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Momodou
Denmark
11604 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 14:30:10
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Senegal seeks Gambia’s intervention in ending Casamance conflict
By Hatab Fadera
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
 In what could be described as a volte-face, the president of the Republic of Senegal has appealed to his Gambian counterpart, President Yahya Jammeh to intervene in ending the decades long low-level Casamance civil conflict that has plagued the Southern Senegalese region since it started in the 1980s.
President Maitre Abdoulie Wade who paid a three-hour working visit to the Gambia Tuesday afternoon as part of efforts to bringing back peace and stability in the region, was speaking at the Coco Ocean Resort & Spa in Bijilo.
“The purpose of the visit is to seek President Jammeh’s support in bringing peace in Casamance by intervening especially in trying to convince the faction that is anti-peace,” Wade told a meeting that had in its presence journalists and officials of the two countries.
The Senegalese president, who described his impromptu Banjul visit as a brotherly one in view of the strategic relations between the two countries, appealed to President Jammeh to intervene in whatever it takes to end the rebellion through his experience, hinting that he has done his best to end the conflict.
“That is why I am here to seek President Jammeh’s support and I am appealing to him to intervene and do his best to ensure that the situation in Casamance is resolved. The negotiation started here [his visit] and shall be completed in Senegal,” stated Wade.
President Jammeh’s response
Responding President Wade’s appeal, the Gambian leader first expressed delight at receiving his brother in his second home, while assuring that only peace can prevail between The Gambia and Senegal.
Having negotiated many peace deals in the region, the Gambian leader was quick to assure his Senegalese counterpart of his commitment to the cause of ensuring peace in Casamance. He stressed that the longstanding mayhem in the Senegalese region is one that has affected both countries, reiterating his desire to pursue peace negotiations.
“What is more important is that we will stand to support this cause and ensure that peace prevails in Casamance and the region. Without peace there will be no development in The Gambia, Senegal and even in Guinea Bissau,” President Jammeh, who together with his Senegalese counterpart spoke in the local language [Wollof] assured.
However, President Jammeh urged his Senegalese counterpart to set up a small committee that is trustworthy and honest; a committee he said will work hand-in-glove with his own committee to pursue the negotiation of the peace process in Casamance.
“If we have a team that will speak the truth, then the problem will be solved and peace will prevail. After the month of Ramadan we will look into the issue to start the process,” he stated.
At Tuesday’s meeting both leaders also stressed the need for the two countries to collaborate in ensuring that neither of the two becomes a safe haven for dissidents that have broken the laws in the two nations.
“What I want to assure you is that nobody will commit bad thing in Senegal and get a safe haven in the Gambia,” President Jammeh assured Wade, while urging the two countries to do that in the interest of peace.
The Gambian leader concluded by reiterating his commitment to the proposal placed before him by his Senegalese counterpart; a pledge that is expected to go a long way in ending the decades long conflict.
The Casamance Conflict is a low-level civil war that has been waged between the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) since the 1980s over the question of independence for the Southern Senegalese region. All attempts to resolve the conflict have so far been futile.
Photos by Nfamara Drammeh
Source: Daily Observer
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 14:43:06
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One solution would be for casamance region to have casamance as a state within the lose confederation of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau. EU type of union would still present states full sovereignty but co-operation for currency, military, free labor, goods and services movement. Multilingual state would satisfy all of the parties.
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diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 14:49:31
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Turk,I really thought that you had a great deal more in your head than to present such an unworkable idea,all that power being taken away from leaders in a:
"lose confederation of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau. EU type of union would still present states full sovereignty but co-operation for currency"
Just look at the EU now a total shambolic mess with no one at all knowing what to do.NO chance of success at all.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 14:58:44
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Touby- You are pessimist. Who says EU is not working? Tell me why. Tell me what is not working. Tell me why it would have been better for Europe in general prior to EU. EU is the one of the most successful peace, economic and development project of recent human history?
Three great wars WW1, WW2 and Cold War were Euro centrism. Under EU, there will not be any war, at least it is very unlikely. European economy is much better functioning than previous. EU has expanded peace, democracy and human rights to many countries like Poland, Baltic state, Balkan states. EU has pushed Turkey to improve the economic, political and human rights standards. Your claim that EU is a failure has no base and fact. Current economic problems is not due to EU, it is general decline of west and rise of east. There are a lots of working things than things do not work. |
diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
Edited by - turk on 17 Aug 2011 15:00:26 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11604 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 15:20:41
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| Turk, may I remind you that the Cassamance issue is more like your Turkish / Kurdish situation. Would you suggest the same solution? |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 16:45:54
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| Yes, momodou. I strongly support, similar (maybe not exactly) solution for Kurdish autonomy within greater confederation. Kurdish cultural, administrative, and political rights are only solution for the conflict in Turkey.. There are fundamental problems of the Kurdish problem that are centralized power and nationalism in both Turkish and Kurdish nationalists. |
diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 17:09:43
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The fact that great sections of the EU administration were found to be corrupt in the past and those responsible faced no penalty,what a good start,Oh yes lets build a very big and imposing office block in these times of economic hardship that everyone (except us EU bureaucrats ) are facing,having two bases miles away from each other involving much travel paid for by member states to do EU business,shall I go on,the EU is a good organisation,I don't think so.Its a giant gravey train. Long live pessimism brother turk!!  
quote:
Originally posted by turk
Touby- You are pessimist. Who says EU is not working? Tell me why. Tell me what is not working. Tell me why it would have been better for Europe in general prior to EU. EU is the one of the most successful peace, economic and development project of recent human history?
