By Alex Darboe

Gambians are the most interesting human beings in the world.Our young people fill up the stadium for music concerts and religious gatherings and yet can’t take to the streets to save their own lives.

Young people are dying daily due to poorly equipped hospitals and all we do is pray to a God above that will never come down to save us.

We happily beg donations for our sick and poor but can’t force the government to take care of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.

No body should ever go through the humiliation and indignity of begging the public for money to pay their health care bills to stay alive.

We need to decolonize our minds from religious beliefs that don’t serve us.We need a cultural revolution.Why spend millions on religious houses while our hospitals and schools become cesspits of criminal incompetence with catastrophic consequences?

It’s not our lot in life to die of simple diseases and crushing poverty without relief to our existential misery.

Gambia is tossed.No jobs.No light.No water for the people.There is no light at the end of the tunnel.I can’t believe I celebrated Jammeh’s removal for a worse government.

The writer, Alhassan Alex Darboe, is based in the United States.

I only hope the propagated and disturbing rumor in town that the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has been compelled by our hopeless Security-Sector Reformers to forge a list of 1200 “undesirable soldiers”, predominantly from the Jola tribe-80% precisely-for dismissal is fake news.

It is evident that the strict condition laid by the 15-member ECOWAS regional block to the Gambia government for another extension of the mandate of ECOMIG in the country during their 57th extraordinary session at Niger on September 7 to 9, 2020, was the urgent need to speed-up the long-overdue Security Security Reform (SSR) dragging for almost four years now. Of course we all know that the SSR is an unachievable objective because of the falsehood on which it was conceived.

But that said, instead of explaining to the block that the process was stalled by the unexpected effect of the global COVID-19 pandemic that prematurely forced the hired “Toubab experts” solely relied upon for solution to go back home, they turned to the brain-dead Gambian specialists for rapid answers, no matter how dumb.

Yes, ECOWAS urgently needs something tangible as soon as possible irrespective of the absence of the “superior Toubabs” believed to only have the answers whereas our low IQ national security pundits have nothing to offer but to resort to shameless casteism on Jolas in uniform.

A similar unfair expulsion of Generals Modou Sowe ( GAF operation commander), M.A. Bah (interior minister), Musa Savage ( GAF state guard commander) and Sillah Kujabi (GAF navy commander) by the Barrow government in early 2017 based on no palpable criteria still remains a mystery especially when Generals Masaneh Kinteh (ambassador to Cuba and former GAF CDS), Yankuba Drammeh ( GAF Deputy CDS) and Mamat Cham (dismissed captain for 22 years, reinstated and promoted to general) were retained in the system.

Anyway for providing no reason at for those baffling firing and hiring, leaves me the only option of calling it partisanship.

But let’s say that that was then, when one would have assumed that irrational emotions dictated numerous stupid decisions from the new unschooled government; however, given the subsequent, discriminatory tendency of the TRRC against members of the Jola tribe, demonized for three consecutive years because former President Jammeh was a member, I could see the absurdity of weeding the Jola soldiers inherently influenced by such stigmatization. Because in my view what the Essa Faals have achieved in “prosecuting” the defenseless Jolas in particular at the TRRC implies a tribe that was during the APRC regime bent on no good intentions or activities towards the nation other than to support the systematic persecution, rape and execution of innocent Gambians on the orders and participation of the “Chief Jola”, former President Yahya Jammeh.

Essa could shed hypocritical tears in sympathy with a confessed serial murderer like Sana Sabally, immunized Alagie Kanyi and apologized to a confirmed torturer and murderer like Edward Singhateh who were left to go free with their gross-human rights violations and crimes only because of their Non-Jola heritage but any other Jola that could help in justifying the TRRC’s ill-conceived scheme of demonizing the Foni and Cassa-Based tribe had to be subjected to humiliation, harassment and possible punishment.

But the question is, where is this leading us as a nation in search of the truth for reconciliation when a 1000 soldiers, simple breadwinners are thrown in the streets in this global economic fallout from COVID-19 that has caused a recession last known in history during World-War Two? If this is not heartlessness on steroid, I don’t know what is.

