GamFindings

13/08/2024

U.S. Should Stop Fueling Panic Abroad, Says Africa's Biggest Nation.

The United States, Britain, and other Western countries should stop issuing excessive travel warnings about other countries as they themselves face security challenges, Nigeria's foreign minister told Newsweek.

Both the U.S. and Britain issued warnings against travel to Nigeria ahead of protests over the cost of living during the first 10 days of August. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of the most populous country in Africa.

Amnesty International said 22 people had been killed, although police only acknowledged killing one protester, according to The Associated Press.

Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said that the travel warnings could be unwarranted and themselves caused economic damage by pushing up the cost of business and discouraging investment.
"What tends to happen when they issue these sorts of knee-jerk travel warnings is it further exacerbates the situation on the ground because it leads to panic, and it's very disruptive. And we've seen that quite a number of times they get it completely wrong," Tuggar said.

"We're not saying that countries should not warn their citizens where they think there's danger, but it's too common. It's too rampant," he said.

Tuggar said Britain, gripped by recent anti-immigration protests, had its own share of risks, as did the U.S., where former President Donald Trump was the subject of an assassination attempt last month as he campaigned for the 2024 election.

"We have seen from events as they unfolded in the United Kingdom—we're also seeing in the U.S., with the shooting of a presidential candidate—that risk or danger exists everywhere. It's how you navigate it that is different," Tuggar said.

The U.S. State Department has "no higher priority" than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas and considers many factors in setting travel advisories from Level 1-4, a department spokesperson told Newsweek.

"Nigeria's current travel advisory is at a Level 3 advising travelers to reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed gangs," the spokesperson said.

Nigeria, a country of some 220 million people, is beset by multiple security challenges, with parts of the country long marked as no-go zones by Western countries due to Islamist insurgencies and the risks of kidnapping and other violent attacks.

But broader travel warnings were issued over the recent protests against high inflation under President Bola Tinubu. In much of Nigeria, the protests were peaceful and petered out.

"Nigeria runs a deliberative democracy. We allow for protests. We allow for freedom of speech. We allow for freedom of association," Tuggar said.

Nigeria, meanwhile, issued its own travel warning over the anti-immigration riots in Britain, which was once Nigeria's colonial ruler and is home to hundreds of thousands of people of Nigerian origin.

"We are concerned because the Tinubu administration takes its responsibility of protecting the lives of Nigerians very seriously, wherever they are. And particularly when we see race riots, it's of grave concern to us, because don't forget, we're the largest black African nation," Tuggar said.

"You can see the responsibility that Nigeria bears whenever there's danger towards Africans or black people, wherever they may be."

Britain also says that it prioritizes the safety of its citizens with regard to travel warnings.

With regard to Nigeria's travel warning, a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said "Britain is a safe and welcoming country".

"We have a longstanding reputation for openness and tolerance, and our multicultural communities are part of what makes Britain great. The Prime Minister has been clear that those who participated in this disorder will face the full force of the law," the spokesperson said.

Also on the agenda in relations between Nigeria and the U.S. is the detention of an American executive of crypto firm Binance, which is accused of manipulating exchange rates in a way that led to a currency collapse, as well as financing terrorism and money laundering.

Binance, which was fined over $4 billion in the U.S. on anti-money laundering and other charges, denies any wrongdoing and has called for the release of the executive facing charges in Abuja. Another absconded and fled the country. Some in the U.S. Congress have also called for the Binance executive's release.

Tuggar said Nigeria's prosecution was no different to that in the United States.

"When Nigeria goes after violators, then it becomes interpreted as human rights abuse, and yet when it's done elsewhere, it's not. You know, we have laws. We have a judicial system. We have the principle of separation of powers. We have checks and balances," Tuggar said.

"We have so much in common with the U.S., with Western countries and with other countries as well."

Source: News Week (By Matthew Tostevin)

13/08/2024

Rwandan president sworn in after 99% election win.

Paul Kagame has been sworn in for a fourth term as Rwanda's president after winning 99% of the vote in last month's election.
While some hail Mr Kagame for bringing peace and stability to his country after the 1994 genocide, others accuse him of running a repressive regime in a country where ordinary people are afraid to openly criticise him.
Rights groups say the margin of his electoral victory is proof of the lack of democracy in Rwanda.
Only two candidates were allowed to stand against Mr Kagame in the 15 July election.

