Gambians are on the march again for the celebration of the 9th edition of the International Root Festival scheduled for 30th May - 7th June 2008.

According to Mr. Momodou Joof, Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) who is also the Chairman of the National Coordinating Committee for the 9th edition of the Root Festival said that this year Roots trail’s celebration will be at Janjangbureh.

In the Gambian there are lot of different cultural heritages and festivals grouped into three categories. We have community, national and international festivals. Among the international festival is Home Coming Roots Festival - a biennial event that grows in steady numbers and reaches out to the people residing within Africa, America, Europe, Scandinavia, Latin America, Caribbean Islands and Aborigines.

This event aims, as explained by Mr Joof is to strengthen and cement unity amongst Africans on the continent and within the Diaspora, to promote and give full exposure of The Gambia cultural heritages to the world and more so to encourage local and particularly foreign investors into the nation which will not be a benefit to the Gambia alone but Africa as a whole.

It is the part of each and every black soul that has wandered away to come back to their base and this can only be done through the tracing or returning back to the origin and where is the origin, the root which is the foundation where you can experience what they call real life and well rich cultures of which they have been denied courtesy of the colonial slave masters in some hundred years ago.

The biennial International Roots Festival which was designed to encourage peoples of African descendant that resides within the Diasporas to further discover their ancestral identity was first celebrated in the year 1996. This was due to a lot of different heritages that Gambia possesses and particularly the accolade received from the book – "ROOTS.’

A book published by the African-American Historian, Alex Hailey, who traced and discovered his root in The Gambian in a small village called Juffureh. He wrote this book, ROOTS, based upon the discovery of his origin and this book was later turned to a cinema that was showing on television and further produces into home videos for millions of people to view.

In brief, the history of the International Roots Festival will not be understood without mention James Island, it is an Island in the River Gambia which bears the last remains of a slave fort where Africans were held captive before they were forcibly put into slave ships to embark on an unknown journey without return. As confirmed by the director of NCAC "this is what brought Juffureh to limelight with a lot of other things at the village."

As the say goes ‘no event, no history,’ the International Root Festival celebration cannot be separated from the history of the slave trade. It was over 400 years ago that the ancestors have been separated by slave trade which was championed by the colonial slave masters. They kept Africans at bay from their true history and origin, identity, cultural traditions and prevented unity and growth amongst its people and the Africa continent as a whole.

At the heart of Atlantic slavery was the slave trade, a vast co-ordinated system for the forced migration of Africans often from hundreds of miles in their homeland to virtually every corner of America. Both Europeans and Africans participated in the trade, and four continents were deeply influenced by it.

In celebrating this year International Roots Festival, Mr Joof, Director of NCAC, a semi autonomous institution that was established to promote and develop Gambian arts and culture, who is also the Chairman of the National Coordinating Committee for the 9th Edition of the International Roots Festival, has said that this year event is going to be celebrated in a grand style with fanfares. The 9-day event will start on the 30th of May with orientation and welcome reception at Army Officers Mess, Kotu. Day two, 31st of May is for investment forum at Paradise Suite Hotel, Kololi, follow by Carnival procession at Kairaba Avenue and official opening of the 9th Edition of the International Roots Festival by His Excellency Dr Alhagie AJJ Jammeh at the Independence Stadium, Bakau.

On the 1st of June is scheduled for interfaith religious forum conference at Friendship Hotel, Bakau, Regatta (traditional boat race) will take place at Banjul Wharf. Roots trail continue, 2nd June will be a visit to Janjangbureh and heritage sites in Central River Region plus cultural night. The fifth day-3rd of June is pilgrimage to Juffureh village, the home town of Alex Hailey, the grate historian, in Juffureh/Albreda villages in North Bank Region. Sixth-day, 4th of June is set aside for preparation of initiates, at Kanilai village, symposium on pan-Africanism in Sindola Camp and local traditional wrestling competition at Kanilai Square.

The 5th of June is the d-day for ‘Futampaf’ (rites of passage) in Kanilai village and Foni Kansala respectively; this is solely sponsored by His Excellency Yahya Jammeh. Later in the day it will be Roots Gala Dinner where participants will have real taste of the Gambia food (local Gambian and West African cuisine and beverages) with fashion show and entertainment by local and international artists’ present, venue is Sindola Camp – Foni Kansala. Friday the 6th of June is the visit to Makasutu Eco-tourism Cultural Forest Park in Kembujeh village, in Western Region while Palma Rima Beach, Kotu will be a host to farewell musical jamboree (by local and international guests/artists). Finally, Saturday is a free morning/shopping departures for individual.

This year Home Coming Root Festival is going to be groovy and supercede the previous celebrations due to the introduction of more activities that will make it enjoyable and remarkable event each and every tourist will have a splendid time.

A two-day state visit by the president of Mauritania ended Saturday with a joint communique expressing bonds of “brotherhood” between the two sister countries.

The historical ties between the two peoples are truly historical going back a millennium.
 
