Annual progress report on Gambia’s poverty reduction

I. OVERVIEW

1. The Gambian authorities completed the 2007 PRSP Annual Progress Report (APR) in October 2008. This is the first APR for the country’s second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), which covers the years 2007 to 2011.1 The overall strategic priorities of the PRSP are: (i) macroeconomic stability and effective public resource management; (ii) promotion of pro-poor growth and employment through private sector development; (iii) improved basic social services; (iv) strengthened local communities and civil society organizations (CSOs); and (v) mainstreamed multisectoral programs on gender, environment, nutrition, and population. The PRSP incorporates programs focused on the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

The APR is complemented by a 2008 report on progress towards the MDGs and a report which analyzes poverty related public expenditures in 2007. The APR analyzes key elements of the PRSP, including macroeconomic performance, public sector reform, real sector performance such as agriculture and tourism, the social sectors and cross-cutting issues such as HIV/AIDS and gender.


2. The 2007 APR was prepared in a participatory and consultative manner. The National Planning Commission (NPC) was created to strengthen the government’s capacity to plan and coordinate government policies, consolidate limited government resources and implement the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. In particular, the NPC has assumed overall responsibility for the PRSP process and coordinated the preparation of the APR. Consultative workshops and focus group discussions were held on the PRSP APR with representatives of the public and private sectors and civil society.

The NPC is a relatively new organization and therefore would benefit from further strengthening of its capacity. The staffs recommend continued institutionalization of multisectoral and participatory monitoring arrangements.



3. The country’s poverty rates are high and the poor remain highly vulnerable to exogenous shocks. Fifty eight percent of the households are poor, according to the 2003 household expenditure survey which is the latest information available. The authorities are currently preparing to conduct a small scale survey to update the poverty profile. The poor are often rural households with larger families, headed by females and working in the agriculture and fishing industries. Although the economy has enjoyed robust growth in the past few years, there are concerns that this growth was concentrated in sectors such as telecommunication and tourism which could have had limited impact on the poor. The issue will be further analyzed through an ongoing Poverty Assessment exercise.

II. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, RISKS AND CHALLENGES

4. The APR correctly points out that macroeconomic performance has been strong in the recent past, exemplified by robust growth and relatively low inflation. However, the current global economic slowdown is likely to adversely affect growth in The Gambia and widen the external current account deficit by slowing down tourism and remittances. In addition to the impact of the global economic slowdown, re-export trade appears to be contracting as the country’s regional comparative advantages deteriorate and foreign direct investment is projected to level off after rising sharply in recent years.

As a result, real GDP growth is projected to decline to 4.6 percent in 2009 from 5.9 percent in 2008. Given the expected slowdown in economic activity and indications of weakening government revenues, staffs encourage the government to continue prudent macroeconomic policies and provide a growth-friendly environment. The staffs support the government’s policy of limiting domestic borrowing in order to reduce the large domestic public debt.


5. The staffs recommend that future APRs pay more attention to external debt sustainability issues. The authorities need to focus on improving the management of external debt in light of the recent Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) which indicates continued high risk of debt distress. Export diversification and finding new sources of growth will be critical given the decline of the country’s traditional strengths as a regional trading hub.



6. The staffs support government efforts to increase budgetary resources to poverty reducing expenditures. Preliminary budget outturn data indicate that PRSP related expenditures as a share of total Government Local Funds (excluding interest payments) declined from 2002 to 2005, in particular due to sharply increasing debt service payments. Recognizing this to be an important fiscal challenge, the authorities reduced domestic borrowing and received substantial external debt relief when the country reached HIPC completion point in December 200.

As a result, preliminary data indicate that the share of PRSP related expenditures in the budget outturn have been gradually increasing. Moreover, the share of PRSP expenditures in budget allocations have increased in 2009 compared to 2008. It will be critical that the budget outturns reflect the increased budgetary allocations.


7. After having had some success with public expenditure management reforms, ensuring their sustainability is the next critical challenge. There have been steady improvements of the budgeting process, including by revising the budget classification, integrating the recurrent and development expenditures, developing sectoral policies and expenditure reviews and reducing the backlog in public accounts.

APR notes the impact that the introduction of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) has had on improving public expenditure management and monitoring of PRSP related expenditures. IFMIS currently processes all central government transactions and produces public accounts and fiscal reports in a relatively timely manner.

In order to ensure its sustainability, the staffs recommend that the authorities adequately fund the recurrent costs of the system, identified in the government’s IFMIS Sustainability Plan, and build local capacity by carrying out recruitment and training of Treasury staffs within a government-wide manpower plan.



