Mariama Dem

16/06/2022

27/03/2021

Dr Kebba Marenah,Head of Surgery Department at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, succesfully performed the first ever KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY in the history of The Gambia. Congratulations Doctor🎉

01/03/2021

APP HOLDS CONGRESS: PARTY LEADER VOWS TO LEAD THE GAMBIA WITH HONESTY
The leader of the All People’s Party, Dr Ebrahim Jagne has vowed to carry out his responsibilities in leading The Gambia with honesty, tolerance, respect for rule of law and human rights among others. He stated these during the party’s congress and launching on Saturday.
The Party was formed in 2018 and registered on January 17th, 2020 by the Independent Electoral Commission.
The leader of the party says when given the chance he will lead in the interest of all Gambians, with tolerance and peaceful co-existent.
He further said for the first three years under APP’s government they will offset the negative past and put actions and means gears to a massive education system with a revisited school curriculum to cater for plans of advance technology in The Gambia
With the recent negative past of gross and human rights violations, he said APP is here to raise the flag of equal human rights and foster democracy.

APP government policies will be unique in Africa, as they will put before the electorate concrete national action plans to move the country and uplift Gambians out of poverty he noted.

28/02/2021

Whatever It Takes To Get A New Constitution

By D. A. Jawo

The hottest topic in this country today is no doubt the ongoing efforts to resuscitate the 2020 Draft Constitution, which failed in September 2020 to garner the two-thirds majority it needed to pass in the second reading in the National Assembly.
We can all recall that, apart from the APRC members wanting to preserve their Supreme Leader’s constitution, the others who voted to kill the draft were supporters and sympathizers of President Adama Barrow and their main objection to the draft was its retro-active nature, which sought to deny him the opportunity to seek a third term in 2026 if ever he wins his re-election bid later this year. We all saw how everyone in the Barrow camp, both in and outside the National Assembly, were jubilating when the draft was thrown out. It was therefore quite clear to everyone that the whole scheme was hatched and executed at the State House.
Of course, most Gambians and indeed friends of the Gambia were quite disappointed by the failure of the draft constitution to get enacted, especially considering the fact that it was not only a byproduct of an extensive public consultation, but it also cost the Gambian tax payers more than D100 million to produce the draft. It is still quite hard for any reasonable person to see the rationale of throwing away such an expensive document simply because President Barrow wants to be given the opportunity to cling on to power for at least 15 years.
It is even harder to understand when at the very onset; President Barrow himself gave an undertaking that he was only going to serve three years as a transitional president. Therefore, if he later changed his mind, apparently after getting intoxicated by the trappings of power, and decided to serve the full five-year term allowed by the 1997 Constitution, everyone would have expected him to be grateful for being given the opportunity to go for a second five-year term. Why would he therefore clamour for more to the extent that he would even incite his sympathizers in the National Assembly to kill the document at the second reading, thus denying even the Gambian public the opportunity to have their say over it?
It now appears that, apparently as a result of the pressure being applied on his government by donor partners, President Barrow has regretted his mishandling of the process and he is now eager to get the draft re-introduced and passed. However, he still seems to insist on his ‘Pound of Flesh’, which is to be given the opportunity to rule this country for at least 15 years instead of the maximum ten years everyone had been advocating for the New Gambia.
The question that everyone seems to ask however is whether it was really necessary to invite President Goodluck Jonathan to come all the way from Nigeria to mediate in the process of re-introducing the draft constitution to the National Assembly when all that President Barrow could have done was to invite the various stakeholders to discuss the matter and come to a consensus. Therefore, many people feel that it was a waste of time and resources to invite an outsider to help us do that, as the draft is a Gambian document, drafted by Gambians and there was absolutely no need to involve anyone else in the process.
Indeed, if the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly had not turned down the motion moved by Halifa Sallah, Member for Serekunda, to rescind the decision of the National Assembly to vote against the draft at the second reading, there may not have been any need for the process led by President Jonathan.
Therefore, the proposal by Halifa Sallah would have been the easiest way forward as it would have given opportunity to everyone to partake in the process until a consensus is obtained, of course with far less cost than bringing in “experts” from Nigeria.
Recently, for instance, we have seen how some people were outraged when some of our political leaders travelled to Nigeria at the invitation of President Jonathan in order to discuss the process. However, now that the Jonathan process has been initiated and no doubt, some resources have been committed to it, then the stakeholders should as well give it a chance. The Gambian public should also give our political leaders the chance to reach a consensus in the process.
Therefore, the trip to Nigeria should not have been seen as an unnecessary venture but as a genuine attempt by those concerned to arrive at a consensus, which would eventually give us the Constitution that we all aspire for. Indeed, even if it means allowing President Barrow to have his wish to be given the opportunity to go for a third term would get us the constitution that we all clamour for, then so be it. We should not underrate the ability of the Gambian public to make their ultimate choice as to whom they want to rule over them. Even if President Barrow wants to be in office for a “billion years”, the people still have the final say as they had shown to Babili Mansa in 2016.
There are however, those who suspect that President Barrow and his enablers are playing some delaying tactics in order to ensure that the 1997 Constitution is the one to be used for the 2021 presidential elections, They seem to have the hope that he has a much better chance to finish ahead of his challengers as that constitution only requires a first pass the post. Whatever the case however, it is incumbent on all Gambians, including members of the opposition, to do whatever necessary to help in the process to resuscitate the 2020 Draft Constitution.
Of course, time is fast running out for the possibility of saving the draft before the next presidential elections scheduled for December 4, 2021, as the process should pass through the National Assembly and then approved in a referendum before it is enacted into law. However, as a last resort, in the event that a new constitution fails to get enacted before the elections, if indeed President Barrow and his government are quite sincere to ensure free and fair elections, then they should at least make some amendments to certain provisions of the 1997 Constitution in order to make it a little bit more acceptable to the people.
For instance, we can recall that Section 48 of the 1997 Constitution before it was amended by the Jammeh regime required a candidate to obtain 50 per cent plus before one is elected as president in the first round. Therefore, why not re-amend that section as well as institute a two-term limit? As those sections are not entrenched, it would be quite simple for the National Assembly to carry out such amendments before the elections.