It has also been rumored that Staff Sergeant Lamin Jarju the soldier who had asked at the TRRC the reason why the foreign-orchestrated-armed attacks on Farafenni and Kartong Barracks in 1996 and 1997 respectively where nine GAF soldiers were cold-bloodedly murdered was not part of the TRRC investigation is earmarked for dismissal. Again, I only wish it is a mere rumor and nothing factual about it. Yet still I believe he asked an honest question that was ridiculously answered; but if this fellow is fired for only asking that legitimate question then it will be fair to once again attribute such verdict to another quintessential victimization of another poor Jola young man.

If these rumored decisions of the government are true, I wish to appeal to both Presidents Adama Barrow and Mackey Sall to do whatever necessary to prevent their implementation. President Barrow may not have the capacity to see what I am driving at but I believe President Sall should, since the latter is zealously involved in the Gambia’s security organization and maintenance. Trust me, continuing to persecute members of the Jola tribe in the armed forces is a very bad idea with potentials of grave consequences.

Let’s for once get this straight folks, JOLA LIVES MATTER.

I rest my case.

Thanks for reading.

SAMSUDEEN SARR

BANJUL, THE GAMBIA

Gambians should start questioning this government’s seriousness towards the security sector reform or even ask President Adama Barrow whether he is comfortable with the presence of foreign forces?

Many Gambians are beginning to worry that this could be another lost opportunity for The Gambia .

It was yet again disappointing listening to Barrow begging Ecowas to extend Ecomig forces stay in the country, directly telling the whole world his administration has failed in its reform agenda. What a disappointment?

Nothing has been put in place to demonstrate that any progress had been made towards the security sector reform.

By asking for the extension of the Ecomig mandate, it shows that Barrow has no clue in how to address the security challenges.

His failed leadership is demonstrated in our fragile democracy. I think Barrow should have told his fellow African leaders his inability to lead this country to the promised land.

Not only the reforms but all sectors of government are crumbling.

The culture of corruption in gov’t is also a cause for concern.

Yes, under Jammeh, the security was politicised but they were performing but what are we seeing under Barrow?

The security sector is in a mess and hopeless state.

Our securities are left in a state of uncertainty they don’t even know whether they worth anything at all in a country they were supposed to provide security .

Barrow is a good lesson for Gambians and I hope they will avoid re-electing him as president in 2021.

Gambia wake up, Barrow is holding this country on siege.

MC Cham Jnr
GDC National Youth President

The Gambia has had many towering giants in the area of Islamic scholarship and preaching (da’wah); the late Sheikh Omar Jarjusey stands out as one of the finest we have ever seen in this field of human endeavour.

Sheikh Omar Jarjusey commonly known as Jarjusey is a native of Jarra soma. He was born in 1925 in Soma. He did most parts of his early education in Jarra Bureng. His father’s name is Foday Sona Jarjusey and his mother Aja Bintou Ceesay. He started his education in local Islamic schools called (karanta or Majlis) in Jarra Bureng. It was from the Majlis where he started learning the Quran and sunnah before starting his journey in search of knowledge which took him five years before reaching his destination, Saudi Arabia.

In the early 1950s he began his journey to the Saudi Arabia in order to seek knowledge to be able to pursue his dreams of propagating Islam. He is among the first Gambians who walked all the way to mecca with on foot in search of knowledge.

Along the way he was engaged in farming and other trades at every stop he had in order to gather some money to continue to his destination. He passed through Sudan, before arriving in Saudi Arabia. He had his first stop in Casamance in a village called Tamba Kunda where he gathered some funds and continued his journey.

Sheikh Jarjusey finally arrived at his destination after five years of hardship. Upon reaching Saudi Arabia, he found out that the norm during those days was to work for a year before starting studies in order to feed yourself during your studies. He studied Shariati Islamia for five years. During those days there was no formal schooling, students converged in the ‘Haram’ (surroundings of the Kaaba) in order to take lectures.

There was no formal system and no certificates were given in those days. It was in a form of a Majlis where Islamic principles were taught. Upon completion of his five years of studying Islam, he was advised by one of his senior lecturers called ‘Mufti’ to further spread the message of Islam in The Gambia.

Upon his return in 1958, he established majlis in different parts of the country, where thousands of Gambians learned about the Quran and sunnah. He toured the length and breadth of this country to spread the word of Islam. Many majlis schools were created in every village that he visited in this country which were later turned to be Arabic schools.

