The main objective of the meeting was to “strategise and plan on operationalising the bottom-up approach to conflict prevention and peace-building in our sub-region”. Within this wide ambit, the meeting was to develop specific strategies and action plans for the promotion of dialogue and conflict resolution in West Africa’s troubled spots, as well as employing the interventions of civil society organisations.

It is a widely held conviction that without the participation of civil society, intra-regional peace cannot be easily achieved or any lasting peace expected.

According to the strategic plan, the participatory approach to conflict prevention, management or resolution should more decisively include civil society and should replace the top-bottom approach of heads of government and institutions trying, often times ineffectually, to resolve problems that basically and inextricably require the involvement and co-operation of civilian populations.

It is for this oversight or omission in the past that the sub-region has witnessed inordinately protracted armed conflicts in the sister states of Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cassamance.

While the meeting may have adopted some pertinent strategic plans and re-orientations, it is the legitimate expectation of civil society everywhere in the sub-region that these plans and orientations that were evolved here in Banjul would be implemented in the short rather than the long term.

We say this because our inter-governmental organisations, including ECOWAS, are getting very well known for a lot of talk and little implementation. The same goes for IGO-sponsored bodies and programmes. Decisions and resolutions have, broadly speaking, become more declarations of intent than results to be put into action. Governments in particular have been known to reach agreements at different fora and then act as if the agreements never existed.

Sometimes they seem to be taking decisions at meetings only to return home to create the conditions for their non-implementation. One method is to file away conference dossiers and get back to nationalistic preoccupations. This is what seems to be the unhappy scenario of co-operation initiatives in our sub-region. This is exactly what the population does not want to see happen to the strategic plan and new orientations for security, conflict prevention and peace-building in our region as designed and agreed here in Banjul.

Furthermore, in seriously implementing the plan, the four Zonal bureaux responsible for its co-ordination should ensure close collaboration with all the existing and potential local networks and collaborators for peace.

This will have the effect of replacing duplication and dissipation of effects with a mutually informed plan of action.

Now that a plan has been devised, let it serve as an opportunity to translate intentions and aspirations into reality. Let it be translated into action because action not only speaks louder than words, it is also what all great achievements are built on.

Rebecca Spotts, commonly known as Haddy Saine has ended her duty in the Njongon community after two years of successful sojourn in the community.

Haddy Saine (Rebecca Spotts) said she came two years ago and was posted at the Njongon School where she taught and lived. She said, “Since then the children and people in the village have been good to me. I found out that everybody is welcoming.

The peak of my stay were the times I had with the girls taking them on excursions and teaching teachers computers, being with them was gratifying.”

Asking Rebecca how she felt returning home, she said “I am returning home with mixed feelings, sad to leave and excited to see my family in the US. I hope to be back one day to see everybody again. All my work was concentrated on the school because I came for education.” She further urged others emulate the school as a lot is happening in there.

Sang Pierre Mendy, in his speech, said they were sad to see their hard working friend in the person of Haddy Saine leave for good. “It is sad to see friends part, but God will bless her in all she did for the school.” The school presented gifts to her. Other surrounding villages presented gifts to her as well.

The Alkalo of Gunjur in Kombo South, Alhagi Sabaki Touray, has expressed his intention to keep up the peace in his village despite the numerous problems that exist among the villagers.

Speaking to a large crowd at a recent village meeting in the area, Alkalo Touray said Gunjur is so interconnected that you hardly pass a compound without meeting your close relation.

“This is because of the intermarriages between the different clans in the village. Trouble has no space in Gunjur. We should all work together for the development of the village,” he advised.

Alkalo Touray went further to state that without peace, all the development that they are talking about will be meaningless, and he thus called on the villagers to unite for the attainment of their development aspirations.

“I will do all I can to ensure that we enjoy the peace that we have and continue to enjoy in the area,” he fervently re-assured.

The front pages of newspapers in The Gambia these days are increasingly becoming commonplaces for stories that unleash shredding displeasure. The frequency of reported murder crimes, if truth should be told, calls for urgent attention, especially from those constitutionally entrusted to protect life and property.

The other day, it was in Berending that some beastly human being hacked a helpless old mama to death; and just few weeks after, as if Gambians had not had enough, a similar act of barbarity occurred. This time it is further inland, in the village of Kuntaur, where an Imam was killed in a most grueling of manners. According to reports, all these deaths happened in some obscure circumstances.

It is not the nature of obscurity surrounding these mishaps that arouses our concern; its far from that. It is a fact that these incidents happen so frequently. But, more importantly, it is that they are happening in this Gambia of ours, a country that has made name for itself globally for its enviable culture of serenity and unimaginable hospitality.

Some of our local readers may have derived some level of delight from occasional complementary remarks by outsiders about the peaceful nature of our country. This only reinforces the fact that the name, the ‘Smiling Coast of Africa’, did not just come spontaneously; the country, thanks to its people, earned it truly.

But unfortunately, this peace we have learned to cherish is under threat. As such, it is the duty of all to nurture and defend it. When it comes to the security of the nation, every Gambian should regard themselves as police of some sort. Whether The Gambia remains a peaceful place or not, it is not only for a section of society; it is for all of us. In the same vein, it is incumbent upon all to safeguard the tradition of peace and security we know in this country.