8. Strengthening human resource management will be critical to the success of the ongoing civil service reforms. The ongoing civil service reforms are critical to building public sector capacity.

The APR highlights the need to increase civil service compensation in order to improve recruitment and retention of qualified personnel. While addressing low salaries will be important, it will not by itself necessarily result in improved performance and public service delivery. Thus, staffs recommend that the authorities also focus on complementary reforms to strengthen staff assessment, performance management and overall manpower planning. The latter is critical given that there is evidence that the civil service significantly expanded in recent years and its rate of expansion was not immediately apparent due to shortcomings in centralized management and monitoring. Sustained political commitment for the implementation of the civil service reform program will be essential to the success of the reforms.

9. The APR highlights the importance of the agricultural sector but the analysis is hampered by a lack of specificity in the sector strategy and priority policies. The agriculture sector, where most of the poor are engaged, has been performing relatively poorly in recent years, although crop productions rebounded in 2008 due to comparatively good rainfalls. A major constraint has been the lack of policy clarity, continuity and predictability. Therefore, the staffs recommend refining the policies and programs in the agriculture sector through the development of a comprehensive and cohesive agriculture sector strategy which identifies priority interventions and emphasizes export diversification and private sector development.

Staffs also recommend that the impact of existing investment projects be comprehensively assessed in order to provide a basis for determining priority interventions and that the sector’s institutional environment be stabilized as frequent changes of policies, personnel and institutions have undermined performance. Improved performance will likely require greater allocation of resources for recurrent expenditures.


10. Implementation of the government’s groundnut sector reform Roadmap will be a priority pro-poor agenda. The APR does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the status of implementation of this critical sector which has traditionally accounted for over 70 percent of domestically produced exports. Groundnut farmers are the largest group among the poor. However, the groundnut sector has been undermined by a dysfunctional marketing arrangement in recent years. Unlike the agriculture sector as a whole, the groundnut sector benefits from having a sector reform strategy, the Roadmap prepared in 2007. The Roadmap emphasizes open competition based on a minimum producer price, divesting the Government-owned Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC) which is the main formal marketing and processing channel, improving access to agricultural production inputs and establishing a quality control system.

Timely implementation of the Roadmap is expected to significantly contribute to alleviating poverty among the groundnut farmers by revitalizing the sector and providing a reliable and timely market for groundnuts. It will be critical to promote private investments in the sector, in particular by providing a level playing field in which no investor is given preferential treatment. The staffs recommend that implementation of the Roadmap be accelerated and be further developed with respect to improving access to inputs and extension services and strengthening institutional capacity of key public and private stakeholders, including producer associations. Any adverse social distributional impact of the reforms should be monitored and adequately addressed.

11. The staffs believe that stronger efforts are needed to ensure a greater focus on improving economic governance so as to promote private sector-led growth. Reforms of economic governance would enhance the country’s competitiveness, help attract foreign investments and make the country more resilient to external shocks such as the current global economic slowdown.

In this context, of particular importance are: (i) greater protection of contractual rights and respect for legal due process; (ii) the use of open and competitive bidding process for divestiture of public enterprises and sale of major licenses, such as for telecommunication; and (iii) strengthening of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) through the provision of adequate resources and enhancement of its independence and mandate. Building on improved economic governance, the authorities could address the poor availability and high cost of finance, lack of access to land and the multiplicity of taxes and government fees which aggregate to a significant burden. Finally, the staffs recommend consolidating the investment laws and overhauling the discretionary duty exemption system.



12. Although the MDG goal of halving poverty is unlikely to be met, the APR notes the relatively good progress made in indicators on universal primary education and gender parity. Major government initiatives have benefited from support from donors and the EFA-FTI. With relative improvements in access, the next key challenges are to improve the quality of school instructions and educational outcomes given the high failure rates in standardized tests.

For the health sector, the staffs recommend that public resources be focused on primary services and preventive care. Improving health outcomes will depend on the ability of the government to provide adequate recurrent resources to the health facilities, particularly health professionals and drugs. For both the health and education sectors, the use of mandatory rotations as well as the current incentive programs could be considered for rural placement of staffs. The staffs also recommend that the expansion of school and health facilities be on a sustainable basis by taking into account the capacity of the government to provide for the recurrent costs.