In his four presidential elections, he has always gained at least 93% of the vote.
Several African heads of states were among the many thousands who attended the ceremony in the packed 45,000 capacity Amahoro National Stadium in the capital, Kigali.
In his oath of office, Mr Kagame vowed to preserve peace and national sovereignty, and to consolidate national unity.
He also pledged to "never use the powers conferred upon me for personal interests".
"Should I fail to honour this oath, may I be subjected to the rigours of the law," he said.
Mr Kagame has been the real power in Rwanda since his then rebel forces came to power at the end of the genocide in which some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered, ousting the genocidal regime.
Since then, Rwanda has been relatively stable, with Mr Kagame seeking to turn the country into the "Singapore of Africa".
The capital is one of Africa's cleanest cities and is home to the African Basketball League, which is a partnership with the NBA. It hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2022 and international stars like Kendrick Lamar have played concerts there.
Mr Kagame often criticises the West, yet he has also sought to build alliances, for example with the UK over the now scrapped policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, agreed with the former Conservative government.
While life has improved in Rwanda, Mr Kagame is accused of destabilising the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Just days before the July election, a UN report said there were some 4,000 Rwandan troops in DR Congo, where they are accused of backing the M23 rebel group, fuelling a bitter row between the two countries.
Under Mr Kagame, Rwandan troops have twice invaded DR Congo, saying they were pursuing Hutu militias linked to the 1994 genocide.
Congolese President FélixTshisekedi was not among the African leaders at the inauguration.
In his speech, Mr Kagame appeared to criticise Mr Tshisekedi for failing to help defeat Rwandan rebels based in DR Congo.
Unless that changes, he said mediation efforts wouldn't work.
He didn't sound like a man ready to give into any pressure and stop backing the M23 rebels.

Source: BBC (Joseph Winter)

28/05/2024

Musk’s Starlink to Begin Operations in The Gambia.

Starlink is a satellite-based internet service that is officially available in seven African countries. These countries include Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, and Benin. Customers in these countries can order directly from the Starlink website. Starlink is set to be rolled out elsewhere on the continent, including The Gambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Tanzania, later this year. More coverage is to come in 2024. Starlink's expansion across Africa is part of a broader trend of SpaceX expanding its satellite internet service across the continent.

22/05/2024

Elon Musk's Starlink expanding to The Gambia by 2024.

Starlink, the satellite broadband provider operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is growing its presence in Africa.

As of May 2024, Starlink’s services are live in eight African countries, with more launches planned for the coming months.
Its high-speed, low-latency services are useful on a continent where many rural localities have poor or non-existent fixed and/or mobile network connectivity. The Starlink website also highlights its potential to act as a backup network in the event of natural disasters.

Background
SpaceX launched its first 60 Starlink low earth orbit (LEO) satellites in May 2019.

According to one website that tracks Starlink launches, as of May 15, 2024, there were 6,017 satellites in orbit, with more than 5,200 of those operational.

The firm has licenses to deploy around 12,000 satellites, and it’s been reported that Starlink could eventually increase its mega-constellation to more than 34,000 platforms.

Starlink reached the one million subscriber milestone in December 2022. A year later, it had around 2.3 million users.

Its services have been made available in more than 75 countries worldwide.

First Launches
After securing international gateway and ISP licenses from the Nigerian Communications Commission in May 2022, Starlink’s first African launch happened in Nigeria in February 2023.

The standard service plan costs NGN38,000 ($25) a month, with one-off hardware costs of NGN440,000 ($290). At launch, the hardware retailed at NGN800,000 ($528), but the price was almost halved in April 2024.

Planned Expansion
Starlink Launches in Africa

Already Live:
Nigeria
Rwanda
Mozambique
Kenya
Malawi
Zambia
Benin
Eswatini

Planned Q2/Q3 2024:
Gambia
Lesotho
Madagascar
Senegal
Tanzania
Angola
Botswana
Zimbabwe

Planned by End-2024:
Mauritania
Uganda
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Chad
Namibia
Togo
Tunisia

Along with providing services directly to customers in Nigeria, in July 2023, Starlink signed an agreement with Africa Mobile Networks (AMN).