He was a member of the famous Islamic union with its headquarters in Talinding Arabic Institute, which was formed in 1953. Jarjusey, being the force behind the union, they were able to build about one hundred and sixty schools across the country.

The union secured scholarships for many people in the country to further their education. He was the supervisor and advisor to the executive committee of the union. Among other things, they built mosques in different parts of the country. He regularly conducted annual supervision missions throughout the country since in the 80s up to his demise in 2014 in making sure those schools were well equipped with qualified teachers. According to his close associates, Jarjusey was never ready to take a break or rest while in the service of Islam even when he fell sick. He believed that it is a task upon him that must be executed.

He was not only a member of the Islamic Union but almost all the Islamic associations in the country which includes the supreme Islamic council and AMANA.

Jarjusey spent the whole of his life in teaching and preaching about the fundamental principles of Islam in every nook and cranny of The Gambia. He is well known for his bravery, and selfless service in defending the words of Allah. Being an Arabic teacher and a supervisor for over three decades at Tallinding Arabic institute, he nurtured thousands of students to become experts in their various fields. He transformed that institution into a formidable and well-structured institution that is well known for excellence.

During his tenure as supervisor of the main Arabic Institute, it produced numerous distinguished scholars and experts in all walks of life. Amongst his students are Dr. Baba Ceesay and Dr. Jawla, both university lecturers; and the current imam of Guinea Bissau’s main mosque is said to have been his student. Some of his students are teaching in the Gambia college’s Islamic sections.

Jarjusey was a man with rare talents whose passion for promoting Islamic education was exemplary . He was an icon among our Arabic/Islamic scholars and his contribution towards Islamic studies in The Gambia is awe-inspiring. He led an eventful life striving so hard to better the lives of thousands of Gambians. He devoted the whole of his life to the service of Allah, may his soul rest in peace.

Basiru O. Ceesay

By Madi Jobarteh

The legal advisers of Pres. Barrow must guide him to know, first and foremost, that he needs to obtain the approval of the National Assembly to bring, maintain and extend the presence of foreign forces in the Gambia. The Constitution states in Section 79(1)(c) that while it is the responsibility of the President to negotiate treaties and other international agreements, the conclusion of such negotiation is subject to the approval of the National Assembly.

The presence of foreign forces in the Gambia is a matter of international agreement. Hence the President must follow the constitutional requirements to make such agreements stand. Therefore, the decision by ECOWAS leaders to extend ECOMIG’s stay in the Gambia cannot stand until Barrow takes the decision to the National Assembly to seek their approval first. Failure to do so would be unconstitutional hence the presence of ECOMIG in the country would also be a violation of the Constitution which is enough grounds to impeach the President.

One would have thought that Pres. Barrow would have the good sense to first go to the National Assembly to seek their approval before going to ask ECOWAS to maintain ECOMIG in this country. That would have been a demonstration of a sense of responsibility, respect for the National Assembly and submission to the dictates of the Constitution thereby enhancing the good governance of the country. But disappointingly, Barrow failed to do the responsible thing.

Secondly I find no justification why ECOMIG should continue to remain in this country. There is no security issue of any kind to justify their continued presence. Rather ECOMIG’s presence undermines the security sector reform thereby endangering national security as a whole. The evidence of that lie in the fact that until now no security agency has reformed to any satisfactory level. Therefore, I totally disagree with the President when he told ECOWAS leaders that disarmament and demobilization of troops was an issue in the Gambia. I disagree with him further when he also said that the security sector reform process is ongoing.

Disarmament and demobilization take place in a country that underwent actual armed conflict or civil war in which the national army was shattered with armed civilians and rebel groups all over the place and guns littering the space. This kind of situation has never been our experience in the Gambia. There is no situation where small arms are scattered around the country in people’s hands as it was in Sierra Leone or Liberia which went through an actual civil war. Even with the impasse, the Gambia army remained intact as one body. Some soldiers did flee immediately the Tyrant left but they never posed a threat as there was never an attempted incursion from 2017 to date. Therefore, what justification does Pres. Barrow has to speak about disarmament and demobilization.

