremendous success, Anita has not forgotten the age-old proverb, “to whom much is given, much is required.” Generous does not begin to describe the dedication and hands-on involvement with which Anita supports her many charitable affiliations. She walks for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and is one of the organization’s top individual and team fundraisers. She further serves as a member on the Frisco planning committee for the charity. Anita gathers and donates items throughout the year to Where are You? which benefits homeless children and their families in the Dallas area. She is also an ardent supporter of Minnie’s Food Pantry and has donated over $160,000 to the organization and its mission to feed the homeless. For her tireless efforts, Minnie’s presented Anita with the Community Service Award for her leadership and commitment to the organization. Annually, she and her husband sponsor the college education of a deserving student to the school of their choice through the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Anita launched the Find One Reason to Smile campaign benefiting survivors of domestic abuse. The first recipient, Dallas’ Women Called Moses Outreach Center, where Anita sits on the Board of Directors, received over $16,000 from Find One Reason to Smile to aid their mission of assisting women and their children to escape the vicious cycle of domestic abuse. Anita also regularly volunteers for and contributes to The Source of Hope. One of their many community events includes providing free meals, haircuts and shaves to the homeless on the fourth Saturday of every month. Anita loves putting her salon and barber skills to work for those in need! Anita also received the President’s Philanthropy Award from Women of Wealth, and she was recognized by Rae’s Hope for her Outstanding Support. She has also served as a panelist for the Inaugural Mother Daughter Tea benefitting Parenting with a Purpose, and she was the Honorary Chair of Stepping Out of Homelessness.
Destined for greatness and not slowing down any time soon, Anita has added yet another title to her already impressive repertoire…Author. Anita chronicles her rise from the depths of abuse, anger and despair to triumph, self-love and success in her debut novel The Storm After The Storm. Today, Anita E. Hawkins is both self-assured and selfless. She has overcome the harshest of circumstances to become a successful Businesswoman, Lifestyle Expert and Fashionista while giving back to those in need. Most importantly, she is a dedicated wife and mother for her family. CCM said it best, Anita has definitely been the “One to Watch” and will be for many years to come!
Commissioners and senior staff of the TRRC held a three-day working meeting to prepare for the start of hearings on January 7, 2019, a press release by the executive secretary of TRRC Baba Galleh said on Tuesday. The meeting was held in the Commission’s conference room at Dunes Resort, Kololi from December 10 to 12, 2018.
During the three-day intensive meeting, and in line with the provisions of Section 21 of the TRRC Act, 2017, the TRRC Legal Team in collaboration with the Research and Investigations Unit guided Commissioners on the development of Rules of Procedure for the Commission. In particular, the Legal Team guided the Commission’s conversations on Complaints Procedure, Admissibility of Complaints, Conduct of Investigations, and Conduct of Hearings. At the end of the meeting, a broad outline of Rules of Procedure was agreed upon and is being currently drafted by the Legal Team for final adoption by the Commissioners.
In line with the provisions of Section 18 of the TRRC Act, 2017, a number of subsidiary committees were also established during the three-day meeting. The committees set up were the Human Rights Violations Committee, Amnesty Committee, Reparations Committee, Child Protection and Sexual and Gender-based Violence Committee, and Reconciliation Committee. All but one of these committees have five commissioners on it; one has six members. All commissioners sit on at least two of the committees. Each committee will meet at least once before January 7 to develop their specific terms of reference in line with the provisions of the TRRC Act.
An outline of a 12-month work plan for the Commission was also developed and is being drafted. This plan indicates the number of possible hearings to be conducted during 2019, the specific areas of focus for these hearings, and will include a number of projected outreach activities for the year 2019.
Meanwhile, the TRRC is calling on all Victims of Human Rights Violations during 1994 to please come to the TRRC Headquarters at Dunes Resort, Kololi and share their statements. If they are unable to come to the TRRC Headquarters, they may call 9348929 or 2949170 and arrangements will be made to take their statements. Anyone that has any information on 1994 Human Rights Violations that will be helpful to the TRRC is also encouraged to come to our offices or call the above two numbers. Victims or witnesses who wish to provide statements or other information related to 1994 violations are advised to do so as soon as possible in order not to miss the opportunity of doing so once the research and investigations focus moves away from 1994. We will be sharing more phone numbers with the public and conducting outreach exercises to reach out to those who cannot call or come to the TRRC headquarters. The public is hereby informed that giving statements to the TRRC is free of charge to all victims and witnesses.
