I have travelled to almost every country in the world. I know, you already concluded that I am lying but bear with me as I wrap a context cloth around this quite bold revelation. We all travel to places before we actually physically travel there by allowing our minds to wander into the wilderness or journey there through compelling stories of other people’s transformative travel history.
A delightful trip down memory lane at the Foreign Ministry, I was fortunate to work under the supervisions of experienced civil servants who would share experiences garnered during their studies abroad. These conversations usually take place during break for Dhuhr prayers. My first impression of the Pacific Region was drawn from a casual discussion I had with Abdoulie Jafuneh, former Director responsible for the American Division of the Ministry. He is now in charge of the Public Service Commission. Unlike many, he did his second Masters Degree in Public Administration at Flinders University, South Australia, a country reputed for quality education. I said ‘unlike many’ not because others don’t fancy reputable education institutions but because Australia is far. And like I enjoyed a passing comment to a friend, there is nothing else after the Pacific; it is the end of the world.
My senior colleague Jafuneh and I shared the same office space during his stint at the Ministry when Salimatta ET Touray, the newly appointed Ambassador to the African Union in Ethiopia was the Permanent Secretary I and Head of the Diplomatic Service. I have fond memories working with Ambassador Touray. She would jokingly tell me, Na kodo Na Musoo (referring to the people of Baddibu’s insatiable quench for money and protection of their wives). She is married to Ambassador Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, a native of Farafenni in Upper Baddibu. Omar is the son of erudite Islamic scholar Ustass Alieu Touray of blessed memory. The late venerable Ustass Alieu Touray and my dad Sheikh Alh Omar Ceesay were close friends. The two shared a lot in common and have worked together in propagating Sunni Islam in The Gambia and beyond. Interestingly, they taught some of the finest brains at Farafenni Secondary School who are now serving in various institutions – the former Executive Director of the TRRC Dr. Baba Galleh Jallow, Mr. Abdoulie Jafuneh, and the late Ambassador Alieu K. Jammeh just to name a few.
Being conventional as we are, Jafuneh would share experiences of life as a student in Australia – the nostalgia; managing his stipend to sponsor a family project back home, coming into contact with a native of the coastal town of Bakau living in Australia who later became a family to him. Jafuneh would narrate the first time he came into contact with the Bakau native; he said somebody gave him his contact and when he contacted the Bakau man, the guy picked the call and the first thing that he Jafuneh uttered over the telephone was Ebeh nyaadi meaning (how are you) in local Mandinka parlance. The guy paused for a while trying to recollect who would be speaking a Gambian local language to him in Australia since he does not know of anyone and was not expecting it from anyone. This was when Jafuneh announced himself as a Gambian student who just arrived in Australia to study at Flinders University. The reason he contacted the Bakau native was to announce his presence. They were the only two Gambians known to authorities in Australia. The guy was so elated and couldn’t hide his feelings. He immediately took a cab to come see Jafuneh at Flinders University campus.
This brought to mind exchanges I had in the hot desert city of Riyadh with H.E. Omar Gibril Sallah, The Gambia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He too, like Jafuneh, did his Masters Degree in International Studies at the University of Australia in early 70s. OG, as he is fondly called, immediately returned home after completing his studies to serve his country and to also support his aging father.
I always enjoy OG’s company and conversations. I always try to utilize every moment I have with him to gain something that would be of value and benefit to my career as a Foreign Service Officer. When you engage him on ideas, it is glaring that what you will get in return will be something of value. He is smart and understands what he does best – diplomacy. Despite advance his age, he still maintains a healthy body. There is a secret.
While in Riyadh watching news in the sitting room of the Diplomatic Residence, I was surprised to see OG dressed in sport-wear heading for evening exercise. I said to him “Ambassador, you look different today with a smile. What happened?” He replied, “I am set for my routine exercise.” I wondered how on earth a Gambian man of age would dress like Ronaldo after closing from work for an evening jog. This exercise is crucial for the longevity and continuous good health of everyone. Of course, the man is very active and full of energy, you can discern that through interactions with him. It is the result of routine exercise that most of his age mates would not do. He would spend hours walking in the neighbourhood until he sweats profusely before coming to take his dinner. And after dinner, he would again go for a long-distance exercise. Usually at this time, I would engage him in meaningful discussion while eating fresh grilled and crispy chicken with salad at the dinner table. I would deliberately set a scene purposely to test his capacity and ability with a view to learning from his experience.
In one conversation, he beamingly replied, “Saihou…you have a good start…but what is happening today in the world is nothing new. Every century there emerges a country with the power, will and intellectual ability to shape the entire international system in line with its own values.” You see, he smiled again before continuing “it happened with the French in the Seventeenth Century and the Great Britain in the Eighteenth Century, it is nothing new” he laughed.
As I said above, those are places I went to without actually going there by listening to the experiences of others. In this case, OG Sallah and Abdoulie Jafuneh. In this edition of The Samoa Diary, I will give you the opportunity to travel with me to the Pacific as I take you through preparations in the run-up to the Commonwealth Secretary General position that The Gambia vied for and some of the things that happened during the concluded 7th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa, from 21 to 26 October 2024. Samoa is an island country in the Pacific, bordered with New Zealand and shared geographical location with a number of countries including Australia, Fiji and Tonga.