What is obvious is that both the political leadership and the military/security leadership of this country are not interested in security sector reforms. This is why apart from promotions of officers the very structure, culture and modus operandi of the military, police, intelligence and prisons among others remained essentially the same as before. Therefore Pres. Barrow needs to be honest and take the necessary leadership to insist on his security chiefs to make reforms a reality.

It is almost four years now since Barrow took office and still there is no review of the Police Act, the NIA Act, the Prisons Act, the Immigration Act, Drug Control Act, the GRA Act or the Gambia Armed Forces Act. Security sector reform cannot kick off without first doing a review of the laws that established the security agencies in the first place. At the same time there has been no review of the state of affairs in the respective security agencies so as to understand their challenges, conditions of service, welfare and their needs. Such reviews are necessary to modernize and professionalize these institutions and bring them in line with international standards for security agencies in a democracy. It is this kind of assessments that will identify instances of corruption, abuse and weaknesses so that solutions are proffered.

I recall that it was in August 2017 that the Gambia Government established the security sector reforms steering committee comprising ministers and ambassadors of international partners. The committee went further to set up a 27-member technical working group which they said was meant to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the security and justice needs of the people and the state as the basis for the envisaged security sector reforms. Where is their report? What is the status of implementation? Clearly the reality indicates that no change has taken place so far.

Then in May 2019 the President appointed the former Minister of Justice Tambedou to become the new chair of this steering committee of ministers and ambassadors. Tambedou had since left yet no one hears about what this steering committee had done or is doing. Apart from that, we also have the Office of the National Security. Nowadays, one hardly hears about that office or what it is doing. Therefore, how can Pres. Barrow stand before his colleagues to tell them that his Government is undertaking security sector reforms? More seriously, why would Pres. Barrow generate self-inflicting fears, imaginary scenarios and false information just to try to convince ECOWAS of the need for ECOMIG’s continued and unconstitutional presence in the Gambia?

I wish to therefore call on the President to withdraw his baseless intention to maintain ECOMIG in the Gambia. Rather he needs to go to the National Assembly to respectfully inform them that he has canceled the presence of foreign forces in our country. For that matter the Pres. Barrow should undertake security sector reforms more vigorously with seriousness knowing full well that the presence of foreign forces undermines his connection with his troops and his ability to perform his duties as the Commander-In-Chief. He needs to hold security chiefs by the neck to ensure that they deliver on reforms ASAP!

Failure to do so, I urge the National Assembly to summon the President under Section 77(2) to put it to him that they do not approve of the presence of ECOMIG and order him to make sure that ECOMIG leaves the shores of the Gambia within 30 days. Failure to do so means the National Assembly is also reneging on its duties with great harm to the Republic.

The need and urgency for security sector reforms cannot be overemphasized. This is because the whole game of Dictatorship was about violence and fear in which security agencies are at the centre and front. Hence the transformation of the Gambia from Dictatorship to Democracy will be grossly inadequate so long as our security agencies are not transformed toward and in line with democratic norms and standards. Anyone who downplays security sector reforms will only serve to maintain the Gambia as a Dictatorship. The slow, if not the lack of security sector reforms so far is precisely the reason why this country cannot still witness system change, hence in our inability to bring about true democracy and good governance.

As citizens we must all raise our voices to demand both the President and the National Assembly to stand for the national interest by removing ECOMIG out of the Gambia ASAP.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

Where is The Gambia heading to? As food and other basic amenities continue to skyrocket with citizens not seeing any solution being taken by the government to address the looming hardship.

Is the government turning a blind eye and deaf ears to this venom trying to plunge hardship on the lives of the public?

It’s worrying and perplexing seeing Gambia still stagnated in development for over five decades. All what the citizens hear from their duty-bearers is talk- talk -talk with no implementational action to bring those promises into reality! All is loud-mouth. Big talks and no action! And I hope this game must stop.

One would doubt the honesty of our governments of these decades – with little over 2 million people and still now half of the population live in abject poverty! Not this issue can be kept silent in any heart of any citizen who really cares for the future of his/her country. Not me and I hope not you also.

Fuel price and food prices are skyrocketing, electricity and water bills are no-go arena to talk about as NAWEC’s continues so erratic in supplying power to the public on a daily basis. Any yet, we haven’t seen any step taken by the government of the country in addressing this venom peering into the country, given the fact that more than half of its population live below the World poverty line.

