Senegal-Gambia Committed to Pledges Despite Mêlée

The sisterly neighboring republics of Senegal and The Gambia promised to move ahead with plans to revive the Senegalo-Gambian Permanent Secretariat, despite a recent melee.

According to a communiqué released at the end of Gambia’s foreign minister Momodou Tangara’s day long working visit to Senegal at the invitation of his Senegalese counterpart, Madicke Niang, both countries pledge to make every effort towards the establishment of the secretariat by end of February 2011,".

Divided by colonial legacy – the borders and official languages - Senegal and The Gambia share the same cultural values, but their relation has been marred with accusations and counter-accusations of being a threat to each other’s peace.

At independence the two countries set-up a permanent secretariat to coordinate their bilateral engagements. This was however scrapped following the formation of a confederation in 1982. This new dispensation was short-lived.

The promise to revive the secretariat was among a series of commitments both nations made last year when President Wade undertook a two-day working visit to The Gambia.

However, the seizure of the alleged Gambia-bound controversial arms shipment in Nigeria from Iran have sent shock waves across the globe, resulting to the apparent thawing of ties once again between the two countries.

Reacting to mounting allegations in Senegal linking The Gambia to the arms shipment, Gambian authorities accused President Wade of engaging in a smear campaign against The Gambia, branding him enemy.

And according to the communiqué, Gambian foreign minister Tangara, during his visit, was also received in audience by President Abdoulaye Wade to convey a special message from President Jammeh, but details of the special message are yet to be unveiled.

Meanwhile Wade’s ‘successful’ last year visit also produced the establishment of a Joint Ministerial Commission and Joint Border Committee.

And during the recent meeting, the foreign ministers of both countries expressed satisfaction at the progress being made so far and pledged to pursue efforts aimed at accelerating the implementation of the recommendations of the 5th Joint Ministerial Commission, especially those relating to the establishment of a network of Senegalese and Gambian women entrepreneurs and experience sharing in the areas of hydrocarbons, domestic fuel and renewable energies.

"The two sides also decided to cooperate and work on initiating joint projects in all areas, especially: In the area of Health – to promote experience sharing in the form of twinning, particularly in the health districts located in border areas; Electrification of cross-border areas by power companies and rural electrification agencies of both countries, based on existing funding opportunities at ECOWAS; and Education- With respect to the Consultative Commission, the two Ministers reiterated their commitment to making this institution, a forum for dialogue and consultation to monitor, in the interest of both countries, issues related to their economic and social development," the communiqué states.

Senegal-Gambia Ties Thawing Again



The president of Senegal Wade (L) and The Gambian president Yahya (R) are at it again.



Divided by colonial borders, but bound by common tradition and culture, the sisterly neighboring republics of Senegal and The Gambia are at their long-standing dispute again.



"Since 1994, we [Gambians] have always been working for the socio-economic development of our two people. This is witnessed by contracts my government awarded to Senegalese contractors, waiving [alien] tax on Senegalese residents in the Gambia," said Dr Njogu Bah, The Gambia’s Secretary General and head of civil service on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, this has never been reciprocated by our Senegalese counterparts from [former president] Abdou Joof to [current president] Abdoulie Wade. This is worst under Wade who bears nothing but hostility towards The Gambia."

This latest row came in the wake of a controversial arms shipment intercepted in Nigeria from Iran allegedly bound for The Gambia.



While The Gambia remains mute over the issue, Senegal, who is highly concerned about the unrest in its Gambia-bordered Southern region of Casamance, has been relentlessly pursuing the matter amid allegations that The Gambia is sponsoring the independence seeking Casamance rebels.

"The Gambia does not need such weapons," Wade who has taken-up the matter with Iran, Nigeria and United Nations, was quoted as saying.

And a Senegalese website has published a document it said it acquired from Nigeria linking The Gambia to the arms shipment.



"Those arms intercepted in Nigeria were not bound for The Gambia," Dr Njogu Bah denied. "President Wade jumped to his conclusion because he was blinded by his hatred towards The Gambia by reporting The Gambia to the United Nations.



"The position of The Gambia on Cassamance has been for a peaceful solution, but not war. This did not please [former president] Joof and we were accused of supporting the rebels."

The Gambia accused Wade of sponsoring a faction of the rebels who are inflicting atrocities on unarmed civilians of Casamance perceived to be sympathizing with independence seeking rebels.

"It is an open secret that Abdoulie Wade is giving sanctuary to Gambian dissidents, including rebel leader Kukoi Sanyang and 2006 abortive coup mastermind Col. Ndure Cham," Dr Bah added.



The fracas came as both leaders recently pledged to resolve their decades-long differences and are frantically moving to mend their thawed relations, as witnessed by a series of bilateral engagements in recent times.

UN Probes Alleged Gambia-Bound Arms Shipment Seized in Nigeria

The 13 shipping containers of weapons impounded in Nigeria on Oct 25, allegedly bound for The Gambia from Iran is now a United Nations matter, Daily News reveals. 
News reports from Nigeria say United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has set-up a panel of experts to dig into the matter.
The experts are drawn from Great Britain, Japan, United States, Russia, Germany, Nigeria, China and France, who is to serve as the coordinator of the panel of experts.

“The panel is a strong indication that the Iranian controversial shipment to Nigeria is no longer merely an issue between Nigeria and Iran. It is now a Security Council issue,” A UN official was quoted as saying.
And a Gambian online news agency, Jollofnews yesterday reported that United Nations (UN) delegation is scheduled to arrive in Nigeria, though it did not state when.
The UN team would also meet with Nigeria’s top government officials on the issue that has sent shock waves across the globe.
Four sets of UN sanctions have been slapped on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme including a ban on arms sales or supply directly or indirectly. Other nations are forbidden from obtaining weapons from Iran.
But 13 shipping containers disguised as ``building materials,” include assorted calibres of mortars and rocket launchers, as well as shells for a 23 mm anti-aircraft gun were seized at Nigeria’s Logos sea port.
An Iranian official was quoted as saying that the containers were heading to The Gambia, following which


once allies, the relations between the two countries
was severed following the arms catch

 The Gambia ended its smooth relations with Iran by issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to all Iranian representatives in the country to leave the country. The Gambia did not however explain the reason for its sudden move.
But an Iranian senior MP, Alaeddin Borujerdi, has accused Gambia of bowing to pressure from the United States, threatening that The Gambia will regret its decision.
Meanwhile Iran has earlier dismissed its connection with the weapons, accusing the international shipping company based in France - CMA CGM, but the shipping company said it had picked up the containers in which the weapons were hidden in the Southern Iranian Port of Bandar Abbas.
The shipment had a stop-over in Mumbai, India, before heading to Lagos.
Last Friday, Ajumogobia said Iranian officials had confirmed the consignment originated in their home country.
Also Iran, whose Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, said the arms shipment was a “misunderstanding” that had been settled, is being cricitised for failing to elaborate on the nature of the misunderstanding or how it was resolved. And his was said to be the highest-level Iranian comment so far on the case.
Meanwhile four suspects – three Nigerians and an Iranian – are being tried in Nigeria in connection to the case, but they denied the charges.