More to an Imam than Leading Prayer Congregations

Dr Isatou Touray flanked on the right by Dr Hassan Shire Sheikh receives the Award for Baba Leigh (Photo Credit: Sainey MK Marenah)

When Imam Baba Leigh was declared winner of the first-ever pan-African human rights defenders award, broad smiles and loud cries of joy simultaneously filled Kairaba hotel’s giant Jaama Hall peopled by hundreds of human rights defenders from across Africa and beyond. 
 

The atmosphere was emotionally charged, especially for rights activist Dr Isatou Touray who, like Baba Leigh, has had her share of the repression in Gambia, a country once known to be a model of democracy in Africa.

Scrubbing up dry tears in her face, she tells me: “I cried because I’m happy. I went through a long road of reflection. We’ve suffered a lot. He [Baba Leigh] was incarcerated for no just cause.”

Gambia: Football body lift ban on ousted president

The Kinteh-led executive committee was dissolved by Gambia’s sports ministry on March 2, 2012 and banned by a local football normalisation committee on July 15 2013 from holding office (Photo/Picasaweb/freedom).

The Gambia: Expulsion of Lebanese business mogul withdrawn

President Jammeh, who sent Tajudeen packing in June, says the Lebanese business magnet is free to return (Photo Credit: AFP)

A Lebanese business tycoon who was asked out of The Gambia on June 4 by President Jammeh has been told on Friday he can return.  

Hussein Tajudeen, proprietor of Tajco Company Limited, was declared Persona Non-Grata and asked to leave the West African country within 72 hours over allegations he was “involved in undesirable business activities which have very serious health and economic consequences to the people and State [of The Gambia].”

Now, an October 25 press statement stated the Gambian leader has pardoned Mr Tajudeen and has given him the green light to return as of this month.  

The Gambia's Central Bank ends suspension of money transfer operator, Ria

In June, The Gambia suspends Ria Financial Services and two other money transfer operators, as national currency continues to weaken. (Photo Credit: All In London)

The Gambia’s Central Bank (CBG) on Wednesday announced it is ending the suspension of the money transfer operator, Ria Financial Services.

Ria and two other money transfer operators [Money Express, and W@ri] were suspended in June - as the national currency, the Dalasi, continues to weaken against major foreign currencies and rising foreign exchange rates.

‘Bad human rights record’ led to Gambia’s Commonwealth exit’

While reports link Gambia's Commonwealth exit to a New York hotel protest, the Hamat Bah-led NRP says the regime is aware of a possible backlash at  the Commonwealth summit next month and decided to pull out (Photo/SoutAfrica)

‘Gambia Government Tarnished Own Image’

UDP Leader Ousainou Darboe (Photo/DailyNews)

“I believe that this (Gambia) government’s image was tarnish by itself,” according to Ousainou Darboe, leader of the main opposition, the United Democratic Party (UDP), who was responding to the October 4 claims of “Relentless Smear Campaign against The Gambia”.

The way you treat your citizen tells a lot, Darboe told local journalists on Tuesday, a day before he was due for questioning by the country secret agency, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in relation to investigations into Amadou Sanneh (UDP National Treasurer)’s “asylum fraud allegations”.

Gambian President: ‘Commonwealth withdrawal is non-negotiable’

Jammeh says the “Commonwealth remains at best a neo-colonial institution and at worst an animal farm, an idea which The Gambia will never subscribe to”. (Photo/EPA)

OJ urges Gambia to revisit Commonwealth withdrawal

The opposition leader criticised the President Jammeh-led government for not giving clear reasons of its shock withdrawal from the body usually referred to as “the Family of Nations”.

Gambian opposition leader Ousainou Darboe returns without incident

Accuses Gambia Government of using his party as a "propaganda tool"

Mr Darboe denies running a political party on tribal lines as alleged by Gambia Government (Photo/DailyNews)

The Gambia: 'Enemies' Britain, US lying against government’

The tiny West African nation of 1.7 million has over the years grabbed international headlines over the state of human rights in the country; however, the President Yahya Jammeh-led government said (The) Gambia's human rights record since 1994 is “better than that of the United Kingdom and the United States put together”
(AP Photo/Andrew Burton,Pool)

Criminal charges against Gambian musician for radio vandalism withdrawn

On September 2, singer Nova, a Ghetto Boy Music Producer, was invited to the studios of Star FM upon his request to be granted airtime to clear his image which he claimed had been tarnished by the radio station over reports he had “impregnated three women living on the same compound” (Photo/Reverbnation)

Broadcast journalist held without charge in Gambia

Fatou Camara, host of the 'Fatou Show,' has been held by authorities since September 17. (Photo/Facebook)

The Gambia: BANK PHB Renamed Keystone Bank

The Bank had its licence seized in 2011 by the Central Bank of Nigeria for failing to meet a new capital requirement.

The Bank was among 10 banks that failed the CBN’s “stress test” conducted in June 2009, a manifestation that they would have struggled to withstand another financial crisis. (Photo Credit: MSJoof/TNBES/August2011)

Gambia pulls out of Commonwealth citing 'neo-colonialism'

The West African nation said it "will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism".

The Gambian President identified “excessive greed”, “obsession with world domination”, and“homosexuality” as the three biggest threats to human existence - as he addresses the 68th United Nations General Assembly on Friday Sept. 27, 2013 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Andrew Burton,Pool)