21/01/2021

The Gambia Government Have Signes A Joint Migration Cooperation With Switzerland

The Government of the Republic of The Gambia wishes to inform the public that it has on Tuesday 12th January 2021 signed a Cooperation Agreement on migration matters with the Government of Switzerland in the city of Berne. The signed Cooperation Agreement is meant to curb irregular migration and ensure effective protection of the rights of Gambian citizens who are migrants in Switzerland.

The Agreement will create cordial working relations between the Government of The Gambia and the Government of Switzerland in identifying opportunities, coordinating and managing challenges of migration. These, the two countries believe will further strengthen relations and deepen cooperation with regards to the effective management of migration, dealing with unemployment and creation of more opportunities for women and youth in The Gambia.

The Government of The Gambia further negotiated for all undocumented Gambian migrants in Switzerland to be trained on livelihood skills and be integrated in Swiss community.

As The Gambia progresses in enhancing her democracy, there is need to ensure that the country adheres to international Human Rights Instruments by respecting the laws of other countries whilst also ensuring that Gambian citizens within and outside enjoy the required protection of the Government. In this regard, the Government of The Gambia and the Government of Switzerland agreed that all legal remedies will be exhausted before any voluntary returnees will be repatriated.

The Government of The Gambia further assures all Gambians that it is approaching migration as a developmental issue and that the signed Cooperation Agreement will also paved the way for the establishment of a multi-purpose skills training centre and create other opportunities for young people to achieve their goals in The Gambia. Both countries agreed on the spelt out modalities which serve as an enabling tool to ensure equitable and balanced intervention with a view to attaining dignified life for Gambians in Switzerland and Swiss citizens in The Gambia.

