TheNewsGuru

Tag: The Gambia

  • TAC deploys two Nigerian Judges to Gambia

    TAC deploys two Nigerian Judges to Gambia

    The Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC), has deployed two Justices of the Federation to The Gambia to assist the West African nation’s quest for effective judicial service delivery.

    It was learnt  that the two officers were formally briefed on their new task at the directorate’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Dr Yusuf Yakub, the Director-General of the corps, in a brief remark, said that the two Justices – Ruqayat Ayoola and Muhammad Owolabi – were nominated by the Chief Justice of the Federation.

    He described the Judges as “some of our best from the Judiciary”.

    Yakub reminded the duo that DTAC was established in 1987 to serve as an instrument for soft power diplomacy in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific nations.

    “It has, since then, been deploying volunteers to 35 countries.

    “We have covered up to 35 countries from inception; currently, we have volunteers in 10 countries and have extended our mandate beyond bilateral relationships.

    “We have also gone triangular; we have partnerships with other international organisations and have volunteers with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) serving in New York.

    “Also, as part of our repositioning drive to meet up with the 4-D Foreign Policy initiatives of President Bola Tinubu, we have extended our tentacles to others countries outside Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific,” he added.

    He urged the Judges to serve with dignity when they get to Gambia.

    Responding, Justice Owolabi thanked the directorate for the opportunity and promised to make Nigeria proud in Gambia.

  • Argentina 2023: Gambian secures second round qualification after beating France 2-1

    Argentina 2023: Gambian secures second round qualification after beating France 2-1

    In a historic and sensational display, the Gambian under-20 team sent shockwaves through the U20 World Cup as they defeated France 2-1 on the second day of the group stage in Argentina on Thursday.

    The Gambian U-20 team qualified for the round of 16 at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina after defeating their French counterparts on Thursday.

    The Young Scorpions showcased their determination and skill, outplaying the French team in all departments.

    This momentous triumph not only propels Gambia into the round of 16 but also cements their status as a rising force in youth football.

    Gambia seized their first real opportunity by capitalizing on a mistake by French goalkeeper Yvan Lienard. It was Gambian midfielder Mohammed Jobe who pounced on Lienard’s poor clearance, swiftly passing the ball to his teammate Adama Bodjang inside the box. Bodjang’s shot deflected off French defender Tanguy Zoukrou and found its way into the net (13′). This early breakthrough allowed Gambia to go into the halftime break with a well-deserved lead at Estadio Mendoza.

    Returning for the second half, Abdoulai Bojang’s young prodigies refused to sit back and defend their advantage. Their enterprising nature persisted, with Jobe causing havoc once again. In the 56th minute, Jobe was brought down in the French penalty area after intercepting a poorly cleared ball by the defense, earning Gambia a penalty.

    However, French goalkeeper denied Gambia’s captain Alagie Saine the chance to extend their lead, redeeming himself on this occasion. The missed penalty proved to be a regretful moment for Gambia, as France equalized four minutes later through a strike from Wilson Odobert.

    However, in the 65th minute when Mamin Sanyang, in a superb display of skill, maneuvered past the French defense before unleashing a powerful shot that beat Liénard.

    Making their return to the U20 World Cup for the first time since 2007, Gambia has announced its resurgence with two wins in two matches. They previously defeated Honduras by the same scoreline.

    The Gambian will face South Korea in the round of 16.

  • Jonathan to African leaders: Sacrifice short-term personal gains for long time benefits of your people

    Jonathan to African leaders: Sacrifice short-term personal gains for long time benefits of your people

    Former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Wednesday admonished African leaders to cultivate the culture of sacrificing short-term personal gains for long time benefits of their country.

    He, however, stressed that whatever a leader is doing, he or she needs to understand the fact that the perception of his policies and decisions would be a critical factor upon which the governed will rate the performance of the leader in question.

    “But when a leader is doing his best for his people and the perception is right, he might even lose an election due to misunderstanding, but when the perception is right, he can even be called upon to come and rule again.” – Goodluck Jonathan

    Jonathan made the remarks while speaking at a two days consultative retreat for political party leaders on the draft constitution for the government of The Gambia.