AMN is a UK-based firm that builds mobile base stations to serve remote communities and then leases capacity to mobile operators. It operates more than 1,500 base stations across Nigeria and is using Starlink terminals to provide data connectivity in areas without access to a fiber backbone.

Starlink’s second African launch came in March 2023 in Rwanda.

A month before its commercial switch-on in March, Starlink was issued its operating license and introduced a pilot service covering 500 schools. The satellite broadband provider had 3,448 subscriptions at the end of 2023, according to the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority.

These initial two African market launches were followed by six more through the course of 2023—in Mozambique, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Benin, and Eswatini.

In September 2023, Namibia-based telco Paratus Group signed a reseller agreement with Starlink, allowing Paratus to offer satellite broadband services to its clients across Africa. The agreement initially covered Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria, before being rolled out to more countries.

Not All Plain Sailing
With a number of regulatory hurdles in its way, things have not been entirely trouble-free for Starlink in Africa.

In November 2023, the company was forced to push back its planned launch in Angola from Q4 2023 to Q3 2024, due to a delay in obtaining the requisite operating concessions from the Angolan Institute of Communications (Instituto Angolano das Comunicacoes).

In January 2024, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) warned nationals that Starlink was not yet licensed and the use of its services in Zimbabwe was therefore illegal. Some locals had been signing up for a roaming plan in neighboring countries where the service was live and importing equipment from abroad.

A few months later, POTRAZ went on to order the U.S. firm to block connectivity within Zimbabwe’s borders. It was eventually confirmed that Starlink applied for a license from POTRAZ in April 2024.

A similar situation emerged in several other African countries where Starlink was not yet licensed, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Botswana, South Africa, Cameroon, and Sudan.

With more than 15 new countries due to be added to its African footprint in the remainder of 2024, however, the teething troubles for Starlink on the continent may now be out of the way.

22/05/2024

Swiss Conviction Of Ousman Sonko Sends 'Resounding Message' Against Impunity.

Former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko was sentenced in Switzerland on May 15 under the universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity. This has been touted as a strong warning to the perpetrators of atrocities around the world.

Twenty years in prison for crimes against humanity: this was the verdict handed down on May 15 by the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona against the former Gambian interior minister, Ousman Sonko. The verdict had been eagerly awaited in Switzerland as well as more than 4,000 kilometres away in the Gambia.

As the former right-hand man of Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh, Sonko was found guilty of murder, kidnapping and torture committed between 2000 and 2016. His trial was held in Switzerland under universal jurisdiction, which since 2011 has enabled Swiss courts to deal with the most serious crimes even if they were committed abroad, as long as the perpetrator is on Swiss soil.

The judgement is historic, as it is the first time that such a senior government official has been tried under this legal principle in Europe. Sonko, whose defence had sought acquittal, can still appeal against this decision. This would delay the final verdict by at least two years.

Sonko fled the Gambia in 2016. He was recognised by fellow Gambians in an asylum centre in canton Bern and reported to the authorities by the Geneva-based NGO TRIAL, which specialises in tracking down international criminals. Sonko has been held in Swiss custody since 2017.

Source: MENAFN

22/05/2024

Poor constitutional reform in Gambia sees democratic transition grind to a halt.

Gambia’s ambitious transition to democracy started when President Adama Barrow was elected in 2016, ending Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule. But socio-political disagreements are preventing the country from fully breaking away from its autocratic past.

Gambia could become a model for democratic governance in a region affected by coups, democratic backsliding and political instability. Efforts have been made to implement reforms that could redefine the country’s politics and governance. Gambia’s democratic potential is clear from its adoption of a draft constitution anchored, among other things, in human rights, the rule of law and institutional checks and balances.

External partners and many Gambians view the draft constitution as “the mother of all reforms”. It provided the basis for security sector reform, transitional justice and judicial and other institutional changes. The draft also introduced presidential term limits, curtailed presidential powers and strengthened judicial powers and the Independent Electoral Commission.
However, in September 2020, the National Assembly rejected the draft, which was the product of a two-year consultative process involving Gambian citizens, including those in the diaspora. That rejection has had significant implications for the whole transition process.

The draft limited the president to two terms of five years each, consecutive or not — meaning Barrow would not be eligible to run in 2026. As candidate of the coalition that defeated Jammeh, he promised to step down after a three-year (2017-2020) transitional period, but then ran for another term in December 2021.