However, it’s worth mentioning for all to understand that the Gambia Police Force cannot do this all by itself; it needs the full support of the masses. But, of course, the degree of collaboration they get depends on their level of readiness to share information with key institutions. The media comes into focus here. We must, at this juncture, welcome and congratulate Ensa Badjie, the newly appointed police boss, for the trust and confidence he has earned himself, which has warranted his ascension to this level. It is suffice to note that his appointment is rooted from the level of quality of service he has been rendering to the nation. It is however worth mentioning that there is absolutely no room for complacency. The press needs his reciprocal support if we are to make the difference. IGP Badjie’s success depends, to a great extent, on a cordial relationship with members of the press. Unnecessarily suppressing information that is worth releasing foments dangerous speculations, especially from the enemy press.   

We do hope that Badjie’s appointment will mark the beginning of a renewed vigor against crime in this country.

Indeed, "what this continent of ours needs is resources to boost agriculture, not conferences whose resolutions are hardly implemented." These were the words of the Gambian leader, minutes after arriving from his latest brotherly visit in Guinea Bissau; a country whose peace and security has been his preoccupation.

The sheer rigor with which the leaders of these two countries continue to pursue their relationship suggests a throbbing death of the vestiges of colonial influence. This is indeed amusing as it goes parallel with the interest of Africa and what it stands for. Time and again, it has been argued that the concept behind colonialism deliberately aims at perpetrating a demoralised African continent, at the interest of an oppressive West. This is manifested in all relationships that bind the two countries.

But unfortunately, the history of our continent is dominated by tales of breeds of conniving leadership, thus the current dilapidated status of Africa. The stories have have always been corruption, nepotism, civil strife… all based on selfishness and egotistic grounds.

The question now is: For how long do we have to go in order to grasp the reality that it is only our own architectural design that can ensure an enviable destiny for our coming generations?

It is indeed auspicious that the continent has been blessed with a handful of dedicated breeds of leaders. All they need is a supportive people with uniformity of purpose.

It certainly does not take any expert knowledge to know that closer cooperation, and only closer cooperation, can save us from the vulnerable situation we find ourselves in as a nation. If, for instance, as President Jammeh argued, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and a few other countries on this West Coast of Africa have the potential to make a big difference with regards to the ability to feed their people, one would ask what is it that is holding them back. The land mass is abundant; the climatic conditions are ubiquitous; and the human resource base is as certain as the existence of the heavens. All we need is attitudinal change towards farming, which reminds us of what the president told reporters at the Banjul International Airport, upon his arrival from Bissau.

It is shameful that the countries we tend to look up to for guidance in this largely materially conscious world, have been in control of our stomach all this time. It is only when they started bluffing us off about the crazy idea of food for fuel that we have come to our senses.  But let us hope that what has served as an eye-opener would serve its purpose in influencing our outlook to the realities of life and self reliance.

Gambians highly welcome the announcement of the possible formation of a battalion for agricultural productivity in GAF. This will certainly serve as a catalyst for the already morally equipped and professionally stable armed forces core of the country. Putting them in charge of food production ventures is an attempt to render humanitarian support, for which military forces around the world are known.

The Elders of the independence drive Mosque in Banjul, led by Alhagi Makumba Jaye, chairman and head Imam of the Mosque, under the permanent distinguished chief patronage of his Excellency Alhagi Dr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh, president of the Republic of The Gambia, held their annual Gamo on the 6th of June 2008, according to a report from the committee of that Mosque. 

The guest speaker of the occasion was Alhagi Abdul Aziz Sy jnr, spokesperson of the Khalifa General of the Tijanniya Serign Mansour Sy and family of Alhagi Malick Sy of Twaoune.  And, the report went on, in the first of its kind, high profile figures from key Christian denominations in the persons of Bishop Solomon Tilewa Johnson and father Edu Gomez, the latter being the representative of Bishop Elison, were at hand to grace the occasion. According to the report, on arrival in Banjul, on the 5th of Friday, June 2008, the guests from Twaoune performed prayers at the State House Mosque, which was followed by recitations of the Holy Qur’an, at the independence drive Mosque. Prayers were also offered for the people of the Gambia as well as for President Jammeh and his family and for the entire world.

The report further stated that the Gamo, which started at 10:30pm, lasted until 5:00am with preaching by Tamsir Gai, who headed a delegation from Thies in Senegal.

The topic of discussion was how peace could be shared amongst the people of this world, with reference to Prophet Mouhammad (SAWs) who is said to have been given this peace to spread to his people.

Islam, the report declared, is a religion of peace not of terrorism; and that it calls on other religions to live in peace and understanding. Quoting a verse from the Holy Qur’an, the report said: “If there is peace, Islam wants us to be in good terms with the other religions, if they are not out to destroy us. (Stated  in Sura Muntahave) (60th Sura) v.8-9.

The relationship between Muslims and Christians was also discussed at the Gamo, with emphasis on the respect the religion of Islam has for Christianity as well as common attributes of the two religions. The distinguished scholars argued that this is manifested by the mentioning of Mariam (Mary) and prophet Essa (Jesus), in the Holy Qur’an.

At the home front, the scholars sought to remind participants that the Christian and Muslim communities in Banjul were related by blood, and that government had given each religion the freedom to practice.

They took the opportunity to convey profound gratitude to the Gambian leader, who they said gave them his moral and financial support, by offering a bull and an amount of money for the occasion.

Imam Alhagi Tafsir Gaye, special speaker and coordinator of the occasion, congratulated president Jammeh on his 43rd birthday, observing that Jammeh corresponds to 43 in the Arabic calculation, with Geem meaning (3), and Meem meaning (40), which equals to 43 years.

“We are praying that president Jammeh will live for many years as head of state of the Gambia.” Imam Jay extended a special gratitude to their Christian brothers, saying that it was the first time that distinguished personalities of their caliber graced an occasion of that kind and spend the whole night. “May we have peace and harmony,” the Imam concluded.