But the scariest issue about this issue is the skyrocketing of basic food commodities – which comes at a time the coronavirus has grounded progress of the World economy, disrupting operations of businesses, and forcing tens of thousands out of job – many of whom are the breadwinners of their families.

The government should know better than anyone that many of those who were laid off in their various workplaces live from hand-to-mouth. So, wouldn’t it be very disturbing for prices on commodities like food and other essential things to life to be rising?

Can you imagine, two roasted bonga fish costs 50 dalasis and not talking about other commodities which no one can survive in life without food. I hope the government would quickly take measures in addressing the problems facing the public sooner.

The writer, Adama Makasuba, is a Gambian journalist.

It is deeply regretted that the Gambia is going back to the days of media censorship, if the Minister of Information asked the QTV Gambia not to air the interview of issues-based host Mr Mboge and the Dynamic Journalist Essau Williams. It means the Government responsible for media do not uphold the current 1997 constitution of the Gambia section (25)(a) that freedom of speech and expression which includes freedom of media, (25)(b) Freedom of thought and conscience including academic freedom.

It can be recalled that the Honourable Minister was a media personnel who stood against Censorship and even exiled when his freedom was not respected. Honourable Minister Sillah should have been in the fore front in providing equal opportunity to the opposition in all state own mediums under his watch as stipulated in the Constitution Section (208) that all state owned Newspapers, Journals and Television shall afford fair opportunities and facilities for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions. The Government of the operates in the contrary to the constitutional provisions as it’s not suitable with their propaganda.

I would like to remind the Barrow Administration that it’s the Constitution Section ( 207)(1) that guarantees the freedom and responsibility of the media and Section (207)(3) States that, The press and other information media shall at all times be free to uphold the principles, provisions and objectives of the Constitution and the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the People of the Gambia.

MC Cham Jnr
GDC National Youth President

By Madi Jobarteh

Minister Ebrima Sillah should apologize immediately to Gambians for his anti-media stance since he took over the position of Minister of Information. The fact that Sillah called the MD of QTV to raise concern about the Esau Williams interview amounted to interference with freedom of the media and imposing censorship. That call is an indirect pressure that sent a coded message to QTV to remove that interview from their YouTube platform. Therefore, it is utterly disingenuous for the Minister to sit before Fatu Network to try to rationalize, distort, mislead and deny his anti-media track record.

If Minister Sillah was not happy with the opinions expressed by Esau Williams in QTV’s Viewpoint show, all he needed to do is to ask QTV to give him a right of reply or use his weekly press briefing to respond to Esau as much as he likes. Therefore, Ebrima Sillah acted unethically to have called QTV. Evidently the Minister therefore infringed upon freedom of the media and freedom of expression for which he must apologize. I hereby call on GPU to send a note of concern to Minister Sillah to ask him to refrain from such underhand tactics just to stifle the media.

In this Fatu Network interview, just as in his interview of Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio last Tuesday, Sillah spared no effort in lambasting and impugning the character of Esau Williams. Why should a Minister of Information, a journalist himself by trade, go after the person of a citizen for his opinions? Why is Ebrima Sillah seeking to undermine the integrity and professionalism of Esau Williams by referring to his work with the BBC. If indeed what Sillah said is true, I am sure Esau Williams knows the terms of employment of BBC hence he would not have violated those terms because Esau is a responsible gentleman. If he did, then by now BBC would have reprimanded, stopped and even sacked Esau Williams. But until today, BBC has not done that and Esau continues to do his job. Therefore, Esau has not violated any law at BBC.

Let me inform Ebrima Sillah that he is not supportive of free press in this country since he became Minister, contrary to his false claim that he stands for a free press. I know this because Sillah had expressed his anti-media stance to me. He had told me, sometime ago about his discomfort with radio talk show hosts that he believes must be controlled. He said some of these radio talk show hosts are not experts and so they cannot just speak about any issues without bringing in experts.

I retorted to him that radio commentators such as Pa Modou Bojang of Membekering radio or Pa Nderry Touray of Star FM or Peter Gomez of West Coast among others do not need to bring any expert. I reminded him that you have radio and television talk show hosts such as Kouthia in Senegal who speaks about every and any issue on TFM television in Senegal everyday and he is not an expert in everything. You have similar talk show hosts across Africa and the world. So why shouldn’t the Gambia have talk show hosts who just speak their mind from anthropology to zoology? I found his concern to be indeed worrying because it is undemocratic and anti media.