The main opposition, the United Democratic Party (UDP), has expressed support for the rejected draft and vowed to oppose any amendments. However, Barrow’s political allies in and outside the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) reject a retroactive application of the presidential term limit, saying it should start from the date the new constitution is adopted.

The draft constitution also introduces higher requirements for presidential candidacy and electoral victory. A presidential candidate must have a university degree and win an absolute majority of valid votes. The latter is especially significant as it could necessitate a run-off.

Moreover, for the first time, Gambians in the diaspora would have the right to participate in both presidential and parliamentary elections. Proposals for a separate diaspora constituency were, however, rejected.

Reform disagreements

For Barrow and his allies, winning an absolute majority in future elections could prove difficult. The NPP, formed in 2020 following Barrow’s decision to end an alliance with the UDP, doesn’t have enough support for a one-off victory on its own. In April 2022, it failed to win a convincing majority in the National Assembly elections. The party currently holds 24 of the National Assembly’s 58 seats, including five nominated by Barrow.

Furthermore, the draft constitution subjects the president’s nominations of ministerial posts, key law enforcement and security positions, and Chief Justice, to approval by the National Assembly. The president would also no longer be able to nominate some National Assembly Members. A total of 53 (of 69) members would be elected from single-member constituencies, 14 women would be voted for separately (two from each administrative area), and two members would be nominated by the national federation for persons with disabilities.

Disagreements over these and other provisions, including those on the Gambian state’s secularity or otherwise, means the country remains governed by its 1997 Constitution, also known as the Jammeh Constitution. Mediation efforts, including those led by former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, have failed to break the deadlock.

The Barrow-allied 23 National Assembly Members who voted to reject the draft seem unlikely to change course, meaning another attempt to pass it would fail.

With no clear strategy and roadmap for restarting the reform process, the absence of term limits under the current constitution makes Barrow legally eligible for another term. So far, he hasn’t been definitive on a possible 2026 candidacy, but the potential for a controversial and destabilizing third term cannot be ruled out.

Run or retreat?

Deciding not to run could reduce tensions and provide a political impetus for restarting the transition. Such a decision would require Barrow to select a successor, which would no doubt spark divisions in the NPP and among allies who may either have presidential ambitions or favor particular individuals.

Nevertheless, another Barrow run would certainly deepen tensions, creating political problems that could require an Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) intervention — as happened during the December 2016 and January 2017 post-election crisis.

Source: Daily Maverick.
Story by Sampson Kwarkye, Paulin Maurice Toupane and Seydou Daffe.

22/05/2024

Northern Ireland's Johnathan McKinstry named as the new coach of Gambia.

The 38-year-old Lisburn native has previously had stints as coach of Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Gambia have appointed Northern Irishman Johnathan McKinstry as their new coach, weeks before they resume their World Cup qualifying campaign.

The 38-year-old McKinstry has previously had stints as coach of Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Uganda.

The Lisburn native's appointment on Thursday by Gambia’s National Sports Council comes after it described as a “thorough recruitment and selection process”.

No terms of his contract were given. McKinstry was a relatively unknown 27-year-old when Sierra Leone appointed him coach in 2015 but he was sacked a year later.

He spent 18 months as Rwanda coach and had a similar term with Uganda.

Gambia are one of Africa’s smallest countries but under previous coach Tom Saintfiet from Belgium reached the previous two Africa Cup of Nations finals.

They were shock quarter-finalists on their debut appearance at the 2021 tournament in Cameroon.

Gambia will play Seychelles on June 8 and Gabon on June 11 in their latest Group F qualifier for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

They lost their opening two qualifiers last November to Burundi and the Ivory Coast.

Source: Irish Examiner.

22/05/2024

Ireland, Spain, and Norway say they will recognize Palestine as a state.

The European countries Ireland, Norway, and Spain have announced they will recognize an independent Palestinian state - which will enter into force by the 28th of May.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his country had an obligation to act. Sanchez accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of putting the two-state solution in danger, with his policy of pain and destruction in Gaza.

Ireland's Prime Minister says that three decades after the Oslo process - we are further than ever from a sustainable peace settlement - and that this is the right thing to do.

Norway's Prime Minister says a Palestinian state is a prerequisite for achieving peace in the Middle East.

Source: Al Jazeera.

21/05/2024

Is Gambia's former president Jammeh exempted from prosecution?

