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.
The Office Of The First Lady, in collaboration with The Ministry of Gender and social welfare staged a peaceful protest against sexual violence on Sat 15th Dec. in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This is the first time in Africa, that we have First Ladies coming together to support their counterpart by participating in a peaceful protest. The procession started at the Supreme Court Building at Cotton tree, to Aberdeen Junction 8km away. The Protest is part of the program to Launch the First Lady’s 2019 – 2022 strategic plan themed: “Hands Off Our Girls”.
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Usually, these kind protests aimed at empowering women and dealing with social issues, are initiated and carried out by non-governmental organisations. Our unconventional First Lady is taking the lead on advocating for women and children because she is passionate about issues concerning them.
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Before the commencement of the protest, The Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Hon . Baindu Dassama , read the position paper she submitted to the Minister of Justice at the front of the supreme court building. Hon. Dassama is not happy about the state of affairs concerning violence against women, this she said should be carefully examined and justice should prevail. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice; Hon. Priscilla Schwartz, responding to the document, made it clear, the issue will be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
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The First Lady did not pull punches. She stated that rape will not be tolerated. She was down-to-earth , as she addressed the over 600 persons present at the submission of the Position document .
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The peaceful protest started as The First Ladies from Chad, Gambia and Niger joined. The First Ladies were very energetic and made it clear that violence against women will not be tolerated in the continent. The protest started with about 1 thousand protesters at cotton tree, as at the time the procession got to Congo cross, there were over two thousand protesters.
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What made the demonstration unique, was the support by the Police, the Military, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, they all joined the peaceful protest. Lawyers came to show support by participating in the protest, though the Lawyers did not have the “Hands off our Girls “ T-shirts, they joined the demonstration in their suites.
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H. E. Fatima Maada Bio, believes this protest is an important avenue to bring about the much desired change in the society. Awareness created by the peaceful protest will put the spotlight on organisations meant to protect our women, and create a sense of accountability.
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Strategic Communications Division
Office of The First Lady [email protected]
+232 303 68273
The work of the Paris Consultative Group that took place in Paris on December 17th 2018 concluded with a sweeping win for Senegal, with donors pledging $14.6 billion (7300 billion CFA francs) towards President Macky Sall’s 2035 Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE) blueprint.
The amount far exceeds the 2850 billion CFA francs originally targeted. The announcement was made by Louise Cord, the World Bank’s director for Senegal.
This will be a huge boost for President Sall, who is up for re-election in two months. The funds are to be utilized for the phase 2 of the PSE. Sall’s second term manifesto is to focus on the following:
5 major initiatives in the areas of:
— Youth empowerment
— Social and solidarity economy
— Inclusive digital economy
_Agro-ecological transition ____Industrialization.
3 sectoral programs:
—Zero slums
—Zero waste (environment)
— Creative cities and consolidation of achievements in the areas of water, electricity, basic social services, mobility and infrastructure.
This huge commitment by the international community shows the trust they have in Sall. Sall is quickly gaining a global reputation as a reformer with a vision of creating a better Senegal. This reaffirming of their trust at the last hour of his presidency speak volumes.
Gambians living in Angola have called on the President Adama Barrow government do something about Gambian immigrants who are currently languishing in prisons in Angola.
It comes as the Gambian consul in Angola, Haji Jawara, early November told The Fatu Network that Gambians were being arrested in that country.
A Gambian immigrant in Angola speaking to The Fatu Network on Monday said “three Gambian citizens are arrested and been imprisoned in a province in Angola called Malange.”
“These Gambians have been arrested since October 3. We are really concerned about them since they have no one to stand up to their case,” the Gambian immigrant speaking on condition of anonymity said.
According to him, the Gambian consular to Angola is aware of the issue but has so far failed to take any steps.
“Mauritanians living in Angola were faced with a similar problem but their government has intervened. We want our own government to come to our aid,” he said.
President Adama Barrow on Monday said the 50 kilometres road and four bridges he flagged off in the Upper River Region is the beginning of a ‘lot of great things that we shall achieve together.’
President Barrow at the weekend travelled to Basse, URR where he presided over the official commencement of a number of developmental projects among them roads and bridges. His supporters say the projects once completed will turn around the country’s fortunes.
“A 50KM road and four bridges for Upper River Region! This is the beginning of a lot great things that we shall achieve together. Join me in building a GAMBIA FOR ALL!” the President said on his official Facebook page on Monday.
The president’s Monday comments come after a number of speeches he gave at various meetings held in the Upper River Region.
Leader of People’s Progressive Party Omar Jallow has urged members of opposition APRC to thank God and keep quiet.
“I did an interview some time ago in response to Yankuba Colley and I said ‘if I were an APRC, I should thank God and keep quiet. Because if they talk about press freedom, in the last 18 months how many journalists have been detained in this country? How many journalists have been imprisoned or tortured in this country? How many journalists have run away to be refugees in other countries? During Yahya Jammeh’s time, that was the norm under APRC,” Mr Jallow speaking at a press conference organized by PPP on Monday said.
Opposition APRC at the weekend accused the President Adama Barrow-led government of seizing their properties even as they called for former President Yahya Jammeh’s ‘unconditional’ return.
