Madam Njie-Saidy made this statement on Friday, while addressing delegates from Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal and the Ecowas parliament, who were in the country to witness the State Opening of the National Assembly.
She said: “And we [Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, The Gambia and Senegal] can set a good example for Ecowas and African Union on the path of integration and unity – just these four countries. The bridge we have just launched shows the importance of the Senegambian relations. Honestly, what we have demonstrated to the world is that African unity will start right here and we hope that by 2063, as the AU hopes, we will be there. With these support, I don’t have any doubt in my mind that it will happen.
She continued: “Just like it is said, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal share the same history. You have Mauritanians here in The Gambia in their large numbers even the Jahumpas have their roots from Mauritania and most of us have our roots from Senegal as well or have our relatives there. Our roots are also in Guinea Bissau – the empire of Kaabu that we talk about. So, we are one people with one root. We share the same tribal relations. That is why our president always says there can only be peace between these nations and nothing else. We always say that Senegal and The Gambia are one country, you can’t separate them.”
The speaker of the National Assembly, Abdoulie Bojang, made similar comments saying the people of Senegal and The Gambia “love each other and we (governments) must work to the interest of the people.”
Also speaking at the meeting was the Majority Leader of the Senegalese National Assembly, Mustapha Jahateh.
He praised the leadership of The Gambia and the National Assembly for inviting them to the state event while assuring the speaker, Abdoulie Bojang, of their continued support and corporation. “We are in our country because we are in Senegambia,” he told the gathering. “The good relation between Senegal and The Gambia is important to us and we want to keep it together.”
The delegation from Senegal includes Prof Iba Derr Thiam, a respected historian from Cheikh Anta Diop University, Muhammed Gettou Jarju, Sallah Camara and Ebrima Faye.
Also present at the meeting were Muhammeh Magtaril Thiameh, the president of the Mauritanian National Assembly, Deputy Speaker of Guinea Bissau and a delegation from the Ecowas parliament.
All the delegates, like their The Gambia hosts, hailed the good relations and corporation that exist between the four countries.
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