Further, as part of efforts to further strengthen the excellent bilateral relations that exist between the two countries and on the invitation of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, the Vice President and Federal Councillor of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis, is expected to visit The Gambia on Friday 12th February 2021.

17/01/2021

Press Release

Musu Bakoto Sawo Emerges 2020 Daily Trust African of the Year
Musu Bakoto Sawo, a Gambian changemaker and tireless women rights advocate, has emerged winner of the 2020 Daily Trust African of the Year award.
A seven-member award selection committee led by the former President of Botswana, His Excellency, Dr. Festus Mogae announced her as the winner on January 4, 2020 after rigorous virtual selection meetings which commenced on December 10, 2020.
Musu, a 30-year-old lawyer, won the 2020 award for her continuous commitment to ending violence against girls and women including child marriage and female ge***al mutilation. Married at the age of 14 and widowed at 21 with no inheritance, Musu, who had also gone through female ge***al mutilation as a child, still strove to earn quality education that has catapulted her to her current position as a university lecturer, who is also striving to address the injustices that women face daily across Africa.

She uses her experience in capacity building, research, networking, programme development to engage with human rights mechanisms and grassroots, national, regional and international organisations and platforms. “I say to the girls: come out and be the change that you can be because your children may be victims,” says Musu while explaining her motivation.

Musu started advocating for girls’ rights at age 9, including against child marriage, which she fell hostage to 5 years later. She lectures at the Faculty of Law, University of The Gambia (in international human rights law).

National Coordinator for Think Young Women, she is a recipient of the 2017 Vera Chirwa Award (from the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. South Africa; recognized as one of the 100 most influential young persons in West Africa by the Confederation of West African Youths in 2018; and a recipient of ‘Inspiring Gambian Award 2018’ by the People’s Choice Award for Excellence in The Gambia.

A key consideration for Musu Bakoto Sawo’s selection was that in this period of COVID-19, women have been particularly impacted negatively, especially during the lockdown when a lot of husbands lost their jobs, resulting in, among other tendencies, domestic violence in the homes. So, with Musu championing the rights of women in any part of Africa, which is largely a traditional society, she is deemed to be promoting a great cause, and therefore found worthy of selection for the award. (The prize winner is available for interviews at: [email protected], from Mondays to Wednesdays after 2:00pm GMT and from Thursdays to Fridays, after 10:00am GMT).
Chairman of the selection committee, His Excellency Mogae said “Musu Bakoto deserves the award for her continuous work to end violence against girls and women, including child marriage and female ge***al mutilation”. He congratulated her for emerging the winner of the prestigious Daily Trust African of the Year Award for 2020.

About the Daily Trust African of the Year Award
The African of the Year Award project was instituted in 2008 by Daily Trust, one of Nigeria’s leading independent newspapers, in line with its commitment to African unity and sustainable development, to recognize and reward annually, an exemplary African who has made extra-ordinary contributions to human development in any part of the continent, and in any sphere of human endeavour. Africans who have distinguished themselves in their various walks of life or do charity projects that are of positive impact to the continent's people have since then been recognised for the award.
Congolese medical doctor, Denis Mukwege is the first African of the Year award winner in 2008. Exactly 11 years after the Daily Trust recognition, Dr. Mukwege won the Noble Peace Prize in 2018, for his wonderful work of treating women who had been abused and r***d in his war-torn country.
The award winner is selected by a seven-member pan-African committee chaired by His Excellency, Dr. Mogae. Other members of the Advisory Board/Prize Committee are: Ambassador Ms. Mona Omar (North Africa), Ms. Gwen Lister (Southern Africa), Mr. Amadou Mahtar Ba (West Africa), Pastor Rigobert MINANI BIHUZO (Central Africa), and Mr. Kabiru Yusuf (West Africa).
The award comes with a cash prize of $10,000. The presentation of the award will be done sometime in March, this year, in Banjul, The Gambia.
Issued by:
Nura Daura, Ag. CEO, DAILY TRUST.
Email: [email protected]
Sunday, January 17, 2021.