13. The APR highlights the importance of addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and is particularly a problem for pregnant women and children under five years. The staffs recommend a comprehensive assessment of malaria as well as tuberculosis and strengthening of disease surveillance and response capacity at all levels.

The latest sero-surveillance data indicate that HIV-1 prevalence doubled from 1.4 percent in 2002 to 2.8 percent in 2006. The prevalence of HIV among young women and men aged 15-24 has tripled from 0.8 percent to 2.4 percent during the same period, and only 8.8 percent of people with advanced HIV infection and 14.1 percent of HIV positive pregnant women receive antiretroviral therapy. Therefore, it will be critical to use the recently approved Global Fund to expand the availability of HIV/AIDS programs, including educational outreach to reduce further infections.. The government could also consider reestablishing the posts of divisional coordinators of the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat (NAS) in order to strengthen its regional presence.

14. The main risks to achieving PRSP objectives include the impact of external shocks, insufficient prioritization and weak capacity. The global economic slowdown is expected to reduce the country’s economic growth and government revenues. Declining government revenues could put pressure on resources allocated to PRSP related expenditures. Given reduced overall resources, it will be critical to reallocate funds to PRSP priority activities, prioritize within PRSP priority activities as necessary, and ensure that these funds are used efficiently and effectively.

In this context, the impact of existing and planned projects could be comprehensively assessed. Continued public sector capacity building reforms, particularly the civil service reforms, are critical to mitigating the risks of low capacity. A credible, transparent and predictable policy environment which supports private investments will be critical to building the country’s capacity to withstand external shocks.

III. KEY IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

15.Improving the monitoring and evaluation of the PRSP program remains an important challenge. Relatively little information is provided in the APR’s results matrix on achievement of the 2007 targets apart from the macroeconomic indicators. However, the 2007 MDG Status Report and the 2007 Poverty Reducing Expenditure Report provided complementary information for the monitoring of PRSP objectives. The staffs recommend that these reports be prepared annually and that their main findings be reflected in the APR. The staffs also recommend refining the PRSP policies and target output and outcome indicators in order to make them more specific and concrete.

In particular, agriculture, governance and cross-cutting issues, such as gender and environment, appear to lack cohesive and well defined policies and target indicators. The refinement of policies would provide an opportunity to review government priorities, critical given the sizable funding gap identified in the PRSP. Prioritizing will be even more critical in light of the projected decline in government revenues as a result of the impact of the global economic slowdown.

16. Improving the quality and timeliness of data, particularly economic statistics, is needed to improve program monitoring. Once survey field works are conducted, there are often significant lags until the data become available. Archiving and dissemination of data remain relatively weak. The authorities have made major efforts to build institutional capacity through the enactment of the Statistics Act (2005) and the subsequent establishment of the Statistic Council and the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS).

The staffs recommend prioritizing the implementation of the government’s “Strategic Plan for the Development of Statistics in The Gambia: 2008-11,” which focus on continued structural reforms and capacity building of GBOS. In particular, the staffs support the Strategic Plan’s proposal for a “performance contract” for GBOS which would be used to hold it accountable for improved data quality and availability.

17. The PRSP highlights the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) as a means to further deepen the integration of PRSP priorities with the budget. However, its adoption would be feasible only if there can be a credible commitment to future sectoral budgetary allocations. As the initial steps towards eventually adopting a MTEF, the staffs recommend that major sectors improve their annual budget submissions by incorporating target output and outcome indicators linked to their proposed expenditures.

Departments of State (ministries) which already have sectoral policies and public expenditure reviews would use them to derive their PRSP performance indicators. Sectoral policies and expenditure reviews could be gradually expanded to the remaining Departments. As the sectoral policies are refined, the budget codes which identify PRSP related expenditures can be revised to ensure that they reflect the new policies.


18. Strengthened governance remains a priority for the PRSP implementation. International observers generally agree that the country’s oversight institutions and the opposition media are weak. Strengthened governance would enhance the transparency and accountability of the public sector and reduce the risk of policy slippages. The PRSP has been prepared in an open, transparent and participatory manner in order to promote country ownership and a government that is responsive to the needs of the poor. Free dissemination of information and an independent media would support such an approach.



19. Implementation of the recommendations of the previous JSAN has been mixed. As recommended, the authorities maintained prudent macroeconomic policies, achieved the completion point triggers for the HIPC program, prepared a groundnut sector reform strategy, strengthened the governance of the Central Bank and developed a civil service reform strategy focused on pay and human management reforms. Some of the recommendations are being implemented on an ongoing basis, including for education and health. Regarding the recommendation on the investment climate, the authorities currently are collaborating with IDA on an ongoing Investment Climate Assessment (ICA) and preparing a new Growth and Competitiveness Project for addressing some of the identified shortcomings.

