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.…
Author: Gainako
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…
Press Release: Reminder to Auditees on the Timely Submission of Financial Statements for Audit Banjul, The Gambia: December 27, 2023 The Auditor General wishes to remind public institutions about the submission of timely, complete, and accurate financial statements for audit. As per the statutory requirements, financial statements should be submitted three months after a financial year ends (by 31st March of the new financial year). Late submission of financial statements, and in some cases, submission of incomplete financial statements continues to be one of the key challenges for the National Audit Office (NAO), resulting in the extension of the audit…
By Patience Loum This year’s Fashion Weekend Gambia (FWG) will feature plus size top models, a new inclusion different from previous years’ modelling trends which featured traditional slim models at the newly renovated Kombo Beach Resort on 15th and 16th December 2023. This, according to the co-founders of the show, Lena Nian, will help raise awareness of body positivity, Post Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and inclusive fashion, thereby changing the narratives on modelling and fashion. Lena Nian was proud to introduce her fellow co-producers, Ms Soma Njie, Adi Conteh, Annie Achieng and their latest collaborator, former face of FWG and international model,…
By CIVICUS Click here for the full People Power Under Attack 2023 report. Fact sheet here. For inquiries, contact [email protected]. JOHANNESBURG – The CIVICUS Monitor announced in a new report Wednesday that it now rates Senegal’s civic space as ‘repressed’ amid a sustained crackdown on journalists and the political opposition ahead of next February’s elections. The report, People Power Under Attack 2023, details civic space conditions in 198 countries and territories. The report’s Senegal findings show that freedoms of assembly, association and expression sharply declined in the country over the last year. Security forces have killed opposition protesters in the streets and jailed critics, including journalists and activists, in an attempt to…
This is a statement signed by 10 Civil Society Organisations and three advocates calling on President Adama Barrow to revisit his decentralisation policy and National Development Plan and rescind his appointment of Executive Coordinators for Banjul and Kanifing Municipal Council. CSO Statement on the President’s Appointment of Executive Coordinators for Banjul and KMC 4th December 2023, Banjul. In the month of November 2023, the President decided to appoint Executive Coordinators for Banjul and Kanifing Municipal Council, a move which has gathered significant public debate with the President’s Office issuing a clarification on the Executive’s powers to affect such an appointment.…
Statement by the Central Bank of The Gambia, Monetary Policy Committee November 29, 2023. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) convened on November 29 and 30, 2023. The Committee made the decision to maintain the Monetary Policy Rate at 17 percent. The decision is aimed at sustaining the declining trend in domestic inflation. The following is an overview of deliberations that informed the Committee’s decision. The global economic growth has lost momentum since the last MPC meeting in August of this year, with a slowdown in the manufacturing, trade, and services sectors. This…
By Arret Jatta Former Paradise Foundation now PF Initiative launched a collection of songs dedicated to advocating against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the 30th of November 2023 at the Paradise Suite Hotel. Mariama Jobe performed her song called “Bajen”, a song dedicated to the elderly women in society leading the fight against SGBV in many local communities. Aisha Baldeh the executive director of the PF initiative told delegates present that “with the help of UNDP we were able to scale up the “Ask Bajen” initiative. We started with four Bajens…