If the Government feels a talk show host is spreading wrong information about the Government, then let the Government refute the information. That’s all. The Gambia Government has so many media platforms to use including a Spokesman who writes even better than Shakespeare to respond. Therefore, Ebrima Sillah’s claim that he is for the freedom of the media is unfounded. He is not. The evidence is all over.

For example, when two radio stations were closed arbitrarily and their journalists arrested and detained in January 2020, Ebrima was not outraged about that. Otherwise he would have immediately demanded the IGP to leave the stations alone and to demand accountability for such authoritarian action. Ebrima should have resigned at that very moment unless the radio stations were opened. But Ebrima failed to resign and rather allowed the stations to remain closed for weeks until GPU had to threaten action leading to the National Human Rights Commission to intervene. That was shameful of the Minister.

Since he assumed office, which legal reform has this Minister spearheaded in order to greater protection and promotion of the freedom of the media? All the draconian anti media laws are still in place! In the Criminal Code, Information and Communications Act, the PURA Act as well as in the Newspaper Act, there are multiple anti-media provisions until today. Why has Minister Sillah failed to immediately cause those bad law to change? Because he is not interested in free media.

That the Gambia Government is corrupt is clear as noon day. This is confirmed by the Gambia Government itself. Not long ago, the Minister of Health stood on the floor of the National Assembly to acknowledge corruption. Well before that, in 2018 the Ministry of Finance commissioned a forensic audit of seven state-owned enterprises which showed massive corruption. Until today no action was taken to ensure accountability. Just recently the Auditor General acknowledged massive corruption as the Gambia Government refuses to implement his recommendations to ensure transparency and accountability.

All of these are different from the so-called anonymous donors, the Chinese money in FABB account or the dubious contracts to Semlex, Banjul Road Project, diplomatic passports, COVID funds, mining, and now Securiport at the airport, among many others. Therefore, why should Ebrima Sillah deny that corruption is in his Government? Indeed honesty is not common to all human beings.

Therefore I put it to Ebrima Sillah that what Esau Williams said that there is corruption in the Gambia Government is absolutely true.

I hope Fatu Network will also give me an exclusive interview as they gave to Minister Ebrima Sillah so that I can respond to his unfounded, misleading and hypocritical statements. Until then this is my initial response to the Minster.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

Ever since my first assertion that President Adama Barrow of the Gambia could be clinically dyslexic, I have been adamant on it and trying to confirm my suspicion by collecting and studying all his video speeches in English delivered at home and abroad. I am however finding it very difficult to get the one at the 57th session of the ECOWAS heads of state held at the capital city of the Republic of Niger, Niamey, September 7 to 9, 2020. I was hoping to at least find it at the Gambia-Statehouse Facebook wall where such important events are usually carried; however other than his ceremonial departure from the Gambia, arrival at Niamey, reception at the conference hall, shown in the presidential group picture wearing blue face mask and his final departure after the meeting, nothing of the video-speech was posted. I have also been asking around but yet to find someone to tell me where it can be found. The voice I heard reading some parts of it was not Barrow’s but of some reporter who really seem to understand what he was reading about.

Whereas I do not attribute dyslexia to any lack of intelligence but could instead affect highly intelligent people, I nevertheless remain consistent in my conviction that a dyslexic person has no business being a head of state. It’s like voting a naturally blind or deaf person as president. In the same way a blind and deaf leader would have faced the stumbling block of not seeing or hearing the jurisdiction he/she controls, equally so would a dyslexic head of state be rendered ineffective in carrying his or her duties that requires good reading and comprehension skills. And unless our president is medically proven otherwise I will continue to make this argument no matter what.

Yes, his written speech at the ECOWAS meeting has been shared with every media outlet which doesn’t remotely look like something he can ever write although it highlights one attention-catching issue about the extension of the mandate of ECOMIG in the Gambia that should concern every Gambian.

We all know that the extension request from Barrow was just a formality, because President Mackey Sall, in a trip to France last week was mainly to ask the French government for the funds with a new false narrative that the Gambia is still going through an unstable democratization process for “four God darn years”. Always portraying us as knuckleheads who know no better. For a proof, our president will frequently be exhibited as a classic example of who Gambians are emotionally and intellectually.

