By Alhagie Jobe: Sheriff Bojang, Gambia’s former Minister of Information and Communication who left the country to neighbouring Senegal jumping from the sinking government of defiant President Yahya Jammeh, has finally cleared the air.

In a statement confirming his position on the political impasse in the country, Mr Bojang said it is his considered opinion and stance that the results of the December 1st election represent a true reflection of the sovereign will of the Gambian people. He said the current attempts while appearing to have a veneer of constitutionalism are in fact an attempt to subvert the express will of the Gambian electorate saying, the people have spoken and they could not have spoken louder and clearer.

Mr Bojang who was on Monday replaced on his Cabinet position by National Assembly member Seedy Njie, acknowledged Adama Barrow as the President-elect of The Gambia stemming from the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah. He then called on President Jammeh to respect the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah he so much expressly believes in, and start the transition and hand over power within the stipulated 60 days from the elections.

Below is the full message by Mr Bojang

Statement by the Former Minister of Information & Communication,
Sheriff Bojang on the Political Impasse in The Gambia

أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ (A’udhu billahi min ash-shaytaan-ir-rajeem)
I begin in the name of Allah the Most High, the Most Clement and the Giver of Wisdom.

I begin this statement by hereby announcing that I have taken the decision, and written to the relevant high authority to the effect that I have resigned from the Government and the Cabinet as Minister of Information & Communication Infrastructure with immediate effect.

I hereby wish to thank His Excellency, President Yahya AJJ Jammeh for according me the onerous opportunity to serve my country in the high office of Minister of State for exactly the past two years this month.

On 1st December 2016, the people of The Gambia went to the polls to elect a new head of state. After the final tally of votes Mr Adama Barrow of the Coalition was duly announced winner and declared president-elect. President Jammeh conceded defeat and pledged to work with Mr Barrow on a transition.

However on 5th December 2016, the electoral commission issued a statement clarifying that when the total votes per region were being tallied, certain figures were “inadvertently transposed”. The error was corrected and did not change the status quo.

On 9th December 2016, President Jammeh announced his rejection of the results. Subsequently, petitions were filed at the Supreme Court, which among other things call for a declaration of the nullification of the results, a rerun of the polls.

It is my considered opinion and stance that the results of the December 1st election represent a true reflection of the sovereign will of the Gambian people. The current attempts while appearing to have a veneer of constitutionalism are in fact an attempt to subvert the express will of the Gambian electorate. The people have spoken and they could not have spoken louder and clearer. They want change. A disaggregation of results shows that apart from the Fonis, the APRC and President Jammeh secured a 50+ per cent majority in only 3 out of 53 constituencies.

The APRC has no one to blame but itself for its dismal performance at the polls. We took very impolitic decisions from mid-2015 which led to a haemorrhaging of support from our traditional bases and made the party unappealing to new millennial voters. The Gambia has decided and we must accept and respect this decision.

This is the time for clear thinking and not burying of heads in the sand. To remain relevant, the APRC must take the hard decisions and make the necessary systemic and structural changes within the party.

The first of these hard decisions should be the dropping of petitions at the apex court, re-engaging President-elect Barrow and his Coalition team and expediting the transition arrangement.

I hereby appeal to my colleagues in cabinet, among them some of the finest ladies and gentlemen of the first order, and of course including His Excellency President Jammeh, to look into their conscience and take the right decision within the most reasonable time for the present and future of our vulnerable little Gambia. It is never too late to do the right thing.

I want to apologise to my colleagues in Cabinet that since the President’s December 9th announcement, my refusal to attend all cabinet meetings despite some of their entreaties was not meant as an affront or rebuff to anyone but a symbolic gesture of my opposition to what is taking place.

Finally, I have been heartened by comments – with the exception of one (an interview granted to The Guardian of London by a senior member of the Coalition) – from President-elect Barrow, Halifa Sallah, Ousainou Darboe and others on their vision of the post-Jammeh Gambia.

I hereby acknowledge Mr Adama Barrow as the President-elect of The Gambia stemming from the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah. I also call on President Jammeh to respect the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah he so much expressly believes in, and start the transition and hand over power within the stipulated 60 days from the elections.

In taking this decision and making this statement I have not sought the undue advice or help of anyone within or outside The Gambia and I am not seeking the validation or otherwise of any person or group.
Baba Sheriff Bojang
Issued in Dakar
Monday 9th December 2016

Paradise FM, a private radio station, in The Gambia has confirmed that the Ministry of Information has revoked its licenses to operate.

The move came barely 24 hours after the authorities ordered for its shut down as the sinking Yahya Jammeh government is all out on a major media crackdown as the political impasse heightens.