https://dailytrust.com/30-year-old-gambian-lawyer-emerges-daily-trust-african-of-the-year

A victim of FGM, married off at 14 and widowed at 21, she fights for girls’ and women’s rights

15/01/2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST JAH OIL

The Authority wishes to inform the General Public that following monitoring exercises regarding the construction and operation of Petrol Stations, Enforcement Action has been taken against JAH OIL for illegally constructing and operating petrol stations following directives from The Authority relating to the unsuitability of the identified sites as per the current regulations. The Authority over numerous instances has explained the legal requirements to obtain valid construction permits before the commencement of new or major modifications to stations as per the Petroleum Products Act, 2016 and Service Station Regulations, 2018. These legal statutes detail the relevant safety and site location criteria required to guide the approval of any new developments.

The Authority is satisfied that following numerous correspondences and investigations on this matter, Jah Oil Company Limited despite operating in a regulated sector deliberately and recklessly violates applicable laws by failing to comply with the legal requirements of obtaining a Construction Permit and refusing to comply with the Authority’s directives.

Having weighed in the totality of facts surrounding this issue and for want of sanity and compliance in the regulated sector, the Authority determines the following against Jah Oil Company as follows: -

1. To pay a fine of GMD D200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Dalasi) for deliberately constructing a petrol station in Wellingara without the required permit from the Authority.

2. To pay a fine of GMD D200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Dalasi) for deliberately constructing a petrol station on Kairaba Avenue without the required permit from the Authority.

3. To pay a fine of GMD D500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Dalasi) for deliberately failing to comply with the Authority’s Directive pertaining to Badala Basse and a further sum of D25,000.00 (Twenty-five Thousand Dalasis after the expiration of this notice for as long as this contravention persists.

4. JAH OIL is further directed to stop all illegal construction in Wellingara and Kairaba Avenue forthwith and comply with the requirements of the Petroleum Products Service Stations Regulations 2018.

The fine shall become due and payable within fourteen days from the date of receiving this notice from the Authority as provided for in Section 15 (2) of the Enforcement Regulations 2010.
Failure to comply shall result in the commencement of criminal prosecution against JAH OIL.

For more information and clarification regarding siting and safety of petrol stations, the general public can call PURA’s 148 toll-free hotline.

23/11/2020

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission is pleased to announce the arrival home of Nogoi Njie and Oumie Jagne, both victims of human rights violations after undergoing successful medical treatment in Turkey. Their return follows the arrival of Abdou Karim Jammeh a few weeks ago after undergoing medical treatment at the same hospital in Turkey. All three out of four of the victims sent to Turkey for medical treatment have now safely returned home. The TRRC thanks the Turkish government through its ambassador, the Medical Board headed by Dr. Roberts at the EFSTH, the Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations (Victims Center), the Gambia Ports Authority and Papa Yusupha Njie for their support.

04/11/2020

President Adama Barrow, earlier today embarked on an unannounced visit to various government ministries at the Quadrangle in Banjul.

The visit according to the President was not ’a witch-hunt’ but a monitoring exercise to see first hand the conduct of civil servants.

Accompanied by the Secretary-General and Head of the Civil Service, Noah Touray, the Secretary to Cabinet, Ebrima Ceesay and the Director of Press and Public Relations, Amie Bojang-Sissoho, the President visited the Personnel Management Office(PMO), The Ministry of Youths and Sports, Ministry of Local Government and Lands, Tourism, and the Ministry of Finance.

At the PMO, the President tasked the Permanent Secretary to lead the efforts in instilling discipline in the Civil Service with zero tolerance for delinquency.

‘’You are given a responsibility in a position of trust and discipline is something that you shouldn’t compromise.’’ He stated.

In all the offices the President visited, his message was clear: ‘’work for the interest of The Gambia and not for Adama Barrow. He interacted with the staff and encourages them to be disciplined, productive, and honest in the ex*****on of their duties.