The cultural and religious ties between the two mainly Muslim countries are also very strong, in a small way signified by the fact that the Mauritanian president met the dignitaries of his community in the Sheraton Hotel’s Kunta Kinteh Hall - named after Kunta Kinteh (a famous Gambian  who was ripped from the forest of Juffureh and taken into slavery) whose grandfather was Mauritanian.

President Cheikh Abdallahi was met at Banjul International Airport (a showcase of President Jammeh’s development of The Gambia)  by President Jammeh, the vice-president, the speaker of the National Assembly, the chief justice, the secretaries of state, service chiefs, members of the diplomatic corps, and an array of Gambian and Mauritania cultural troupes.  

From the airport, the presidential motorcades took the long old route from Lamin to Banjulinding and Churchill’s Town - again along another Jammeh developmental showcase (a well-constructed dual carriageway road all the way from Yundum to Westfield).

Mauritanians and Gambians thronged the roadside all the way, cheering their warm welcome to President Abdallahi. The motorcade turned at Westfield and headed along Kairaba Avenue, and then turned again at the Kairaba Traffic Lights to head towards the Senegambia and on to the Sheraton Hotel.

Meanwhile the two presidents stood all the way, waving and acknowledging the cheers of the  crowd.

The Sheraton (another landmark development of the Jammeh Era) opened its door, as it has done on so many occasions, to host another visiting head of state and dignitaries.

On Friday evening, a state banquet was held at the Jaama Hall, Kairaba Hotel, in honour of President Cheikh Abdallahi.

Excellent dance troupes from Mauritainia and The Gambia lit up the occasion. But it was a group of Gambians and Toubabs, based in Sweden of all places, who stole the show with exciting Gambian dances and songs! A visibly appreciative President Jammeh saluted Ecco-Gambia’s performance

The banquet concluded with President Jammeh bestowing the Insignia of Grand Commander of the Republic of The Gambia on President Cheikh Abdallahi “for his effort in fostering the excellent relationship that exists between The Gambia and Mauritania”.

The following day, Saturday, saw a visit to Gunjur Fisheries Plant and the Banjul Port by President Abdallahi. This was followed by a tete-a-tete at State House between the two presidents, after which a joint- communique was issued (see below).

At 4:00 pm, the aforementioned welcoming dignitaries again gathered at the Banjul International Airport to see off President Cheikh Abdallahi.

Joint Communique

At the invitation of his brother and friend His Excellency Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President of the Republic of The Gambia, His Excellency Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania paid a friendly and working visit to the Republic of The Gambia from 29th February 2008 to 01 March 2008.

His Excellency, President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was accompanied by a high ranking delegation.

His Excellency, President Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and his delegation were met on arrival at the Banjul International Airport by His Excellency, President Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, secretaries of state (ministers), National Assembly members, government officials and the Mauritanian community in The Gambia.

During the visit, the two Heads of State had a tete-a-tete in the course of which they discussed issues of bilateral, regional and international interest.

The discussions were held in a frienly and cordial atmopwhere and the two Heads of Sate had identical views on all the issues discussed.

At the bilateral level, the two Heads of State expressed satisfaction at the excellent relations that historically and happily eixst between the two sisterly countries and their peoples, and reiterated their determination to further stregthen these bonds in the mutual interest of the two Governments and peoples.

The two Heads of State also expressed satisfaction with the good conduct of the recently concluded 4th Session of the Mauritano-Gambian Joint Ministerial Commission meeting held in Banjul on 12 th February 2008.  In this regard, they instructed the officials of the var ous Departments of both sides to follow the recommedations up by concrete actions.

The two Heads of State dilated at large on the various situations in the sub-region and on the African Continent at large. They noted with satisfction the positive developments registered overall, on-going efforts to achieve peace and security throughout the continent. In this regard, they commended the efforts generally made by the African Union and the wider international Community.

The two Heads of State expressed their determination to work together in fighting all forms of threats to the peace, security and stability of their two countries and, indeed of the entire sub-region.

During his stay, His Excellency President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and his delegation paid a visit to Gunjur Fisheries Complex and the Banjul Sea Port.

His Excellency President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi also received in audicence the Muaritanian Community in The Gambia.

His Excellency, President Jammeh, took the opportunity to once again congratulate His Excellency President Ould Cheikh Abdallahi for his victory at the presidential elections. He also commended the government and the people of Mauritania for their show of political maturity in the conduct of peaceful, free and fair elections, which was hailed by the international community.

His Excellency President Jammeh awarded His Excellency President Ould Cheikh Abdallahi the Insignia of Grand Commander of the Republic of The Gambia.

At the end of the visit, His Excellency President Ould Cheikh Abdallahi expressed his gratitude to His Excellency President Jammeh, the Government and people of The Gambia for the brotherly warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation since their arrival in Banjul.

His Excellency, Ould Cheikh Abdallahi extended an invitiation to His Excellency President Jammeh to pay a friendly and working visit to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

His Excellency, President Jammeh accepted the invitation with pleasure.

The date for this visit will be determined through diplomatic channels.

Done in Banjul this Day of 1st March 2008 in the English and French languages both texts being equally authentic.