Press Statement John Kirby Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs Washington, DC January 16, 2016 The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso that began Friday: one on the Splendid Hotel, Capuccino Cafe, and the Yibi Hotel in which more than 25 people were killed, and another attack on a gendarmerie patrol near the northern mining town of Tinakoff in which two gendarmerie were killed. We extend our condolences to the family of Michael James Riddering, a U.S. citizen killed in this violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time, as they are with…
Author: Gainako
By Baba G. Jallow Back in 2013 when he reduced the work week from five to four days, I wrote a piece in which I argued that contrary to fears in some quarters, imposing Sharia law was not an option for Mr. Jammeh. In the light of recent developments in The Gambia, I wish to share that piece with the public, unedited. Around the middle of January, 2013, Gambia’s dictator Yahya Jammeh – who insists on being called His Excellency the President Sheikh Professor Alhajj Doctor Yahya AJJJ Jammeh – dropped yet another of his increasingly eccentric bombshells: he…
Pic (Israeli Ambassador inspecting guards in Gambia) When the world’s newest Islamic republic honors the Jewish state Paul Hirschson, Israel’s ambassador to Gambia, dissects the significance of a tiny West African nation’s name change A Month after Gambia declared itself an “Islamic Republic,” its longtime ruler this week warmly hosted the ambassador of the world’s only Jewish state. Israel’s Ambassador Paul Hirschson on Tuesday inspected a presidential honor guard in the capital Banjul before he handed his letters of credentials to Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy. The next day, he sat down for an hour-long chat with President Yahya Jammeh,…
By Mathew K Jallow From under the ground in Brikama, like a phoenix, it rises. Its aesthetic calmness evoked a sense of Messianic reverence. And, even in its tranquil demeanor, the echoes of Fr. Gomez’s serene voice transcended the tribal and religious divides, to reverberate in the hearts and minds of Gambians; everywhere. Unsurprisingly, Fr Edu Gomez’s Sunday sermon touched on raw nerves, and gently challenged our better angels to act with sagacity and moral rectitude, as we ride out a dangerous religious fire-storm, in a country once renowned for its tolerance. The issue that grips the Gambia, this time again,…
Barely one week after the Gambian President Yahya Jammeh issued an Executive Order for all women employees of the government to wear a veil (Hijab) during working hours, the President after a Cabinet meeting January 13th issued a new Directive rescinding the order. A new memo read on the Gambia National Television (GRTS) this evening said “The General public are hereby informed that the directive for women to wear hijab in all public places has been lifted, the Directive has nothing to do with religion; women are his excellency’s best friends, they are his sisters and he is there…
PDOIS LETTER TO IEC CHAIRMAN CHAIRMAN INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION 11th January 2016 SUBJECT: HAS THE RE-DEMARCATION OF CONSTITUENCIES BEEN GIVEN LEGAL EFFECT AND WOULD GENERAL REGISTRATION TAKE PLACE IN ANY NEW CONTITUTENCY In three days time Supplementary Registration of voters would begin. In your programme guide regarding the movement of your registration teams ,there is no mention of any registration team for any new Constituency. You would recall that you did send a copy of “Legal Notice No.10 of 2015 dated 1st June 2015” which is cited as “Re- Demarcation Of Constituencies, 2015.” This Citation stated that the Constituencies of Kombo North, Kombo Central, Serrekunda East and Serrekunda Central have…
PRESS RELEASE: GAMBIAN ARTISTS RECORD A TRIBUTE SONG FOR MUSA AFIA NGUM Barely less than 24 hours after the demise of Musa Afia Ngum, a few of his admirers came together and set up the Musa Afia Ngum Tribute Committee whose mandate is to maintain the legacy of the legend and raise funds for his family. The committee started by setting up a Gofundme account, which currently has £380 raised between October and December of 2015. Donations can still be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/wr6d7jb8 . If you live in the UK, you can still make cash or check donation by…
In a rather disturbing News being reported on Senedirect a Senegalese paper, the embattled and internationally isolated Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh has allegedly invited the leader of the world’s most notorious terrorists group ISIS – Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to visit the small West African State of the Gambia. The report as reproduced below through Google translation by Senedirect.com the most wanted terrorist whose where about is unknown at this point, allegedly sent a delegation to Banjul upon the Gambian President’s announcement that the Gambia is now “An Islamic State”. The ISIS delegation according to the report included the Islamic State’s Defense…
By Mathew K Jallow The needless executions, in 2012, of twenty-six people, all of who were inmates at the scene of more than five hundred deaths, since 1994, Gambia’s notorious Mile 2 Central Prison, reinforced the belief that Yahya Jammeh had reached the peak of insanity. The startling executions, in 2012, preceded by five mass murder incidences, dating back to the November 1994 executions of nine military officers, typify the notorious ruthlessness of Yahya Jammeh and his military henchmen. But, notwithstanding those tragedies, Gambians recently woke up to a different kind of reality; a craziness that embodies the quintessence of…
By D. A. Jawo It has now become quite evident that President Yahya Jammeh has very little regard for the very constitution that he had sworn to defend at all times when he took the oath of office. On the contrary, he regularly takes decisions that clearly violate the constitution with complete disregard to what anyone says. For instance, his verbal declaration of the Gambia as an Islamic States without going through a referendum as demanded by the constitution, is by all accounts a violation of the fundamental law of the land. While President Jammeh as chief executive is the…