Rights groups condemn plans for immunity of African leaders

A general view shows delegates attending the 50th African Union Anniversary Summit in Addis Ababa on May 25, 2013 (Photo Credit: Press TV).

African leaders through their justice ministers and attorney generals are creeping their feet towards considering a draft protocol that would give leaders immunity on grave crimes against humanity.

These justice ministers and attorney generals of the AU are scheduled to meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia May 15-16 to consider a draft protocol to expand the authority of the African Court on Justice and Human Rights to include criminal jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Also, a proposal providing immunity for heads of state and senior government officials from prosecution for such crimes is being considered as part of the amended protocol.

But African human rights organisations from 19 countries and a host of international human rights organisations working in Africa have said the plan to give immunity to sitting government leaders before the Court would be a major setback for justice for grave crimes.

They said the plan would also harm the regional court in a letter to African governments on Monday. 

Gambia arrest, detain football federation leaders

GFF President Mustapha Kebbeh (Photo Credit: Sang Mendy)

The police in Banjul have arrested and detained members of The Gambia Football Federation, GFF, on Friday.
 
“They are being held at the major crime unit division of the police department, in the capital,” GFF sources said. “The President Mustapha Kebbeh, Vice President Buba ‘Star’ Janneh, Secretary General Abass Bah are among executive committee members who were arrested over the weekend.”

It is not yet clear why the crackdown on the football officials. It came about 72 hours after Youth and Sports Minister Alieu K. Jammeh announced the sacking of the GFF president and four of his top executive and suspends all national football leagues.

Jammeh said he was acting on the findings of a task force set up by the national sports council, NSC, to look into the country’s expulsion from the CAF youth championship. 

Outrage intensify over schoolgirls abduction in Nigeria

Last week, the United States of America announced it will help try to rescue the girls. Image depicts an aircraft of the United States Air Force (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There has been global outrage over the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by the militant group Boko Haram on April 14.

Public protests are holding in Nigeria and across the world while the hashtag (#BringBackOurGirls) gains widespread notice on social media. The girls were taken from a school in the northern state of Borno and there whereabouts remains unknown amid growing anger in Nigeria.

In The Gambia, the Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices, Gamcotrap, and the Child Protection Alliance, CPA, has expressed a message of solidarity to Nigerian government and families of the girls.

Gambian man charge with money laundering

The police in Banjul Wednesday charged a Gambian man with money laundering.

Omar Jallow, who denied the charge, is accused of receiving 38, 000 pounds (D2, 280, 000) from one Dodou Njie, a UK-based Gambian, through a Guaranty Trust Bank Account No: 201-1-114897-1590 with intent to conceal or render assistance.

The police said Mr Jallow knows or have reason to believe that the money has being laundered by the sender Dodou Njie or must have being unlawfully obtained.

He was not represented by a lawyer when he appeared at the Kanifing Magistrate Court on April 30, 2014.

Gambia: Central bank takes ‘full control’ of Nigerian-owned commercial banks

The CBG raised from D150 to D200 million, the minimum capital requirement for commercial banks operating in The Gambia. It is not clear if the two banks have fallen short of this regulation. Photo taken from Gambia.com

The Central Bank of The Gambia, CBG, Monday “take full control” of two Nigerian-owned commercial banks, Access (Gambia) Ltd and Keystone (Gambia) Ltd.

 

CBG announced it has exclusive powers to manage and control the two banks to ensure that they “operate in a safe and sound manner” but it did not make clear the reason behind the move.

The May 5 decision was taken under the Banking Act 2009, according to the CBG which states it wants “to safeguard the financial system in particular and the economy in general.”

It stated: “The two banks would continue business as usual, and depositors are assured that the banks have ample liquidity to meet current and future obligations.”