Author: Gainako

Pic: Hage G. Geingob Namibian President 29 September 2015 – The UN has played a significant role in reducing conflicts on the African continent and in other parts of the world was a message underlined by a number of African leaders who addressed the United Nations General Assembly today during the annual general debate. “Namibia is a child of international solidarity, midwifed by the United Nations,” Hage G. Geingob, the Namibian President, told world leaders from the podium. “After the termination of South Africa’s mandate over the then South West Africa, the United Nations assumed direct responsibility over Namibia.”…

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By Binneh s Minteh Former Army First Lieutenant In the past decade alone military establishments or units of military establishments in West Africa have either destabilized or threatened the state in many aspects. These units have resisted the people’s demand for change, overturned election results or used indiscriminate force against citizens demanding more rights and freedoms. They influenced politics and left a legacy in part, which continues to shape the role of the military establishment in political transitions.  In 2008, a military junta led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara led a coup after the death of long time autocrat…

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Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh is heading to New York to attend a high level discussion among civil society and government representatives at the United Nations Secretariat on Tuesday, September 29, as part of the Community of Democracies. Dr. Janneh, who is coordinator of Coalition for Change – The Gambia (CCG), is participating at the invitation of Tom Malinowski, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The United States has recently assumed the presidency of the Community of Democracies. In concert with the country’s “continuing commitment to President Obama’s Stand With Civil Society initiative, the…

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The Spotlight: Amadou Sanneh By Yero Jallow Gainako’s spotlight for this week is none other than Amadou Sanneh, jailed UDP Treasurer, currently languishing at the notorious Mile 2 Prison, at the political whims and caprices of the Jammeh tyranny. Sanneh, an Accountant by profession, is both a Citizen and a progressive Gambian, whose rights and fair treatment must be advocated for. For refresher, Sanneh was handed the heavy imprisonment of 5 years around December 18th 2013, and since then, appeals on his unfavorable imprisonment to the Appeals Courts in Banjul proved unsuccessful. He was accused of…

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Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday praised the President of Senegal, Macky Sall and his Benin Republic counterpart, Boni Yayi, for their efforts to restore political order in Burkina Faso. Buhari gave the eulogy at an extraordinary meeting of Heads of State and Government of Economic Community of West African States held in Abuja, Nigeria. The Nigerian president also lauded the efforts of the President of Ecowas Commission, who was also in Quagadougou to find amicable resolution to the political stalemate in Burkina Faso following a military coup in the country on Thursday. He noted that the presidents undertook a…

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By Baba Galleh Jallow Every revolution is inspired by outrage. Outrage at the specter of a small minority in power oppressing a large majority of citizens. Outrage at gross injustices and often unbelievable socio-economic and cultural hardships majorities endure under oppressive political regimes. Revolutions succeed not only to the extent that they are also inspired by a burning desire to politically empower the powerless majority so that never again will they be oppressed by a minority, but also to the extent that they genuinely follow through and actualize such popular empowerment. The nation always bears within itself the resources…

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Press release Issued: 18/09/2015 For Immediate Release Hydraulic fracturing is a controversial technique to extract resources. While there is some evidence that fracking contributes to economic growth within the United States, there are many more challenges of governance in the developing world. However, few studies consider the prospects for governance of fracking in the developing world, in particular in African countries that are rich in shale gas. The research published in Governance in Africa presents a conceptual framework to analyze hydraulic fracturing in Africa, applying it to the cases of South Africa and Botswana. Ilia Murtazashvili and Caitlin Corrigan (Graduate…

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 “CLASS STRUGGLE REVISITED”                                    By  Sainey Faye The role of the intelligensia in the post Independent Africa is one that needs to be disected, to better see how and why intellectuals behave the way they do; with regards to regimes and/or governments. Why would a class of supposedly highly educated workers join any train wagon,undemocratic — or, say even outright despotic. In his book “Class Struggle In Africa”,Kwame Nkrumah notes that ‘In Africa, as in Europe and elsewhere, education largely determines class.As literacy increases, tribal and ethnic alliances weaken, and class divisions sharpen”. In the early days of…

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Press Release No. 15/430 September 21, 2015 The Gambia has experienced large balance of payments and fiscal imbalances, caused by persistent policy slippages in recent years and financial difficulties in public enterprises. This was exacerbated by sizable exogenous shocks from the impact of the regional Ebola outbreak on tourism and the delayed summer rains in 2014. The authorities embarked on an economic program based on a strong 2015 budget and structural reforms, and efforts to secure donor support. The Fund supported the authorities’ efforts through a Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) disbursement in early April 2015 and a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP).…

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is reporting more bad economic news for the Gambia despite recent Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) or financial bailout extended to the cash-strapped regime of Yaya Jammeh. In a news release announcing a recently-concluded mission to The Gambia, The Fund announced that the country continues to experience large balance of payments and fiscal imbalances. Two reasons were cited for the deteriorating conditions of the economy, what the Fund described as persistent policy slippages in recent years and financial difficulties in public enterprises. These same reasons have been persistently cited by the Fund in previous Fund…

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