Press Statement by Hon Baboucarr O. Joof, Honourable Minister for the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment on the occasion of the maiden press conference organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment on 12th January 2024 in Banjul. Introduction The development landscape of The Gambia is a complex and intertwined web of challenges and opportunities spanning many areas. A thorough review and analysis of this landscape is critical to developing a sound and robust development plan. The Government of The Gambia’s new Recovery Focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP 2023 – 2027) charts the recovery…
Author: Gainako
By TRIAL International, 11th January 2024 Day 4: Continuation of the examination of the March 2006 charges (acts of torture, false imprisonment and sexual violence committed as crimes against humanity) As part of an attempted coup d’état in March 2006, Ousman Sonko is being accused, as an accomplice of a group of perpetrators, of having tortured various people, including members of the army, politicians and journalists, of having illegally deprived them of their freedom, as well as of having committed rape in Banjul (The Gambia). For reasons related to the dignity of the plaintiff, the identity will not be disclosed…
By TRIAL International, 11th January 2024 Day 3 and 4: Examination of the March 2006 charges (acts of torture, false imprisonment and sexual violence committed as crimes against humanity) As part of an attempted coup d’état in March 2006, Ousman Sonko is being accused, as an accomplice of a group of perpetrators, of having tortured various people, including members of the army, politicians and journalists, of having illegally deprived them of their freedom, as well as of having committed rape in Banjul (The Gambia). The first plaintiff to be called to the stand is a Gambian citizen who started his…
By TRIAL International, 10th January 2024 Day 3: Examination of the early 2000s charges (murder of Almamo Manneh and multiple rapes as crimes against humanity) Ousman Sonko is being accused, among other charges, of having participated in the murder of Almamo Manneh, a former member of the State Guards, in January 2000 and, of having sexually assaulted his widow between the years 2000 to 2002 as well as having tortured, raped and sequestrated her in 2005. The accused explained that he was bound by a professional secrecy that prevented him to talk about Almamo Manneh’s facts and contested all the…
A declaration has been signed by over 100 advocates calling for the release of Senegalese Journalist and activist Aliou SANÉ who advocates say has been detained arbitrarily. Included in the list of signatories are some 10 Gambian organisations and advocates adding weight to the statement calling for SANÉ’s immediate and unconditional release. DECLARATION More than 100 organizations, personalities, journalists, artists, activists and celebrities from Africa and the rest of the world denounce the arbitrary detention of Aliou SANÉ and demand his immediate and unconditional release. Aliou SANÉ, a Senegalese activist, Y en a marre’s movement coordinator, vice-coordinator of F24 platform…
By TRIAL International, 9th January 2024 Day 2: All rise! The proceedings resumed at 1 PM sharp with the Court’s reading of its decision on the preliminary questions discussed during the first day. The Court announced that the ruling would not be translated into English. On the arguments made by the defence against the indictment, it was ruled that the amendment made after the filing of the indictment before the Court was undertaken in compliance with the law and is hence valid. As a result, the trial will be based on the extended and amended indictment. More importantly, the Court…
By TRIAL International, 8th January 2024 Day 1: The trial begins The trial of Ousman Sonko opened today, 8 January 2024, at 9:00 AM before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court, where three judges will be examining the former Gambian Minister of Interior’s responsibility over the numerous crimes against humanity that he is accused of having committed between 2000 and 2016. Ousman Sonko is present in the Courtroom, seconded by his lawyer and the defence team. Five plaintiffs are also present, while others will join at a later stage of the proceedings. They will be heard over the next two weeks.…
Gambian President Adama Barrow released a New Year statement at the end of 2023 for the new year 2024. Fellow Gambians and Friends of The Gambia, Another year has elapsed once again, giving way to a new year. As we look forward to 2024, we do so with gratitude to the Almighty God for the blessings and achievements of 2023, and we do so with much optimism as well. Looking back, since the advent of the Coronavirus in 2019, 2023 was by far the most productive year in The Gambia, despite the persistent global economic crises and the inflationary backlash…
PRESS RELEASE THE GAMBIA SECURES SIGNIFICANT BUDGET SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN GOVERNANCE AND RESILIENCE BANJUL, 29th December 2023 – The Government of The Gambia, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, has successfully secured budget support totalling $60,885,146, $6,703,950, €12,000,000 and €2,000,000 from development partners namely – the World Bank Group, African Development Bank, the European Union, and Agence Française de Development respectively. This funding injection is strategically earmarked to advance key initiatives aimed at fostering improved governance, bolstering fiscal resilience, and supporting transformative reforms in public financial management. The support reflects a collective commitment of the development partners in…
By Musa Krubally Gambia – No Problem? Where do I even begin? Gambia isn’t without problems. In fact, there are plenty! The issues kick in right from the airport, the nation’s first impression hub. Queue etiquette is nowhere to be found. Faces familiar to security get VIP treatment, creating new queues to favour friends while others watch in confusion. And then there is the inconvenient security fee issue. Who takes responsibility for the frustrating $20 cash fee upon entering and leaving the country? I recall this question posed to the vice president and foreign minister during their meeting with the…