The Guardian newspaper in the UK has reported that The Gambia’s new government has accused supporters of the former president, Yahya Jammeh, of welcoming foreign rebels into their homes in an attempt to destabilise the country.
According to the Guardian on his first visit to Foni since taking power a year ago, President Adama Barrow and his ministers criticised local leaders for allowing members of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) into their communities.
“Village and district chiefs are my representatives and are duty-bound to carry out my orders, and ensure that there is peace in their places,” Barrow said. “We are having this meeting because there is a failure in the execution of that task,” The Guardian quoted President Barrow as saying at Sibaor Village.
The lands minister, Lamin Dibba, added: “This meeting should not have been held. We know that there are people entering the country from Casamance being hosted here in Foni and they are here to create trouble. This must stop.”
Likening his predecessor to a “big snake” as the latter’s loyal chiefs fidgeted under a marquee, Barrow said: “If you see the tracks of a big snake, you might be scared,” he said. “But what about the man who was dragging the snake?”
“The government is caught in a very difficult situation,” said Ba Tambadou, Gambia’s minister of justice, pointing out the “grave danger” these people posed to the public. “We don’t want to perhaps create a Guantánamo Bay. (But) we are dealing with a very fragile political situation.” Source: theguardian.com