The APRC no to coalition officials have condemned moves to prosecute the former president for human rights violations during his regime.

Last month, the National Assembly passed the Special Accountability Mechanism and Special Prosecutors bills paving way for Jammeh’s prosecution as recommended by the truth commission, TRRC.

Addressing news conference in Lamin, Yaya Tamba argued that the agreement signed between various international bodies and Jammeh as well as the 1997 Constitution would be violated by such a move.

“The joint declaration by Ecowas, AU, and UN clearly spelt out why Jammeh cannot by any means be prosecuted by any court of law as it is binding on both parties,” Mr Tamba argued.

21/05/2024

Tinubu Introduces Expat Levy to Boost Local Employment in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu unveiled the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) on Tuesday, marking a significant step towards regulating the employment of expatriates in Nigeria. The levy, as outlined in the EEL handbook, aims to strike a balance between the advantages of expatriate employment and the protection of Nigeria’s local labour market and resources.

21/05/2024

Russia, French, & Chinese firms vie to build Ghana's first nuclear power plant.

Ghana will select by December a company to build its first nuclear power plant from contenders including France's EDF, US-based NuScale Power and Regnum Technology Group, and China National Nuclear Corporation, an energy ministry official said.

South Korea's Kepco and its subsidiary Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Corporation as well as Russia's Rosatom were also competing for the contract expected to span the next decade, said Robert Sogbadji, deputy director for power in charge of nuclear and alternative energy.

"Cabinet will approve the final choice. It can be one vendor or two nations; it will depend on the financial model and the technical details," Sogbadji told Reuters on Monday.

Ghana started considering building a nuclear power plant in the 1960s but the process was derailed by a coup. It revived the plan in 2006 with the International Atomic Energy Association's assistance, following a devastating power crisis that year.

Sogbadji said 16 countries and companies had responded to the government's request for vendors, but a technical team of state agencies led by the energy ministry narrowed it down to the current five nations.

Ghana, like other African countries, is increasingly looking to the possibility of nuclear power to close supply gaps in a continent where over 600 million people lack access to electricity.

Burkina Faso and Uganda have both signed agreements with Russia and China to construct their first nuclear power plants.

Kenya, Morocco, and Namibia are also working to add nuclear to their energy mix.

South Africa, which operates the continent's only nuclear plant, is looking to add 2,500 megawatts (MW) of power from the resource amid severe power shortages.

Sogbadji said Ghana aims to add about 1,000 megawatt of power from nuclear to its electricity mix by 2034.

The country, which is currently grappling with power outages, has 5,454 MW of installed capacity, of which 4,483 MW is available, according to its energy regulator.

Ghana - an oil, cocoa, and gold exporting nation - expects nuclear power to become its base load for quicker and broader industrialization while increasing energy exports to Benin, Ivory Coast, and Togo, among others, through the West Africa Power Pool.

Sogbadji said the government has already secured a site with capacity to accommodate up to five reactors. He added that it would prefer a "build, own, operate and transfer" arrangement with room for local equity holding.

By REUTERS.

08/06/2022

The Gambia, January 1987.

"Even if the tapes are more than 30 years old they bring back pleasing memories.
There is so much good-hearted feeling in these faces I'd like to mirror back to those eldered and still around, and to those who have grown from babies to adults."

CREDIT: Robert Haraldsen *
Recorded on VHS 1987 and digitalized in January 2017.
Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIdl52aheTM

15/04/2021

The journalist Ian Urbina investigates the human and ecological cost of the booming farm fishing industry in the smallest country on mainland Africa.

The journalist Ian Urbina investigates the human and ecological cost of the booming farm fishing industry in the smallest country on mainland Africa.Still ha...

15/04/2021

If you're fishing illegally in The Gambia, there's nowhere to hide.

Sea Shepherd just completed a successful campaign in The Gambia, West Africa. Working in partnership with Gambian authorities from the Navy and the Department of Fisheries, their patrols have resulted in the arrest of ten illegal fishing vessels, many caught fishing inside the zone reserved for local, artisanal fishing.

Sea Shepherd is an international, non-profit marine conservation organization that engages in direct action campaigns to defend wildlife, and conserve and protect the world’s oceans from illegal exploitation and environmental destruction.

Video Credit: Sea Sheperd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCmG5WS4DPo