In the lead-up to the election, the Government through the Foreign Ministry convened a series of meetings to constitute a campaign team. Our able Ambassador to the United Kingdom Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda was selected as the Campaign Manager. She is a great leader and did so well for the campaign. A comprehensive strategy and budget were developed. Despite all the challenges, the leadership at the Foreign Ministry did so well with mobilization and coordination.
The team rolled out one of the best campaign strategies in the history of multilateral elections. We held series of meetings strategizing ways and means of presenting our candidate in the person of Foreign Minister Dr. Mamadou Tangara. Effective preparations were made for the Chatham House debate and we did so well.
As a campaign team member, I flew from Washington DC to San Francisco to Los Angeles to New Zealand and then to Samoa. The direct flight duration from Los Angeles to Auckland is 13 hours; and from Auckland to Samoa is 3hrs 53 minutes. The trip was long, tedious but interesting and I loved it. In the morning of 21 October, we boarded a flight for Samoa. I had beside me a Foreign Service Officer from Rwanda. After seeing Rwandan national flag tag on her, I greeted her and exchanges started. She was quick to tell me that they are keenly following The Gambia’s campaign for Commonwealth Secretary General position. I thanked Rwanda for their interest in our campaign. With the elapse of 3hr 53 flight duration, the flight hovered above the airport preparing to land. I looked down and noticed for the first time a very narrow tarmac. I became a little bit nervous praying that the flight does not miss the landing path. So sorry but even if it misses an inch, we would find ourselves in the Pacific Ocean. And since I cannot swim, no, I would rather not think about the consequences. Not every country is endowed with enough land or space to execute national projects. I am thankful that The Gambia has enough land and has even started doing preparations for land banking.
Samoa has a narrow flight landing path stretched by the Pacific Ocean. The country is beautiful and clean, rich in culture, beautiful beaches and lush greenery everywhere. The warmth of its people touched my heart when I disembarked from the flight and came into contact with Samoans. I admire the discipline and orderliness at the airport and the effectiveness of the system put in place. I was gracefully escorted to the Immigration before proceeding to board a 12-passenger white van to my hotel – SALTY LODGE, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to Mariam Khan – Jallow, my colleague Director at the European Division for my comfortable stay. Khan –Jallow and I worked together at the Asia and Oceanic Affairs Division when I was Second Secretary and she was Counselor at the time. A cordial working relations we had. Myself, Khan -Jallow, Ebou Sillah, Marang Sanyang and later joined by the indefatigable Ambassador Jainaba Jagne stayed at SALTY LODGE. It was peaceful and memorable.
After all the meetings and engagements during the day, my colleague and I would do evening walk or sometimes relax at the shores watching the amazing nature of the Pacific Ocean while the sun set. We would sit on the shores, covered with coconut groves and trees chatting and pointing at nature that wonders one. There is a common saying that we travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. In that moment, marveling as the waves gently caress the shores, that is life seized. It is poetry in not words but in nature. It is picturesque but no camera lens can truly capture this scenic encapsulation. The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean on the planet. What marvels me is the connection between Samoans and the Pacific Ocean because most words in Samoan language reflect maritime traditions.
Throughout the duration of the conference, vehicles were allocated to the delegations. Heads of delegations and Foreign Ministers had their own vehicles and Protocol officers. A 12-passenger van was allocated to us staying at SALTY LODGE. But we give ride to two of colleagues accommodated at the heart of the city – Ambassador Dibba and Counselor Jaiteh. Every other morning, we would crack jokes competing amongst ourselves about the services available at our respective accommodations. For us at SALTY LODGE, we have the beach and plantations and coconut grooves to stroll and enjoy nature around us. But for our colleagues claimed to be accommodated in the heart of the city in an Airbnb, we at SALTY LODGE were living in the bush. Every morning when we picked Counselor Jaiteh and his boss Ambassador Dibba, he would narrate how comforting his accommodation is and that of the neighbourhood. I would laugh when he talked about an evening stroll he had in the mountains. My colleague’s Airbnb accommodation is by a huge volcanic mountain covered with trees and dry grasses. He was only trying to provoke us but no one can stroll on that volcanic mountain without being hurt. He seems to have a connection with the mountain because recently, he presented a draft resolution at the UN on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity. Kudos! And in Samoan culture, mountain represents legends, perhaps that is a club my colleague belongs. After all the laughter and jokes in the vehicle while heading to the conference centre, I would inwardly return gratitude to God and thank Khan – Jallow for securing me a befitting accommodation by the Pacific Ocean. With everything aside, one thing that is so uniquely ingrained in everyone’s mind was to fight hard and put The Gambia on the cusp of history by becoming the 7th Commonwealth Secretary General.
A wise person once said, of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport. Follow me as I flip the next page of my passport and share with you the beauty of Samoa.
To be continued.