Of course, France is very happy with their chief sub-regional puppet Mackey over his firm grip of the Gambia through Adama Barrow, “his brother from another mother” and will keep on financing the troops with endless promises about why it will only serve their Neo-colonial interest.

That could somehow be right but financing the troops also serves the economic interest of the Senegalese army constituting the bulk of the foreign soldiers in the country . In these difficult times they are making a lot of money out of the fraud by rotating contingents in a mission whose termination could cause unpredictable financial difficulties to their over-bloated Armed Forces. Talking about Security-Sector Reform, I even think Senegal now needs it more than the Gambia.

Remember how the so-called ongoing Security-Sector-Reform used to be the only excuse for keeping the troops in the Gambia? With no end in sight of that hopeless reform, they are now including the expected destabilization of the nation from the implementation of the TRRC recommendations. What kind of fools do these people think we are with all these infantile stories?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but looking at the magnitude of the racket, I will not at all be surprised with another justification in the next six months of how they must stay “to ensure that the Gambia’s presidential election is freely and fairly conducted” when their primary objective will be to help their desired candidate rig the polls. France will of course be deceived into always sending the checks to Dakar.

To our liberation strugglers still mulling over their delusion of owning the strategy that voted out the APRC government for a greater and better regime but will never find the honesty of admitting that their hard-fought victory was long ago usurped by France and Senegal, I have another bad news for you. The Senegalese occupation force and political control of the Gambia is here to stay and they will do whatever it takes to perpetuate an NPP government with their preferable leader, President Adama Barrow in charge whom they will sponsor to victory in 2021.

And for the opposition parties forming and hoping to defeat Barrow next year without addressing the destructive Senegalese dominance, I wish to say tough luck to all of you buddies. Other than the APRC assuring the Gambians an immediate expulsion of these useless foreign troops under an illegal arrangement, I hear no party leader discussing what to do with them after victory in 2021. Some, I understand are entertaining clandestine plans of maintaining the same relationship with Senegal and to keep their troops around for lack of trust of our security forces which to me sounds very foolish because Senegal, as far as a Gambian leader is concern, is perfectly satisfied with Barrow’s caliber and collaboration. Any other contender may be too risky for Mackey Sall to choose over his “brother”. So far everything Sall wants for Senegal and France can be achieved through President Adama Barrow whose valuable position of never questioning anything from Dakar is a treasure trove of unspeakable proportion. Why then another Gambian leader especially a smart one who will not want to only appreciate his good meals, join free flights wherever he is ordered to go, enjoy his siestas at international conferences, hide from the press and struggle to read speeches he is coached to regurgitate without understanding their contents? Historically, they have learnt in Presidents Dawda Jawara and Yahya Jammeh that any Gambian chosen for their agenda different from the disposition of “Adama Barrow” is doomed to fail.

Ordinarily, President Barrow should have been the new ECOWAS chairman for having at least another year in office instead of President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana who faces the probability of being voted out of office in their next presidential election due in December, 2020. Although I am rooting in for his reelection.

But I guess after catching a glimpse of our well-fed president seemingly doing what he does best in conference halls, napping in style, they disregarded all the odds and settled for Nana.

In fact his inability to properly read and understand the English language is my only interest to listen to his speech at the Niamey-ECOWAS conference whether by video or audio. I will appreciate anyone knowing where to find the whole speech to please let me know. The recording should be at the GRTS and should have as expected been played for the public by now. But did they? If not, why?

And please spare me the nonsense that our president was merely luckier than others to be elected or that the position was a preordained gift he has received from the Almighty God. I don’t believe in either jive. The job is a responsibility requiring the best performer and certainly a challenge not for infirm minds or clueless notables.

All notable leaders at Niamey, including invalid Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria protested against their irrational counterparts, urging them to respect their constitutional two-terms tenure in office, the hottest global topic affecting Mackey Sall’s fellow French puppets, namely Ouattara and Conde of Ivory Coast and Guinea Conakry respectively. The idiotic practice endorsed by their French masters is now the major cause of national instability to so-called African democracies, likened to coup d’etats and rebellions. Why was Barrow silent on the issue? Did Mackey Sall warn him not to comment on the subject, lest he withdraws his troops that “is stopping the Gambian population from forcing him out of the Statehouse”?