Three great wars WW1, WW2 and Cold War were Euro centrism. Under EU, there will not be any war, at least it is very unlikely. European economy is much better functioning than previous. EU has expanded peace, democracy and human rights to many countries like Poland, Baltic state, Balkan states. EU has pushed Turkey to improve the economic, political and human rights standards. Your claim that EU is a failure has no base and fact. Current economic problems is not due to EU, it is general decline of west and rise of east. There are a lots of working things than things do not work.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 17:46:04
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| sorry touby but I am not buying your objections.... |
diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 19:14:48
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The truth can hurt sometimes turk and ,no I am not going to discuss a battered topic that has appeared on bantaba before and taken up many words
It all depends by what you mean by truth
quote:
Originally posted by turk
sorry touby but I am not buying your objections....
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
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Momodou
Denmark
11604 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2011 : 15:20:47
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Wade optimistic Jammeh’s intervention in Casamance will be fruitful
By Hatab Fadera
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
 The Foreign Affairs minister of the Republic of Senegal Tuesday afternoon told journalists at State House that the president of the Republic of Senegal, Maitre Abdoulaye Wade is “optimistic” that his Gambian counterpart, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh’s intervention in ending the decades long Casamance conflict will be fruitful.
Madike Niang, who was speaking during a brief interview with journalists, was in the country to convey President Wade’s message to the Gambian leader. It would be recalled the Senegalese president visited The Gambia Tuesday last week, during which he appealed to his Gambian counterpart to intervene in ending the decades long low-level Casamance conflict that has plagued the Southern Senegalese region since it started in the 1980s, a proposal graciously accepted by the Gambian leader.
According to Foreign Minister Niang, President Wade assigned him to come and thank President Jammeh for the warm welcome accorded to him during his recent visit in which they discussed how to restore peace in Casamance.
“Wade is optimistic that if President Jammeh intervenes in the Casamance conflict, they will achieve their objective of restoring peace in Casamance,” he told journalists, emphasising that Wade was grateful for the assurances made by the Gambian leader concerning the search for peace in Casamance.
Minister Niang also revealed that a commission has already been set up by the Senegalese government, ready to join their Gambian counterparts. He further revealed that come 2nd September, the commission will hold its first meeting with President Wade in Dakar.
“After that meeting, the commission will also choose another date to meet the Gambian leader in Banjul for discussions to solve the conflict,” he added, while assuring that they will start working on the issue immediately after Ramadan.
Bilateral ties
Commenting on the bilateral ties and the bond of friendship and brotherliness that bind the two countries, the Senegalese Foreign Affairs minister stressed that what they want is for his country and The Gambia to further strengthen their cooperation and relationship. He recalled a ministerial meeting that was held between the two nations where issues of bilateral cooperation were discussed.
Niang was accompanied to the presidency by the Senegalese High Commissioner to The Gambia, His Excellency Diame Signate and other government officials from the Republic of Senegal.
Source: Daily Observer |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2011 : 15:56:44
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"Minister Niang also revealed that a commission has already been set up by the Senegalese government, ready to join their Gambian counterparts. He further revealed that come 2nd September, the commission will hold its first meeting with President Wade in Dakar.
“After that meeting, the commission will also choose another date to meet the Gambian leader in Banjul for discussions to solve the conflict,” he added, while assuring that they will start working on the issue immediately after Ramadan."
Thas good then, a bit more travelling and, Oh Yes TALK TALK TALK TALK a result in sight,unlikely. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2011 : 01:41:03
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One real stumbling block is that neither Gambia or Senegal appear to have considered is that (as I have been lead to believe ) the people of Casamance want to be left alone and treated as a seperate country to do their own thing,
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casamance_Conflict)
I think that in todays world that is not an option for the people of Cassamance who have no recognisable structures in place to form a country , I don't believe they have the capability of changing.
If that is so, how can the conflict be resolved ? it is true that Senegal has tried its best by means of aid to that part of Senegal,but that appears to have had little or no effect,what can H.E. offer these people ( apart from being a Jola) that Senegal cannot? (Jola are not the dominant tribe in Senegal) What can Cassamance trade,other than timber,whilst valuable I don't think can maintain a viable income for the region. How are negotiations going to proceed ? Have any enquiries been made as to who to speak to in that region in order to gain a meaningful peace?
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_of_Democratic_Forces_of_Casamance)
As to exactly what these words mean that appeared in the D.O., I havn't a clue :
"What is now important is for stakeholders in the conflict to recognise the efforts of the president and The Gambia, and expunge the colonial concept of micro-nationalism from their minds to reciprocate in that same magnitude."
Anyone else going to post on this ? |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 26 Aug 2011 02:17:59 |
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