Thumbs down: Least Developed Countries Report 2012

HIV/AIDS not a death sentence

MENACE OF RAPE: Can’t be buried under carpet

Rape is s very sensitive issue, but a global phenomenon. In some countries they are more open about this act considered a menace to society but in other countries they are not that much open about it. However, rape is a social vice that cannot be buried under the carpet, as Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu, a Gambian-German filmmaker told Modou S. Joof of The North Bank Evening Standard in an interview.   

The African Voice Newspaper African Leadership and Excellence Awards 2012

For our children: Let’s start with prayers

GAMBIAN KIDS/PHOTO/STEVE WHEELER

Statistics puts cases of violence against mothers a 127; violence against mothers and children at 87; violence against children at 16; other violence against children like forced or early marriage, physical abuse, homelessness, school fees at 10; paternity dispute at 36; and custody dispute at 100. 

Poor Kuntaur and Janjanbureh highlight Gambia’s MDGs off target

L-R: Info minister Bala Garba Jahumpa, Finance minister Abdou Kolley, IFAD WCA Director Ides de Willebois, and Agriculture minister Solomon Owens/PHOTO/m.e.NJIE

Poverty is highest in rural-Gambia where 73.9 percent (%) people live in poverty compared to 32.7% in urban-Gambia. In 2011, Kuntaur and Janjanbureh local government areas in the central river regions (CRR north and south), like the 2003 Integrated Household Survey (IHS) have the highest poverty rates with 79 and 73.2 percent respectively.

GYIN Gambia Chapter in session for journalists and bloggers

Participants and Facilitators

As part of the "I am a GYINer national campaign" set in motion since July this year, Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia Chapter (GYIN Gambia Chapter) hosted a training session for Gambian journalists, bloggers and online reporters.

Even when Jammeh’s era is not ending yet, Halifa Sallah envisages a third republic in 2016

PDOIS Secretary-General, Halifa Sallah

The Secretary General of opposition, the Peoples Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) foresees the end of Gambia’s second republic and president Yahya Jammeh’s era in 2016.

A third republic will be born in 2016, Mr. Halifa Sallah said. However, for this to be, it means the opposition must win the next presidential election scheduled for that year, even though international observers have said the president is sure to win every election in the country whatever the case.

“Gambia is in a state of flux,” Halifa said in a November 9 PDOIS statement he issued “On the political situation of the Gambia and the threat of an impending armed insurrection.”

President Yahya Jammeh/AFP

 “PDIOS is willing to give guidance at each turn of the country so that our ship of state will anchor on safe shores. Those who want human rights protection today and change by 2016 should mobilize the people to give the opposition the power of numbers over the incumbent. No leader on earth has ever been able to defy the power of numbers,” he stated. 

As combatants sit down to negotiate a peaceful settlement of disputes, Mr. Sallah said PDOIS supports the meeting of opposition parties to select a liaison to prepare the ground to draw Jesse Jackson to promote negotiation for electoral reform. 

GAMBIA: Young talents to star in €51K movie - ‘The Woman In A Black Jacket’

Prince Sankanu speaks to Modou S. Joof, publisher of The North Bank Evening Standard, on his film project

“The Woman In  A Black Jacket” is one of two movies to be shot in The Gambia in a film project initiated and set in motion by Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu, a Germany-based Gambian filmmaker, author and strategy consultant.

The movie is about the menace of rape, a sensitive and major topic around the world, and Sankanu said talking about it (rape) is about placing the mirror before society to look at this issue which cannot be buried under the carpet.

CPJ: Gambian journalist threatened after writing on executions

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NEWS ALERT

Gambian journalist threatened after writing on executions Lagos, Nigeria, November 16, 2012-The Committee to Protect Journalists today said it holds authorities in the Gambia responsible for the safety of a journalist who has received death threats following critical coverage of the government. Abubacarr Saidykhan, a freelancer who contributes to several news websites, told CPJ that four unknown people on Tuesday threatened him at his Ebo Town residence in Kanifing Municipality, some seven miles (11 kilometers) from the capital Banjul. Saidykhan said he was near his compound gate with his brother when the men drove up in an unmarked vehicle with tinted windows and threatened to kill him next time they see him. One of the men called him "a very stubborn journalist" before they drove off.

Gambian journalist reports second set of death threats

IPI condemns any attempts to threaten the safety of reporters; calls for police investigation 

 Abubacarr Saidykhan/Photo:Facebook

Reporters Without Borders Update

Saidykhan/Photo/facebook

15 November 2012

GAMBIA

Thugs threaten to kill journalist, what are authorities doing?

RSF - Reporters Without Borders is very disturbed by an increase in threats and intimidation attempts against freelance journalist Abubacarr Saidykhan, who – along with Daily News reporter Baboucarr Ceesay, the Gambian Press Union’s  vice-president – already received death threats by email in October.

After talking to Saidykhan, Reporters Without Borders is amazed that the presence of police who are supposed to protect him has had no deterrent effect on those responsible for the threats, and calls on the authorities to accept that they have a duty to take effective action.

Water management remains significant constrain to agricultural development in Africa - Experts

A dws-waterfootprint-Irrigation

Think-tanks from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) on Monday said water management remains one of the most significant constrains to agricultural development in Africa. 