A one line letter signed by one Saul Njie of the Ministry of Information and Communication and Infrastructure addressed to the Management of the radio station, dated 9th January 2017 reads: “I am directed to inform you that your licence to operate has been revoked with immediate effect. Thanks for your cooperation”.

Earlier, all three other radio stations namely Taranga FM, Hiltop FM, Afriradio FM where all ordered to seize operation as the political drama in the country intensifies. It is though not confirmed if they equally have their licence been revoke.

By Alhagie Jobe: Nigerian President Muhammadou Buhari who is also the chief mediator in Gambia’s political impasse will lead another delegation comprising three presidents to Banjul on Wednesday, January 11th, in what ECOWAS called ‘a final effort at resolution’, Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama has confirmed after the Nigeria meeting.

The meeting hosted on Monday in Abuja by Nigerian President Buhari on the Gambia situation was attended by Senegal’s Macky Sall, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Ghana’s former President John Mahama who is also a co-mediator and ECOWAS Commission President Marcel de Souza.

In his twitter feed after the meeting, the Nigerian chief diplomat said the Gambia mediation meeting is now over adding President Buahri will lead a delegation to discuss with President Jammeh on Wednesday, January 11th, in a final effort of the resolution.

“Leaders concerned about deteriorating Gambia situation especially closure of media organizations, arrests and looming refugee situation. The Gambia political crisis will be resolved in manner that conforms to the Constitution and respects the people’s will” Foreign Minister Onyeama said.

The ECOWAS bloc said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a December 1st election in The Gambia, where incumbent President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to opposition coalition Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the December 1st election, but a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by “foreign influences” and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation. ECOWAS has since placed standby forces on alert in case Mr Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19th.

Mr Jammeh called the bloc’s stance “a declaration of war”, and said he will defend himself. He said ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia’s internal affairs, and that Gambians should await the outcome of a legal challenge that his APRC party has lodged at the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Mr Jammeh’s hopes at the Supreme Court has been dashed away as the five Nigerian judges who were recently appointed and expected to sit over his APRC party election petition are no longer traveling to Banjul as expected.

A leak letter from the Nigerian acting Chief Justice Onnoghen sent to the Gambia’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice reveals that justices are usually scheduled to sit in Gambia’s Supreme Court in the months of May and November.

“Based on this long established understanding, our court sitting schedule is usually drawn up with the consideration of this assignment. The dates of the court sittings in the Gambia are unfavorable and will greatly affect our case management” the letter from the acting Nigerian Chief Justice Onnoghen says.

By Alhagie Jobe: The sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, say they are still pursuing mediation to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia where longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh refused to hand over power after conceding defeat in last month election, Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf confirmed on Saturday.

Sirleaf told waiting journalists after a meeting among regional leaders in Ghana’s capital Accra after the inauguration of new President Nana Akufo-Addo that the regional bloc did not ‘yet’ intend to deploy its standby military force in The Gambia.

“We are committed to a peaceful mediation and a peaceful transfer of power in the Gambia……we will continue to pursue that for now,” said Sirleaf who chairs the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Asked if the regional group would deploy a standby force soon, she said “no”, adding that ECOWAS was closely monitoring proceedings in The Gambia’s Supreme Court where Yahya Jammeh is challenging the poll result.

Mr Jammeh, a former coup leader who has ruled Gambia for 22 years with iron-fist, initially accepted his defeat by opposition coalition leader Adama Barrow in the December 1st election. But a week later reversed his position, vowing to hang onto power despite a wave of regional and international condemnation.

Diplomats are concerned the impasse over the poll could escalate quickly into violence.

The United States warned its citizens on Saturday against visiting The Gambia. “The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to The Gambia because of the potential for civil unrest and violence in the near future. On January 7, 2017, the Department of State ordered the departure of family members and authorized the departure of all employees who need to accompany those individuals from the country” the statement said.

The United Nations had earlier announced that it is also relocating its staff to Senegal ahead of the January 19th would-be controversial day for Barrow’s inauguration.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations’ top official in West Africa, also attended the special closed-door meeting, which was the first official engagement by Ghana’s new President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Meanwhile, the quick change to a soft position by ECOWAS discouraged and killed the spirit of many Gambians.

Gambians are angrily expressing their views on social media saying their dreams have been faded and the future becomes empty after 22 years of suffering yet still Gambians can’t manage to decide their destiny.

Many say the ECOWAS decision “to keep the region peaceful” will unfortunately embolden Jammeh more though military intervention as elsewhere, should be an absolute last resort but incumbent President Jammeh is unhinged and doesn’t know or do diplomacy.

The ongoing tour by members of the National Security Council of the failed Yahya Jammeh’s government is a total failure, security sources within the entourage has confirmed to this medium.

The National Security Council members began a countrywide tour on Thursday, January 5, 2017 to visit all security installation in the country aimed at convincing security forces to renew loyalty to defiant and outgoing President Yahya Jammeh who was defeated in the elections and refused to step down when his term ends on January 19th.

