The recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state by about 150 of the 193 Member States of the United Nations (UN), recently joined by countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and France, is undoubtedly a welcome development. It offers a glimmer of hope for the much-needed two-state solution that could bring lasting peace to…
An Evening with The Kankurang! Ansumana assumed instant ownership of any road, path or bush track on whatever mode of transport he chose to take. On this particular occasion I was seated on the pillion seat of his Baotian Superstar gazing at the galaxy of stars above whilst being expertly conveyed through the bush from…
If we lose peace, we lose everything. Look around us at our brothers and sisters in nations once full of promise, now broken by the scourge of war, political strife, and lawlessness. Look at the shattered streets of Liberia, the blood-soaked soils of Sierra Leone, Congo, Sudan and Somalia, the instability creeping into Mali, Burkina…
The Electrocution … At Brikamaba the apprentice, hanging by one arm on the back of the gele-gele, assured me that the vehicle was traveling to Janjangbureh ‘Macatty’ so, as I was going there, I clambered aboard the rusty wreck and squeezed in beside a lady with an infant in one hand and a chicken in…
On Gambia Colonial Chiefs: Maranta Sonko He ruled Lower Niumi as a hereditary chief, whose ancestors were Kings of Niumi before he ceded his territory to the British in the Treaty of Essau of 1893 for an annual stipend of £110. Henceforth, Maranta was no longer King of Niumi, but simply chief of Upper Niumi…
‘Tales of a traveling Toubabo’ Masaneh could arrange anything. Working as the restaurant manager of the Fajara Hotel way back in 1987 he would welcome every tourist making them feel as though they were the most important guests ever to grace the beaches of his beloved Gambia. He could diffuse an effusive squabble between a…
Wise Gambians have often advised me to avoid using ‘Gele-geles’ for longer trips. It has always sounded like good advice so this time I opted to take the early morning Express from Brikamaba to Kombo. 05:45 at the bus stop ‘uliha’, I sneaked onto the Express unnoticed and placed my bag directly behind the driver’s…
Due to the recent suspension of USAID donor funds, Gambia urgently needs to reconsider how much it depends on funding government projects and civil society organizations. At this crucial time, the Government of Gambia (GoTG) should push for a more independent development strategy and is actively financing local projects. The abrupt halt of USAID funds…
Three years ago a group of men stood on the beach in front of the Bakau Fish Market looking out to sea, occasionally pointing, occasionally speaking quietly to one another. I sat nearby on the tiny beach of an adjacent hotel thinking about a swim. There are turtles in that area, and though elusive and…
It was back in January 2018 that a group of young Gambians got together and launched a newspaper, SeniGambia Weekly, which was coming out on print version every Friday. After about six months of print, the youth dispersed and the paper folded up. Seven years on, SeniGambia is back and has been thriving as an…