At the Lands Ministry, President Barrow engaged both the Permanent Secretary and Minister on the issue of land disputes.

PS Sanyang, however, assured him that they are in consultation with the Justice Ministry to ensure the enforcement of court rulings in land disputes.

Stressing that there is need to resolve pending land disputes, President Barrow said, ‘’We are in a democracy and the courts are independent. I believe the judgements delivered are right and must be respected.’’

Throughout the exercise, the recurrent issue highlighted by various Ministries is the need for office spaces. The President assured that the issue would be resolved through consultation with his Cabinet.

05/09/2020

President Barrow attends 57th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS in Niamey

His Excellency, Mr Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia will attend the 57th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, scheduled to take place in Niamey, Niger on Monday, 7th September 2020. President Barrow will leave Banjul International Airport on Sunday, 6th September 2020 at 12 Noon.

The 57th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority will be chaired by the President of Niger, His Excellency Mahamadou Issoufou and Special guests include the President of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West and Sahel Region, H.E Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

The Summit will review amongst other issues security, economics and the impact of COVID on the region.

04/09/2020

𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝟑𝟏 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝟖𝟑,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

The Government of The Gambia has officially launched a 31 Million Dollar project setup to help vulnerable rural households. Eighty three thousand (83 000) rural households will receive direct cash transfers under this scheme. The initiative which is in phases, will support households in Central River Region, Upper River Region, Lower River Region the Fonis in West Coast Region and Sabach Sanjal in the North Bank Region. Households in the Fonis have already received the first part of their cash transfer support. This initiative which is supported by the World Bank, is being implemented by government agencies under the direct coordination of the Office of the Vice President.

The cash support initiative intents to contribute to the mitigation of the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable households in The Gambia by increasing short-term consumption of essential goods and services of the target families, and enabling longer-term investments in human and productive capital. This initiative is Gambia Government’s direct response towards the goal of increasing social assistance coverage of the extreme poor in the country.

04/09/2020

Lovette Declines Media Coverage Upon Ladies stranded In Lebanon Arrival

My NGO is declining all and any interviews upon their entry to The Gambia. Our main focus is their safety and facilitating them meeting their families first. Their entry and arrival will be filmed BY THE NGO and before anything is sent to media houses all women will watch the videos and consent. Without consent nothing will be released to the public.

People may not like how I run things but i will not waver on this decision that has been taken after careful consideration. We will not negotiate when other persons integrity is on the line.

The women and childrens integrity and safety will always be my main focus. Having their faces and privacy plastered on media is not an essential factor at present time. Protection of their integrity however is a top priority for the NGO.

Once they have arrived and met with their family those that wish to be interviewed will provide their details which myself or a member of the NGO will provide to “serious” media interested in unbiased reporting.
By Lovette Jallow