The delegation on the tour includes the Army chief Ousman Bargie, Interior Minister MA Bah, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Momodou Sowe, and Police Operation boss, Landing Bojang. The Vice President and Chairman of the National Security Council who was expected to lead the delegation backed off in the last minutes based on health reasons.

According to our sources, the tour is so far a failure and waste of state resources. “Nothing important is being said since we started the tour. They are only telling the security officers that outgoing President Yahya Jammeh is very proud of them (soldiers) for maintaining the peace and stability of the nation and that security officers should remain loyal to him (Jammeh)”.

Our sources further stated that CDS Bargie warned Senegal that if they should mistakenly or try to invade The Gambia, they will ever regret it as they will be killed like flies. “Let Senegal try it and see what will be the outcome” CDS Bargie bet, insisting that he will never allow the Senegalese security to enter The Gambia and advised officers not to involve in politics.

Meanwhile, West African leaders said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a December 1st election in The Gambia, where incumbent President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to opposition coalition Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the December 1st election, but a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by “foreign influences” and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation.

ECOWAS has since placed a standby forces on alert in case Mr Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19th. Mr Jammeh called the bloc’s stance “a declaration of war”, and said he will defend himself. He said ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia’s internal affairs.

The United States Mission in Banjul on Friday advised all its nationals in The Gambia to stock up food, be vigilant and take precautionary measures as the country plunges into a political nightmare.

At a town hall meeting held at the Ambassador’s residence in Fajara, the US diplomats further advised all US nationals that they may leave the country if they wish ahead of January 19th, when President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to handover power to President-elect Barrow.

The town hall meeting was well attended prompting the organizers to convene two sessions as an estimated 1,000+ crowd of American citizens, including many of Gambian heritage attended.

US Ambassador Alsup spoke of the “change that is coming to The Gambia” and expressed strong support for the President-elect who she said The Gambians chose as their new president. She said the embassy will be issuing a travel alert/warning shortly and will be scaling down to a small staff of 8 in other to send embassy families to Dakar.

“The embassy is encouraging American citizens to consider leaving, since evacuation of large numbers would be difficult. If an evacuation takes place (probably by bus) it would be to Senegal, not to the States” she said.

Advice was given for those choosing to stay to secure at least a gallon of water per person each day, adequate food and medicine for a week, etc.

Ambassador Alsup called on nationals to register at www.travel.state.gov on their STEP program to receive email updates from the embassy about Gambian developments. (anyone can register, even in the States). She said that next Tuesday will be a day of potential conflict due to the Supreme Court hearing.
She also announced that the American Embassy School has decided not to open on Monday or Tuesday. She also assured the audience that the embassy was working closely with neighboring countries to reach a diplomatic solution.

Meanwhile, West African leaders said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a December 1st election in The Gambia, where incumbent President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to opposition coalition Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the December 1st election, shocking Gambians who have lived through his repressive rule since he took power in a 1994 coup, and triggering celebrations in the streets. But a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by “foreign influences” and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation.

ECOWAS has since placed a standby forces on alert in case Mr Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19th. Mr Jammeh called the bloc’s stance “a declaration of war”, and said he will defend himself. He said ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia’s internal affairs.

The sub-regional bloc is meeting in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, this Saturday, January 7th, 2017 to take what they call a “major decision” on the political impasse.

The leader of the Opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), Mama Kandeh has reiterated his call a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Adama Barrow by outgoing President Yahya Jammeh.

Kandeh who was Presidential candidate of the GDC in the December Presidential election that showed Yahya Jammeh lost to Adama Barrow insisted at a press conference on Friday at the Baobab Hotel that his party’s position on the political impasse remain same.

“The position of GDC does not change. We have accepted the defeat. We call for peaceful transfer of power,” Kandeh said.

He called on both parties – the outgoing and incoming, to open line of communication to ensure a smooth transfer of power. He said his party is ready to sit on the negotiation table adding that they would continue to facilitate for peaceful solution.

“How can we resolve our problem without talking? The Gambia is bigger than all of us. We are not supporting any military intervention,” he said.

Hon. Kandeh reiterated his call on all political parties to come together to resolve the political impasse.

“We are not in war, it is a political problem which can be resolve peacefully. I’m calling on all to sit on the negotiating table. There is no time to waste. Let us come together as Gambians” he said.

The GDC leader further called on political parties and supporters to open a new page for the Gambia. He expressed concern about the rumors of people buying cutlasses on standby for any fight in the country saying the matter is getting serious.

Meanwhile, Kandeh declined to comment on the APRC election petition filed at the Supreme Court, but pointed that the Outgoing President Jammeh has no powers to annul the results or calling for fresh election and should accept defeat and handover power peacefully.