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, @FlexDan_YT During the debates leading to the passing of the Victims Reparations Bill, the Minister for Justice Hon Dawda A Jallow responded to concerns raised by two Foni Representatives that the Government’s White Paper ignored victims killed during a Farafenni attack back in November 1996. The parliamentary inquiry into claims of selective justice from Hon Almami Gibba of Foni Kansala and Hon Bakary Badjie of Foni Bintang forced the Minister of Justice to clarify that their concerns are actually addressed in the Government’s White Paper on the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The TRRC was enacted…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Members of the Sixth Legislature of the Gambia’s National Assembly approved two Bills yesterday 1st November 2023 tabled under a certificate of urgency. The two Bills tabled focus on implementing the Gambia’s Transitional Justice process are the Victims Reparations Bill 2023 and the Ban from Public Office (TRRC) Bill 2023. Parliament convened a two-day Extraordinary Session which started yesterday after members attended a five-day retreat with the Ministry of Justice to discuss the Bills that have been tabled. So far two of the four Bills have been approved by Parliament after a marathon session which went…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The second bill of the day which is expected to be tabled today 1st of November 2023 by the Minister for Justice is the Ban from Public Office (TRRC) Bill under a certificate of urgency. A look at Parliament’s Agenda for today and tomorrow suggests that the Bill will be debated and considered today and another two Bills are to be tabled and considered tomorrow 2nd November 2023. The two Bills to be considered today are the Ban from Public Office (TRRC) Bill and the Victims Reparations Bill which has already been reviewed by the Gambia…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly is scheduled to consider two Bills today relating to the Transitional Justice process after the President issued a certificate of emergency for an extraordinary session to be convened starting today 1st November 2023. Bill Description, Objects and Reasons One of the two Bills which is expected to be considered by Parliament today is the Victims Reparations Bill 2023 which is “AN ACT to establish a fund for the provision of reparations for Victims of the human rights abuses and violations during the period July 1994 and January 2017; to establish a Commission…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO) launched its sustainability index for the year covering 2022 at their conference hall today 30th October 2023. The scoring chart highlights that from 1 to 3 are ranked as “sustainability enhanced”, 3 to 5 are ranked as “sustainability evolving” and from 5 to 7 are ranked as sustainability impeded. The latest report highlights that the Gambia’s sustainability index is currently ranked at 4.7. This means that the Gambia’s Civil Society Organisations are currently ranked as “sustainability evolving”. In the past, The Gambia’s Sustainability Index was ranked 4.9 in 2020 and…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly is scheduled to announce its first Extra-Ordinary Session of the 2023 Legislative Year by Monday 30th October 2023 to consider at least Five Bills. National Assembly members are currently on a Parliamentary retreat reviewing these Bills together with the Ministry of Justice. On Twitter, now known as X the Ministry of Justice’s official X page posted that the Bills are “geared towards ensuring effective implementation of the transitional justice process & TRRC recommendations”. Another post added that “the session is to ensure that NAMs are familiar with these bills in order to…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO) launched its Journal of Development and Policy Research – Volume 1 at it’s headquarters during a forum discussion with various stakeholders from Government, Civil Society and the National Assembly. Taking place earlier today Tuesday 24th October 2023 at the TANGO Hall, the event was graced by the Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Committee on Education, the Director of Research at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and representatives from the European Union amongst others. The opening session and the discussion forum were chaired by Mr John Charles…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Yesterday, the Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations (Victims Center) received a donation of D100 thousand from the author of “The Dictator is US”, Second Lieutenant Alhagie Barrow. The Victim Center which was established after the change of government published a brief notice highlighting that a “delegation from Global Hands Publishing Company in the persons of Dr. Cherno Omar Barry and Professor Momodou Sallah” presented a cheque to the new Chair of the Victims Center, Mr Demba Ali Jawo on Tuesday 24th October 2023. According to the update, 100% of the royalties of Alhagie…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia is currently undergoing a Transitional Justice process after the conclusion of the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The Gambia Government accepted most of the recommendations submitted by the Commission back in December 2021. However, to date, many of the recommendations have not been implemented. At least four TRRC recommendations focus on Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which dwells on Freedom of Expression. The UDHR will be commemorating 75 years since its existence on 10th December 2023 after it was launched back on 10th December 1948. This international law…

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By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT This transcript is a speech delivered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon Mamadou Tangara on 5th September 2023 after he withdrew two treaties which he had tabled in Parliament for ratification. Hon Tangara started his speech by highlighting that he only sent the Swiss-Gambia Migration agreement to Parliament in response to a request, however, GPN obtained and published the Foreign Affairs Minister’s speech for the tabling of the Swiss-Gambia Migration Agreement proving otherwise. Below is a link to the previous publication and a download link. https://gainako.com/the-gambia-swiss-migration-agreement-did-foreign-minister-request-ratification-from-parliament/ In this latest expose, our reporter has obtained a…

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