But reacting to the APRC’s claims on Monday, Mr Jallow who served as a minister in the Barrow government said “I think only Gambians who have lost their memories can go and support APRC.”
“Gambians are forgiving people but let them not push people to the wall. For I have said I have forgiven him after being imprisoned for 22 times, after losing my left eye through torture. And so many other things they have done in this country. For Fabakary Tombong Jatta to stand there… When they shot 14 students in this country, armless students where were they?” he said.
Mr Jallow also said what goes around comes around as he reacted to the APRC’s claims that their properties have been seized.
“Sometimes they say he wants to come back, that they seized their property… [But Jammeh] six vehicles of the PPP and gave it to his party. You’re telling me about seizing your property? Come on man, what goes around, comes around,” he said.
Former president Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara will attend the People’s Progressive Party’s national congress to be held later this month, party officials have said.
PPP will hold a three-day elective congress starting December 28 with about 530 delegates including senior party officials expected to attend the event, party leader Omar Jallow told journalists at a press conference held at the party’s office in Latrikunda on Monday.
According to Mr Jallow, ex-president Jawara, 92, will attend the event alongside other past leaders of PPP.
They will discuss the party’s future and also elect a new national executive.
The People’s Progressive Party will hold a three-day elective congress later this month, the party has said.
About 530 delegates including senior party officials will meet at YMCA in Kanifing for a party congress that will start on December 28, party leader Omar Jallow told journalists at a press conference held at the party’s office in Latrikunda on Monday. They will discuss the party’s future and also elect a new national executive.
According to Mr Jallow, the event will be the first of its kind since a ban that was imposed on the party by the military junta was lifted.
National Assembly Member for Jimara constituency Alhagie Sowe has said that he has learnt with ‘great shock’ the political campaign currently embarked upon in some villages in his constituency by some members of the ECOMIG forces believed to be Senegalese soldiers and also some Gambian soldiers attached to the security of President Adama Barrow’s mother, Aja Juma Jallow.
“This is not only a professional misconduct from the soldiers (both ECOMIG and Gambian soldiers) in this practice but also a provocation to us as politicians responsible for the Constituency, Mr Sowe who is an opposition lawmaker said in a statement made available to The Fatu Network.
Jimara constituency is in the Upper River Region and it’s where President Adama Barrow comes from.
Mr Sowe: “Gambian soldiers and ECOMIG forces must stop the campaign immediately without delay. They are assigned by their superiors and the authorities responsible to provide security only for the president’s mother but not to assist her in campaigning for her son, the president of the Republic.
“In my capacity as the Honourable National Assembly Member for Jimara, I condemn the act and urged the concerned soldiers to desist from such practice immediately. Soldiers in general especially ECOMIG forces should not interfere in our country’s politics.”
President Adama Barrow has vowed to engage a controversial socio-political group that has been set up in his name.
President Barrow Youths for National Development was set up in February 2018 to help push President Barrow’s development agenda. However, the group continues to face severe criticism in some quarters. Supporters of the United Democratic Party accuse members of the group of trying to undermine their party. Leader of UDP Ousainou Darboe earlier this month said his party will not recognize any other group or movement aside the party’s youth wing in what was a sly dig aimed at the group.
But speaking at a meeting in Foday Kunda, Wuli East on Sunday, President Barrow said he will do anything he could to support President Barrow Youths for National Development.
“Be aware that we are pleased with you and we will stand by you since you are not doing anything that is against the law. You have been building boreholes for people. You have been delivering gardens for people. You are constructing public toilets for people. You are providing grinding machines for people. That only complements the efforts of the government,” Mr Barrow said.
“So anyone who criticizes that, then you have another agenda. You have another agenda because all the organizations in this country are many. Every community you see has an organization. Every party you see has an organization. Every ethnic group has an organization. We have all these organizations but it’s only one organization that they mention, that they smear so as to dismantle it which is President Barrow Youths for National Development.”
The president of the Gambia Press Union has called on Minister of Justice Abubacarr Tambadou to refuse being used by politicians.
“Interests are there but your conviction as a human rights defender, your conviction as a somebody who believes that every Gambian right matters, every Gambian life matter, I expect and I have no doubt in my mind that anything for press freedom you will safeguard that and hopefully if politicians say no that, we will see you tendering your resignation again and then this time not even Barrow will stop you from walking out,” Sheriff Bojang Jnr told the Justice Minister at a press conference held at Tango on Sunday in commemoration of the 14th anniversary of the death of Deyda Hydara.
Deyda Hydara is a Gambian journalist who was assassinated on December 16, 2004 as he returned home from work.
Mr Bojang commenting on the life of Mr Hydara said “we should keep on fighting for those draconian laws to be completely wiped out from our law books so that we have conducive atmosphere to operate as journalists, to live as journalists, to live as Gambians but also to keep the hopes of Deyda Hydara alive.”
“At Gambia Press Union, we will not relent. We will work with partners, with stakeholders. The government is not our enemy. We work together based on mutual understanding, based on mutual respect, based on mutual interest,” he said.
On Breaking Barriers: Letter to my President (Part 1)
I Hail you thou Prince of Mankamang Kunda!
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, wo buka daa janni” (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.