25/08/2020

GOV’T ACCUSED OF IGNORING SITUATION OF GAMBIAN WORKERS IN LEBANON

Gambian workers, many of whom have been abandoned or forced to flee their employers, are currently stranded in the Lebanese Capital – Beirut. Many of these women’s lives were disrupted by the Beirut chemical explosion and they are questioning the government's commitment to repatriating them after the country's most senior diplomat in Lebanon dismissed their suffering.
A group of 36 women, some injured in the blast, abandoned by employers or forced to flee, took to the streets of the city on Thursday to protest against remarks made by the country's honorary consul in the Lebanese capital, who last week claimed they were "coming up with stories".
The government has had nine months to repatriate these women who, according to reports and testimonies, have been living a life of servitude in Lebanon and other Arab countries.
Lovette Jallow, a Stockholm-based activist, said their situation of these girls is desperate. Jallow said she is ever ready to buy tickets for the return of these girls. But apparently, his efforts are being frustrated by the government as they won’t allow her pay for the air tickets so the girls can return back home.
She accused the government of doing nothing for nine months when they had the chance to repatriate the girls. But now that she wants to him, the government started scrambling around all in the name of helping return the girls.
She says everything was set for the return of the girls – she’s booked all 36 tickets, but the government is making things even more difficult.
All she needed was for the Gambian consulate to actually confirm that the papers are done. She was ready to spend 1.3m dalasis for all the girls to return home. But she was told by the Gambian consulate in Lebanon that the girls cannot return unless the government pays for them. Unfortunately, according to her, the government was never ready to pay over 1m dalasis for their return.
She says if they should leave everything to the government, it is going to take them another 9 months before the girls get to see their families again. Most of the girls have not seen any of their family members in almost a decade. These girls have been beaten and abused for years.
“Now that somebody like myself with my NGO is standing, saying am ready to pay for these 27,000 US Dollars, the Gambian government, aka Saikou Ceesay, aka Tangara, aka Barrow, is saying that they’re going to pay for these girls.” She blasted.
She believes the government is acting to care about the welfare of these girls now because it has gotten the attention of the people, and that because she wants to pay for it.
She says every single one of these girls is ready to return home. All they need now is for government to facilitate it so they can return as soon as possible. But the government is not willing to do that. She’s got a flight ready to bring all 36 of the girls, including 2 babies on the 4th of September, 2020.
The government of the Gambia, however, said yesterday that they’re working on means of repatriating the girls back home. Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release said;
“National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP) and the relevant Government institutions are working on investigating the perpetrators and this requires close collaboration with the alleged victims to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended, investigated and prosecuted.”
Meanwhile, many Gambians have expressed disappointment over government’s inability bring back these girls in over 9 months. Gambians therefore, wants government to allow Lovette Jallow to bring the girls so they can reunite with their families.

18/08/2020

POLICE WARNS PARENTS AGAINST SENDING CHILDREN TO PUBLIC PLACES

The Gambia Police Force, on Monday warned parents against sending their children to places such as markets, highways, car parks and other public places. The children are mostly engaged in petty trading; selling bananas, water and other things.

In a statement, the Office of the IGP warned;

“The Office of the Inspector General of Police has observed with great concern the manner in which children are left on the highways, markets, car parks, and other public places engaged in petty trading, selling of bananas, water, groundnuts among other things.

Most of these are school going children and therefore expected to be staying at home protected from covid-19. This is the ultimate purpose for the closure of schools by the Ministry of Education.

It is however sad to see many of these vulnerable children exposed to negative vices and societal ills with potential to harm their future. In certain instances they are even involved in Road Traffic Accidents along the highways.

The general public particularly parents are strongly advised to ensure that children stay at home and not left loitering or selling along the roads and markets.

Parents or guardians who are found negligent will be held accountable for failure to protect children from covid-19 and related dangers.

The IGP's office through its Gender and Child Protection Unit solicits the cooperation of all parents and guardians to ensure that these children are protected during this period.”

07/08/2020

Gambia 🇬🇲 confirms 155 new COVID-19 cases and 3 deaths brining the total number of confirmed cases to 1’090.

07/08/2020

IGP Appreciates People’s Compliance With The Curfew Orders

The office of the Inspector General of Police wishes to express profound appreciation and gratitude to the public for the high level of compliance with the Curfew Regulation as demonstrated in last night's operations.

The IGP's Office is pleased to report that it has successfully conducted day one of operation SOS without any major incident.

The public is further encouraged to stay at home, adhere to regulations, maskup and support efforts of the security in curtailing the further spread of the Corona virus in the Gambia.

05/08/2020

There will be a curfew in The Gambia, effective tomorrow lasting for 21 days
between the hours of 10pm to 5am.

05/08/2020

Police Arrests 12 people for Organizing a musical show

The Police Anti Crime Unit patrol team during their night patrol arrested 12 people at Tawto in West Coast Region for stagging a musical show last night. Among the arrested individuals are the organisers of the program and the DJs.

They are all going to be charged and put before the court under the health emergency power regulations.

The public especially event organizers are strictly adviced to adhere to regulations.

Organizers of the following upcoming events pictured below are also warned.