Author: Yusef Taylor

Yusef Taylor, commonly known as Flex Dan is an editor and practising journalist based in the Gambia with a keen interest in human rights, the economy and good governance among many others. He continues to break news on the economy, human rights violations and is highly engaged in security sector reforms, constitutional reform and the transition of the Gambia from dictatorship to a democracy, the NewGambia. Yusef has been working with Gainako as a media practitioner from 2015 to date. He has a degree in Civil Engineering with 5 years of Design Consultancy experience.

By Yusef Taylor and Edward F. Dalliah The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC) held a press conference early today 14th March 2024 to issue a “Fatwa” on the practice of female circumcision in The Gambia at their headquarters at Kanifing MDI Road. Fatwa is “a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority”. The purpose of the press conference was to provide clarification on female circumcision from a Sharia perspective. National Dialogue on FGM and Islam Over the weekend of 9th March 2024, a National Dialogue on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Islam was held at…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Late February 2024, the Medical Research Council of The Gambia (MRCG) issued a press release highlighting that armed robbers attacked their Kaneba field station in the region Lower River of the country in the early hours of 23rd February 2024. Just last week a statement from the Gambian Police Force noted that “three people have been arrested in connection to the reported suspected armed robbery incident that happened in Keneba Village, Kiang West”. According to the Police presser, “it was reported that the suspected robbers broke into a Bureau de Change and the MRC camp in…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT As part of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission’s (TRRC) mantra of “Never Again” and the principle of non-reoccurrence, perpetrators who bear the most responsibility for human rights violations as identified by the TRRC’s Report will face prosecution. Currently, former Junta Vice President Yankuba Touray has been sentenced to death in the Gambia while former Jungler Driver Bai Lowe has also been sentenced to death in Germany Celle. Currently, former Interior Minister Ousman Sonko is facing trial for TRRC-era crimes in Switzerland. Yesterday, 27th February 2024, the Women’s Association for Victims Empowerment (WAVE) held a half-day…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit which has been postponed at least twice will finally take place in The Gambia from 4th to 5th May 2024. The summit was set to take place in Banjul in 2022 but instead, it was held in Pakistan and in 2023 it was moved to Mauritania. However, after a meeting between members of the OIC Gambia Secretariat yesterday 22nd February 2024, it was announced that plans are in an advanced stage to finally host the OIC Summit in The Gambia. According to a presentation delivered by OIC Branding and…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The National Development Plan (NDP) is the Government’s roadmap to promote national development, with many such roadmaps promulgated by various governments from President Jawara’s ‘Tesito’ to President Jammeh’s ‘Vision 2020’ and now President Adama Barrow’s Yiriwaa. Many will agree that these well-crafted documents promise lofty targets but fail to be fully implemented. Now the current leadership of President Barrow has launched its second NDP dubbed ‘Yiriwaa’ which translates to development in Mandinka, similarly, President Jawara’s Tesito translates to self-help. But before turning our attention to President Barrow’s second NDP how much of his first NDP has…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT A statement published by Senegal’s embattled President Macky Sall yesterday 16th February 2024 highlights that he “will without delay conduct the necessary consultations for the organization of the presidential election”. The statement is in reaction to a decision taken by Senegal’s Constitutional Council which concluded that President Macky Sall’s decree of 3rd February 2024 which postponed the 25th February 2024 Elections lacks legal basis and is wrong. After President Sall’s decree to postpone the presidential elections because of election irregularity, he turned to the National Assembly which passed a ruling to postpone the presidential elections to…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT At least fourteen Political Party Leaders were in attendance at the first-ever National Dialogue for Political Parties hosted by President Adama Barrow, today 12th February 2024. There are 19 registered Political Parties in the country who all attended the National Dialogue with Political Parties which took place at State House. This was the first of its kind being organised by a sitting head of State in The Gambia’s Political History. The theme of the engagement is “our collective responsibility in preserving the nation, safeguarding the state and securing our resources”. Some six thematic areas will be…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Hon Member for Foni Kansala Hon Almameh Gibba is set to table a bill which will repeal the ban against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). A press release published in a newspaper and dated 6th February 2024 highlights that “the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly wishes to publish the following statement of the general nature and objects of the Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2024”. The first paragraph states that “this Bill seeks to lift the ban on female genital circumcision in The Gambia, a practice deeply rooted in the ethnic, traditional, cultural, and religious…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s only neighbour Senegal is going through a political crisis after the Presidential elections scheduled for 25th February 2024 were postponed to 15th December 2024. However, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on Democracy and Good Governance mandates that “all the elections shall be organised on the dates or at periods fixed by the constitution or the electoral laws”. Just hours before campaigns were about to start on 3rd February 2024, Senegal’s President Macky Sall announced that he had signed a decree abolishing a previous measure that set the date [for the…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Medicines Control Agency (MCA) shut down one of The Gambia’s most prominent pharmaceutical companies, Innovarx Global Health on 2nd February 2024. However, our research has shown that after the firing of the MCA Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director the new MCA Executive Director is a conflicted officer working with Stop Step Pharmacy. The Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) outbreak which struck back in mid-2022 until early 2023 resulted in the death of over 70 children and more tightening on the implementation of the Medicines Control Act. The worst happened when children died after consuming…

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