Just for those who didn’t know ,that was exactly how Abdou Joof used to blackmail Sir Dawda Jawara about the importance of the Confederation forces in the Gambia from 1981 to 1989 with Kukoi Samba Sanyang being the boogyman always waiting in the periphery. Jawara at the time didn’t understand that the longer the foreign troops stayed in his country, the harder to replace them when they leave until it was too late. Can’t any of Barrow’s advisers, politicians or technocrats enlighten him about this? Only dumb leaders will depend on foreign forces for their national security.

SAMSUDEEN SARR

BANJUL, THE GAMBIA

Mr. Chairman, Excellencies Heads of State and Government, ECOWAS, AU, UNOWAS, Delegates, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

I extend sincere appreciation to the Chairman, His Excellency, Mr. Mahammadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of Niger for hosting this significant Summit.

By the same token, I thank His Excellency, President Issoufou for the leadership he has demonstrated and the vigour with which he tirelessly coordinated the mediation efforts in the Republic of Mali during these past weeks.

Your Excellencies,

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our sub-region still faces political and security threats, including electoral issues and their negative impact on efforts to sustain an enabling environment for development. This calls for urgent attention and engagement with our partners to find durable solutions to such persistent challenges.

Having said this, I appreciate the efforts undertaken by the ECOWAS Commission and its partners in curbing terrorism in West Africa, especially in the Sahel Saharan Region and the Lake Chad Basin.

We should all endeavour to ensure that the concrete steps proposed during our last assembly in Abuja are implemented to the fullest through collaboration and, of course, the support of our development partners.

Your Excellencies,

On the situation in Mali, I join everyone in applauding the ECOWAS Mediation team headed by His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for the position taken to broker dialogue and foster a lasting solution to the impasse in the Republic of Mali.

Having reviewed and taken decisions on the situation in Mali, in line with ECOWAS protocols relevant to Democracy and Good Governance, the Community needs to ensure that the transition programme is followed as stipulated and that, at the end of the process, the country successfully returns to normal constitutional order.

Your Excellencies,

Our presence here in Niamey for this Fifty-seventh (57th) Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government provides us with a platform to discuss matters relevant to the development of our sub-region and the safety and wellbeing of our peoples.

In The Gambia, in pursuance of establishing peace and security for development, my Government, with the assistance of ECOWAS and other partners, has embarked upon a robust security sector reform, aimed at bringing the security services fully under civilian democratic control. We are ensuring that our human resource and structures are appropriate for the country’s national security needs, and that the men and women in the armed and uniformed services play a meaningful and positive role in national development. The African Union and other partners have provided expertise to help us restructure the security architecture.

On the other hand, this august body has mandated ECOMIG to execute a stabilisation mission in The Gambia. Their mandate has been extended periodically, thus guaranteeing the stability needed for the Government to undertake meaningful inclusive socio-economic development for all Gambians.

I seize this opportunity, therefore, to express my Government’s satisfaction with the ECOWAS Peace Support Operations in the sub-region, which focuses on operations within agreed terms of engagement.

With profound appreciation, I thank all Member States and the Commission for the smooth operations of ECOMIG in our country. However, the current mandate of this contingent has reached its expiration period.

Your Excellencies,

Given the reforms underway and the need to protect the fragile democracy in The Gambia, I avail myself this privilege to request for the extension of the mandate of ECOMIG in The Gambia. It should be noted that our Security Sector Reform is at an advanced stage and, for the first time, an audit exercise has been conducted in the army and a policy developed.

The reform process remains sensitive, noting that the previous government had molded the security apparatus of the country to serve as a repressive mechanism.

As such, a range of uncertainties, including right sizing and profiling the Armed Forces, matters of disarmament and demobilisation of troops remain complicated matters to address. As the reform process is ongoing, Government and its partners need to work with caution in order to complete the process successfully.

For these reasons, the presence of ECOMIG in the country will be a stabilising factor, while providing, at the same time, the required capacity building support for the viable implementation of the sector reforms.

Your Excellencies,

I will conclude by encouraging all of us to collaborate more closely for the advancement of our sub-region and for the wellbeing and development of our peoples.

I thank you for your attention.