    He urged the party leaders to seize this opportunity of making a new constitution for their country to sacrifice short-term personal gains for long time benefits of their country.

    His words: “Whatever a leader is doing, he needs to understand the fact that the perception of his policies and decisions would be a critical factor to be considered because he is there for the people.

    “A leader can be doing all the right things to be done for nation-building but if the perception among the people does not match what he is doing, hen he can never go very far in politics.

    “But when a leader is doing his best for his people and the perception is right, he might even lose an election due to misunderstanding, but when the perception is right, he can even be called upon to come and rule again.

    ” People have asked if I have any personal; relationship with your President, but I have never had any official dealings with him since he got into office.

    “But since providence has brought us here to work on this constitution, I will try and do all I can to persuade him to understand and allow the process to work so that he can have the honour of having a brand new constitution for your country under his tenure.

    ” If it even happens that the constitution becomes operational and he has the benefit to hand over to a successor without rancour, he would also enter into a prestigious class of African leaders who are peace lovers who place the country above their selfish interests.

    ” I will like to warn here that if we say because we have a few things to change in the old constitution and we would not allow it to work for the country then decide to set this aside and continue with business as usual, one day, our grandchildren will come after us and make a better constitution that would make the country function

    ” This is a golden opportunity that we have to make a constitution that would stand the test of time for the next one or two hundred years and it would guarantee justice, peace and progress for everyone in the country,” President Jonathan submitted.

  • How Nigeria, ECOWAS forced Yahya Jammeh out of power in The Gambia – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday explained how Nigeria and other member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) forced former President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh out of power in 2017.

    The president also expressed regrets that ECOWAS had to use `strong-arm tactics’ to make Jammeh relinquish power to the new president.

    Recall that Jammeh, who re-contested and lost Gambia’s presidential election on Dec. 1, 2016, had refused to step aside despite several international appeals for him to do so.

    President Buhari, who stated this when he received the visiting Gambian President, Mr Adama Barrow, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, said Nigeria and the ECOWAS had no option left than using the unpopular tactics.

    “We had to go through those actions because it was the only option for Nigeria and ECOWAS,’’ the President told Mr. Adama Barrow, the President of the Gambia who succeeded Jammeh.

    President Buhari recalled that in spite of all entreaties, the former President refused to accept the outcome of the election he superintended which was widely accepted as credible.

    He said: “We thank God for the role He allowed us to play in the Gambia.

    “We believe in multi-party democracy. In Africa, it is absolutely necessary but for the system to work and one to come out of it clean, there is need for patience.

    ‘‘Patience on the part of leaders is also necessary in view of ethnic and religious diversities that prevail. Leaders must be patient, hardworking and resourceful.’’

    President Buhari counselled that if African countries could get the institutional structures of democracy working properly, the continent would emerge from the process of development successfully.

    He urged the Gambian leader to uphold the legacy of free and fair elections, which he described as the biggest guarantee for democracy.

    While comparing experiences with the new leader of the Gambia, the Nigerian leader said one of the biggest challenges facing Nigeria was unemployment.

    “Sixty per cent of the 180 million people are under 25 years. They all wish for a secure future. Those of them who are educated feel they are more qualified for employment.

    “We have studied the problem and are doing our best to stabilize the situation.

    ‘‘We took over from a party that had been in power for 16 years. During those years, the country earned an unprecedented amount of money as revenue, never seen at any time before,” he stated.

    The President announced that representatives of both countries will deliberate and advise the leaders on how best to strengthen the existing level of cooperation between the two states.

    In his remarks, President Barrow said he came to thank Nigeria and its leader in person for ensuring the completion of the democratic process in his country, which had stalled back then following the refusal of Jammeh to accept the election results.

    The Gambian leader said his country received the support of Nigeria in many spheres, citing education, administration, justice and security sectors and requested President Buhari to continue to be of assistance.

    “We will never forget Nigeria for the help it has rendered to us since independence,” the visiting Gambian leader said.

     

  • BREAKING: Gambia’s new President, Adama Barrow arrives home

    Gambia’s President Adama Barrow has returned to the country to assume power few days after his predecessor Yahya Jammeh left to go into exile.

