Hobnobbing with MFDC Rebels

Rebels untying the hostages

Several hours after they were unshackled and ferried away from hell of a bush in Casamance to a safe-haven in Gambia, and hosted and freshened-up and quenched and fed in one of Gambia’s finest luxurious five-star hotels, the freed Senegalese hostages, which included six soldiers, could not wear a descent smile. But this forest of frowned faces on display has a distinguished dissimilarity with the rather bluffing grim-faced red-eyed men of boot camp.  

Matter-of-factly, the year-long captivity in the hands of the rebels in the bush, away from women and weapons, has apparently stripped the men in arm and uniform off any aura or pride that accompanies their professional or social standing. The soldiers, to say the least, as well as the gendarmerie and the fire fighter, were uncharacteristically cool and collected despite the pleasant twist of fate that should normally be greeted with bang.  

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.