The experts believe future increases in food supplies and economic prosperity for the rural poor will come mainly from improved agricultural water management combined with other interventions contributing to production and productivity of agriculture.

Banjul forum: Ifad-funded projects share best practices

Participants at the official opening of the Ifad-Banjul Forum 2012/PHOTO:M.E. NJIE

BIGGEST INTERVENTION!

IFAD to fund US$34 million project to increase food security in Gambia

A rice field in Central River Region of the Gambia under the Ifad-funded PIWAMP project

Gamcotrap Trial: ‘Prosecution failed woefully’

Mrs. Amie Bojang-Sissoho and Dr. Isatou Touray 

 celebrates international zero tolerance day to  FGM on February 6, 2012

The Journey To Mansakonko

The Trans-Gambia Highway is the most important road in The Gambia, running across the center of the nation in a north-south direction. Part of this road is still begging to be constructed for nearly four years now/PHOTO/Radosław Botev.

Agribusiness fair to link stakeholders in food chain

PHOTO BY M.E. NJIE

An Agribusiness Fair dubbed “Lumo in the city” slated for November 11-17, 2012 at Dream Park, Senegambia, is intended to create linkages between farmers, fishermen, and gardeners consumers, buyers and suppliers in an effective manner.

 

The organisers said on Tuesday that bringing together stakeholders in the food chain will enhance effective communication between the business sector and the community at large. More than 65 participants are expected to attend the fair.

US judge jails anti-Muslim filmmaker for a year

LOS ANGELES: The man behind the anti-Islam video which sparked widespread protests in the Muslim world was jailed for a year Wednesday for breaching the terms of his probation for a previous offense.

Mark Basseley Youssef will serve the sentence in federal prison after he admitted four allegations of using false identities, violating the terms of his probation for a bank fraud conviction in 2010.

EU GOVERNANCE PROJECT: First step to foster democracy, human rights in Gambia

EUD Offices in The Gambia

“Today’s workshop is the first step in an important programme to foster democracy and human rights, Madam Agnes Guillaud, Chargée d’affaires, EU Delegation to The Gambia said on November 1 during a stakeholders meeting on “Journalists and the Media” held in Bakau.

“The Journalists and the Media Project” is a component of the European Union Delegation (EUD) and Gambian Government joint Governance Programme. 

GPU boycotts forum meant to discuss way forward for media

Emil Touray, GPU President

Members say nothing warrants such a decision 
     
(Gambia News Online) - The leadership of the Gambia Press Union (GPU) has decided to boycott stakeholders’ forum in which it’s invited as a “main stakeholder” to discuss the preliminary report that gives an overview of the findings on the situation of the journalists and media in The Gambia.  

Ghana: Political mood keeps gaining momentum ahead of presidential elections

Ghana's new presidential palace: the Golden Jubilee House worth an estimated $50 million, incumbent Mahama and opposition leader Akufo-Addo races towards this edifice which has been disputed over its cost. PHOTO:Panoramio

Gambia Executions: Brutal or Lawful Killing?

Gambia's president Yahya Jammeh presided over the the killing by firing squad of nine death row inmates in Gambia in August 2012/PHOTO/AFP

Regime change without attitudinal change in The Gambia is meaningless!

Gambia's president Yahya Jammeh is often criticised by rights agencies as authoritative/here he speaks to journalists in Nov 2011/PHOTO/AFP

Freedom at Mile 2 for Sale to Highest Bidder

Jasseh (L) and Janneh (R) said they were expelled from Gambia as Americans, not pardoned as announced

Over $1.6 billion traded in the currency markets of Gambia annually without any visible impact on fundamental pillars of the economy, says Halifa Sallah

PDOIS Secretary-General, Halifa Sallah

The opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Organization for Independent and Socialism (PDOIS) have identified that over 1.6 billion dollars is traded in the currency markets of the Gambia annually without any visible impact on the four fundamental pillars of the economy, namely: “public sector investment, private sector investment, cooperative sector investment and informal sector investment.”

UN not just a meeting place for diplomats: Ki-moon

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:PHOTO/UN

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the United Nations is not just a meeting place for diplomats, but a peacekeeper disarming fighters, a health worker distributing medicine, a relief team aiding refugees, a human rights expert helping deliver justice.

CPJ: Guinea-Bissau expels Portuguese journalist; another flees into hiding

NEWS ALERT

Guinea-Bissau expels Portuguese journalist; another flees into hiding Authorities in Guinea-Bissau have expelled a journalist whose news outlet had covered former prime minister Carlos Gomes Junior, seen here voting in a 2012 election he was favored to win, but lost. (AFP/Issouf Sanogo)

Banjul to host IFAD’s 7th Regional Forum

Ms. Géraldine Mpouma Logmo

The Gambian capital, Banjul will play host to this year’s 7^th Regional Forum for IFAD-funded projects scheduled from 12^th to 15^th November, 2012.

 

The forum, which is organized and financed jointly with projects and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of the Gambia, will bring together projects funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in West and Central Africa Division (WCA).

The challenge of vulnerability to external shocks remains significant, says Prof Ekpo

Participants & Facilitators:PHOTO/M.E. NJIE

The West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) is holding a two-week course in an attempt to defence against potential threats posed by heightened uncertainty from headwinds in the global economy due to the slow recovery from the crisis in Europe and the potential fiscal difficulties in the United States.