    President Barrow’s plane touched down at Banjul airport where jubilant crowds waited to welcome him. After landing, he tweeted: “I’m finally home #Gambia.”

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Barrow, who has been in neighbouring Senegal, won elections in December.

    However a handover was stalled when Jammeh, Gambia’s president of 22 years, refused to step aside.

    He left for exile at the weekend after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.

    Barrow, dressed in white robes and a cap, stepped off the plane in Banjul as heavily armed troops from Senegal and Nigeria stood by.

    He was sworn in as president at the Gambian embassy in Senegal a week ago, but a public inauguration on home soil is planned soon, aides say.

    Earlier, Barrow, 51, said he expected a “big, big welcome” when he arrived back in Banjul.

    He told the International Business Times UK: “I think it will be the biggest in the history of our country.”

    He added that he was “very excited” after the “very difficult transition”.

    The president is being accompanied by the UN envoy for West Africa, Mohamed ibn Chambas. He has said the UN will help uphold security in The Gambia.

    Several thousand West African soldiers remain in The Gambia amid reports that rogue pro-Jammeh elements are embedded in the country’s security forces.

    The West African force had threatened to drive Mr Jammeh from office if he did not agree to go.

    The new president has asked for the force to remain in The Gambia for six months.

    A new inauguration will be organised soon at the national stadium in Banjul, his spokesman Halifa Sallah said.

    “It will be an occasion to show strength. Everyone will be invited. The president will address his people,” he told Senegalese radio.

    Jammeh, who was a 29-year-old army lieutenant when he came to power in a 1994 coup, had refused to accept the results of the December election.

    After his departure, reports emerged that more than $11m (£8.8m) had disappeared from The Gambia’s state coffers.

    However a presidential adviser said the police had been asked to investigate and would determine if anything was missing.

    Jammeh is however yet to comment on the allegations.

    Meanwhile, parliament has cancelled the state of emergency declared by Jammeh last week. It also revoked legislation that would have extended its life for a further 90 days.

  • Defiant Jammeh flees to Guinea on exile

     

    Immediate past president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh on Saturday night departed the country with his family on exile to Guinea.

    Jammeh’s decision to relinquish power is coming after Friday’s final peace move by Conde and Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who persuaded him to vacate office peacefully.

    In a statement issued on State TV on Friday night, Jammeh confirmed he was stepping down, to avoid bloodshed in The Gambia.

    He said: “Fellow Gambians, my first preoccupation as president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and a patriot is to preserve at every instance and in every circumstance, the lives of Gambians and this is a duty I hold sacrosanct.

    “As a Muslim and as a patriot, I believe that it is not necessary that any blood be shed.

    “It is as a result of this that I have decided today (Friday) in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation.”

    Jammeh was defeated in last month’s presidential election by Adama Barrow, who has since been sworn in as the country’s new president.

     

  • Jammeh leaves Banjul today, starts new life in exile

    Jammeh leaves Banjul today, starts new life in exile

    Gambia’s former president, Yahya Jammeh will now leave Banjul on Saturday with President Alpha Conde of Guinea, to begin a new life in exile.

    This followed Friday’s final peace move by Conde and Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

    The two West African leaders travelled to Banjul to persuade the long ruling Jammeh to leave peacefully before West African forces pounced on him.

    In a statement issued on state TV on Friday night, Jammeh announced that he was stepping down, a superfluous announcement as he was already no more the leader, having been denied recognition by the world.

    All indications are that Jammeh will be going into exile in Guinea.

    A senior adviser to new President Adama Barrow said talks to finalise the exile deal were holding up his exit.

    “I can assure you that he has agreed to leave,” Mai Ahmad Fatty, Barrow’s special advisor, said in Senegal’s capital Dakar. He could not say where Jammeh would go into exile.

    President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow had earlier confirmed Yahya Jammeh’s stepping down.

    Barrow, on his twitter handle on Friday, @adama_barrow said: “I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down.

    “He is scheduled to depart Gambia today. #NewGambia.”

    Barrow on Thursday took the oath of office as Gambia’s new president.

    He was sworn-in about 5p.m. Senegalese time at the Gambian High Commission in Dakar, Senegal.