At this time, hearings-related logistics are being finalized at the TRRC headquarters. The main hall is being fitted with the necessary audio-visual equipment and witness protection mechanisms. Two dry runs of this equipment are planned before the start of hearings on January 7. The public is hereby informed that all public hearings of the TRRC are free and open to the public. Media accreditation will be issued to two journalists from each media house who have attended one or more of our five transitional justice trainings for journalists conducted over the past several months.
Again, the TRRC seeks the nation’s support and blessings as we all embark upon this challenging task of truth-seeking, justice, and healing this New Year.
Manchester United have sacked José Mourinho following Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool, ending a tenure that began in May 2016.
A poor start to the Premier League season has seen United slip 19 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, and fall off the pace in the hunt for a top-four place. They have won only once in six league matches, drawing during that sequence with struggling Southampton and Crystal Palace.
Relations between the manager and the executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, also seemed strained after the club did not sign a central defender this summer. The club concluded that of the players in that position targeted by Mourinho whom they could potentially land, none was an upgrade on the existing squad.
A sense of disunity at United was encapsulated when Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vice-captaincy before a Carabao Cup defeat by Derby County and confronted him at training the following morning. The manager has criticised his players’ “mental approach”, attitude and quality.
Mourinho has seemed less than happy since the buildup to the season, when he described preparations as “very bad” because many of his senior players were resting after the World Cup.
The manager demanded “respect, respect, respect” for his three Premier League titles following United’s 3-0 home defeat by Tottenham in late August but will not get a chance to add a fourth at Old Trafford.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionA Fulani herder tends to livestock
Aside from those killed, thousands of people have been displaced since 2016 as a result of the long-running conflict between cattle herders and farmers in central Nigeria, according to Amnesty.
The NGO said more than half of these deaths had occurred in 2018 alone.
“These attacks were well planned and co-ordinated, with the use of weapons like machine guns and AK-47 rifles,” said Osai Ojigho, Amnesty’s Nigeria director.
“Yet, little has been done by the authorities in terms of prevention, arrests and prosecutions, even when information about the suspected perpetrators was available,” she added.
“The Nigerian government has displayed what can only be described as gross incompetence and has failed in its duty to protect the lives of its population.”
On Facebook, army spokesperson General Sani Kukasheka Usman hit back at Amnesty, accusing it of spreading “fictitious allegations” to “destabilise and dismember Nigeria”.
General Usman also called for the closure of Amnesty operations in the Nigeria “if such recklessness continues”.
In response, Isa Sanusi, a spokesperson for Amnesty in Nigeria, told the BBC: “They should do their job of protecting Nigerians rather than threatening human rights organisations.
“We will not be discouraged,” added Mr Sanusi. “Where we see a violation we will not keep quiet.”
Image copyrightAFPImage captionPall bearers at a funeral service for people killed during violence in January
Central areas of Nigeria have witnessed decades of violence between farmers and cattle herders.
The International Crisis Group says that in the first half of 2018, six times more people were killed during clashes than in the war with the Boko Haram Islamist group.
The mostly Muslim Fulani – believed to be the world’s largest semi-nomadic group – herd their animals across vast areas, frequently clashing with farming communities.
Since many farmers in the areas affected are Christian, the conflict has often been viewed as an ethno-religious struggle.
Amnesty says the conflict is largely about access to land and resources but has become heavily politicised.
President Joseph Kabila’s preferred successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, has a fearsome reputation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The question is whether Mr Shadary can convert that into a victory in Sunday’s presidential election.
The former deputy premier and interior minister is said by many to have earned the nickname “back-to-back” for his role in putting down a succession of opposition protests in 2017.
The crackdown, which turned deadly, led to him being sanctioned by the European Union.
But his supporters say the name is a reference to his years as a model student at DR Congo’s University of Lubumbashi, from where he graduated with five distinctions in 1987.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionEmmanuel Ramazani Shadary will rely heavily on the president’s supporters to win
Mr Shadary’s loyalty to the president has been rewarded with the specially created post of permanent secretary in DR Congo’s main political party.