    Barrow succeeded Yahya Jammeh, who lost in the Dec. 1 presidential election and refused to vacate office when his term expired midnight on Thursday.

    Gambia’s Chief of Defence, Ousman Badjie, on Friday pledged loyalty to President Barrow.

    “West African troops that crossed from neighbouring Senegal into Gambia to help unseat Jammeh would be welcomed “with a cup of tea,’’ said Badjie.

    ECOWAS armies halted Operation Restore Democracy aimed at installing the country’s new president, Adama Barrow, on Thursday so regional leaders could make one last attempt to convince long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh to step aside.

    In Dakar, the Nigerian force Commander, Operation Restore Democracy, Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf, said the ECOWAS forces would not let down their guard, inspite of negotiations for the former Gambian president, Alhaji Yahaya Jammeh to leave office.

    He said the troops were awaiting briefing by the political leaders.

    Yusuf made the statement while briefing newsmen in Dakar, on Friday.

    “”Even if he quits we are not letting down our guard, our mandate is to restore peace in Gambia.

    “”We have been on standby, and the troops are still on a very high alert, depending on the outcome of political negotiations.

    “”We are not letting down our guard; our mandate is to restore democracy in Gambia,’’ Yusuf said.

    Yusuf added that the mandate given to them was to restore peace and nothing else.

    He promised to carry out his responsibilities professionally while waiting for further directive from the political masters.

    Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup, initially conceded defeat to Barrow following a Dec. 1 election before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed.

  • BREAKING: Yahya Jammeh makes u-turn, steps down as Gambia’s president

    Embattled former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, has finally decided to step down, following his defeat in the presidential election held on December 1, 2016.

    According to France 24, Jammeh is has written a statement indicating his interest to step down and seek asylum in a neighbouring country.

    To this end, Jammeh requested an extension in the deadline given to him by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to vacate office.

    However, the ECOWAS troops have already taken over large parts of The Gambia including Banjul, the capital where they were met with almost no resistance.

    Despite Jammeh’s insistence of clinching onto power, Adama Barrow was on Thursday sworn-in as President of Gambia in the country’s embassy in Senegal.

     

    Details later…

  • BREAKING: Military operations suspended in Gambia for final talks with Jammeh

    BREAKING: Military operations suspended in Gambia for final talks with Jammeh

     

    The coalition of African forces assigned to militarily force Yahya Jammeh out of The Gambia’s presidency after failed talks to hand over power to the newly sworn in president, Adama Barrow as his tenure expires Thursday, has been suspended.

    The decision was reached to enable the ECOWAS team meet again with Jammeh in a final talk session to appeal to him to step down for the new president to take over realms of leadership in the tiny West Africa country.

    Talks will be led by Guinean president Alpha Condé in Banjul on Friday (today) morning, said Marcel Alain de Souza, head of the Economic Community of West African States.

    “If by midday, he doesn’t agree to leave The Gambia under the banner of President Condé, we really will intervene militarily,” he added.

    Recall that Adama Barrow was sworn in Thurssay as Gambia’s new president in Senegal.

  • ‘I am alive’, Gambia’s President-elect, Adama Barrow cries out

    ‘I am alive’, Gambia’s President-elect, Adama Barrow cries out

    Gambia’s president-elect, Adama Barrow has refuted news of his assassination which became an item on the social media and on some local and foreign media on Wednesday.

    The report which was credited to CBN Television, Banjul had ‎reported that Barrow was murdered by unknown assailants who overpowered his security guards, leaving two dead and six others injured from gunshots.

    However, a tweet from his official handle, @adama_barrow, ‎said he’s alive and well. “We would like to inform you that the President-elect is alive and well. #Gambia‎”, it read.

     

    His rumoured death is coming few days after he referred to the country’s constitution that a court action taken by supposed outgoing President Yahya Jammeh cannot prevent the winner of the poll from assuming office as mandated by the constitution.

    “It should be crystal clear that filing an election petition is the private matter of a loser in an election. It does not prevent mandatory constitutional processes from taking place.

    “ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations could only intervene if the two presidents fail to do, with impeccable thoroughness, what the constitution of the republic demands,” Barrow, who vowed to take office on January 19 despite the refusal of Jammeh to give up power, had stated.