But many regard the regime stalwart and hardliner as a surprise candidate for the top job, with reports suggesting that even members of Mr Kabila’s inner circle were taken aback when Mr Shadary announced his leadership bid.
‘Loyal hardliner’
Some analysts warn that, if elected, Mr Shadary may merely keep the presidential seat warm while Mr Kabila, expected to step down after 17 years, plots a comeback.
The president has not ruled out standing again in 2023, adding “there is still a long journey ahead” and he will remain in politics after the poll.
Born in 1960 in Kasongo in eastern DR Congo, Mr Shadary studied at the University of Lubumbashi’s political sciences department before entering public life in the 1990s.
He was elected deputy governor of his native Maniema province in 1997 and a year later became governor of the region, from where Mr Kabila’s mother also hails.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionThe opposition has waged a long campaign to force Joseph Kabila to step down
“I don’t think he ever dreamed of becoming president of DR Congo,” Prof Alphonse Maindo of the University of Kisangani told the BBC.
“He is not someone who is seen as having charisma, or able to rally people around him.”
Mr Shadary’s peers gave him another nickname, “make-it-happen”, when in 2018 he successfully led negotiations to have electoral reforms passed in parliament despite spirited opposition.
‘Mr Make-it-happen’
Image copyrightREUTERS
Born 29 November 1960 in Kasongo, eastern DR Congo
Long-time ally of President Kabila
Became interior minister in 2016
Under EU sanctions for alleged human rights violations in deadly crackdowns on protests
His ruthless reputation has earned him the nickname “make-it-happen”
Mr Shadary rose to national political prominence in December 2016 when he was appointed as one of three deputy prime ministers, as well as minister of internal security.
President Kabila’s time in office should have ended that same month, but no elections were held despite it being a constitutional requirement, and the polls were delayed repeatedly.
In Kabila’s shadow
In February 2018, Mr Shadary was named the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) permanent secretary, elevating him to the second-most powerful position in the party he co-founded in 2002. The PPRD is the main group in the ruling Alliance for the Presidential Majority.
It was a role created as part of internal party reforms in preparation for the upcoming election, and widely regarded as a reward from the president for his loyalty.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionTroops are likely to be loyal to Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary
As presidential candidate, Mr Shadary will represent the governing coalition’s new electoral grouping, the Common Front for Congo.
“Mr Shadary was pretty much unknown before he was appointed as successor to Joseph Kabila,” Prof Filip Reyntjens of Belgium’s University of Antwerp told the BBC.
“If you had asked people for a list of 10 possible candidates he would not have even got a mention.”
He says there is a possibility that “a weaker personality” at DR Congo’s helm could allow the outgoing president to exercise power from the sidelines.
“That would make sense from Mr Kabila’s point of view.”
Prof Maindo agrees, and says that Mr Kabila regards the unexpected reforms of Angola’s President Joao Lourenco as a cautionary tale.
Prior to his election last year, Mr Lourenco had been viewed by many as a puppet of long-serving President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. But he has since turned on the former president and his family.
But what is different, says Prof Maindo, is that Mr Shadary is “without large funds of his own” and therefore “dependent on Mr Kabila’s finances”.
Aside from his loyalty to the president, analysts also credit Mr Shadary’s rise through the ranks to his hardline approach.
As interior minister he oversaw a brutal crackdown on anti-Kabila protests across the country in 2017. During that time, dozens of civilians were killed by government forces.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionEmmanuel Ramazani Shadary official campaign was launched one month before election day
The EU has renewed existing travel bans and financial sanctions on Mr Shadary and 13 other senior officials for election delays and violently suppressing anti-government protests in 2017.
International campaign group Human Rights Watch says Sunday’s poll risks being a “parody of an election” in which popular opposition candidates have been “arbitrarily excluded” and resources controlled so as to allow Mr Shadary “an unfair advantage”.
The exclusion of two heavyweight opposition contenders, Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moise Katumbi, may have boosted his chances.
Mr Shadary has also been helped by the fact that the opposition vote may be split between two prominent candidates, Felix Tshisekedi and Martin Fayulu.
The test, if elected on Sunday, will be whether he can emerge from the shadow of Mr Kabila.