Although recommended, there have been less success in developing a agriculture sector strategy beyond the groundnut sector, preparing an implementation and sensitization program for decentralization, improving the management of the electricity utility and PURA, and further prioritizing the PRSP and refining the performance indicators.

IV. CONCLUSION
20. The staffs believe that the progress report provides an adequate assessment of PRSP implementation for 2007. As detailed in the report, progress was made in the implementation of the PRSP. Macroeconomic stability and real growth was maintained, public financial management was strengthened and progress was made in the key social sectors. By contrast, progress has been relatively slow with regards to agricultural reforms and decentralization, and there could be a greater emphasis on governance, including economic governance, and the groundnuts sector reforms. PRSP monitoring improved with the complementary reports on MDGs and poverty related public expenditures but the PRSP target outcome and output indicators would benefit from further refinement. Since 2007, the country has had to deal with sharply increasing import prices and the impact of the ongoing global economic slowdown. It is critical that the country maintains its commitment to the PRSP program in the midst of these new challenges.


21. Priority areas identified by staffs for strengthening the implementation of the PRSP include: (i) developing a comprehensive agricultural sector strategy; (ii) prioritizing improvement of governance; and (iii) refining PRSP performance indicators.


Note: The Annual Progress Report for The Gambia was prepared jointly by the staffs of the World Bank and the IMF and distributed with the member country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Annual Progress Report to the Executive Boards of the two institutions. The report which is approved by by Emilio Sacerdoti and Dominique Desruelle of the IMF and Obiageli K. Ezekwesili of the International Development Association (IDA) seeks to provide focused, frank, and constructive feedback to the country on progress in implementing its Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).

DALASI AND BUTUT:Dalasi Strengthens against Greenback....

Trading on the currency market of the Gambia saw the local currency strengthen against the greenback on both the interbank and the forex market.

On the interbank market, the local currency gained 10 bututs against the dollar and was quoted at D25.75 and registered a 5 butut swell against the pound to D37.15. Against the Euro and the CFA Francs, the Dalasi lost D2.32 while appreciating by D2.50 and was quoted at D35.45 and D255 respectively. On the parallel market, the local currency chalked a 70 butut appreciation against the greenback and was quoted at D25.25.


The Dalasi also improved by 25 bututs against the pound to close at D36.75 but depreciated by 50 bututs against the Euro and was quoted at D34.50. Against the CFA Francs, the Dalasi gained 25 bututs and closed
the week at D259.


On the international trading market, the US Dollar gained 0.70 per cent and was quoted at $1.42 but lost 0.79 per cent against the Euro and was quoted at $1.27. The Yen depreciated against the Dollar by 5.83 per cent and was quoted at $97.43.



Dalasi Inter-Bank Mid Exchange Rates

USD 25.75
UKP 37.15
Euro 35.45
CFA 255.00

Dalasi Forex Bureau Mid Exchange Rates
USD 25.25
UKP 36.75
Euro 36.75
CFA 258.50

91-Day Bill Gains…

Instruments traded on the floor of the central bank of the Gambia moved in opposite directions this week. The 91-Day Bill gained a basis point from 11.21 per cent and was quoted at 11.25 per cent while the 91-Day Sukuk- Salam Bill dipped by 3 basis points and is currently quoted at 11.10 per cent.

The 182-Day lost 15 basis points and was quoted at 12.61 per cent. The Bill was previously quoted at 12.76 per cent. The longer bench of the market witnessed a 9 basis point contraction in the level of the 1-Year Note. The note was quoted at 14.33 per cent after being quoted at 14.24 per cent a week ago.

Databank Securities Ltd

Gambia's food prices on the increase

The National Consumer Price Basket saw a marginal 2.9 per cent increase the Consumer Price Inflation from 6.8 per cent at the end of December 08 to 7 per cent at the end of January 09 according to recent data released by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics.

At the end of January 2009, CPI for some West African economies remained in double digits. Ghana’s CPI stood at 19.86 per cent while CPI in Nigeria and Sierra Leone is currently 14.03 per cent and 13.21 per cent respectively. Evidently, most economies in the sub-region had missed the single-digit target at the end of December 2008.


In Gambia, food prices continued to dictate the increase in the national price basket. On a year-on-year basis, food prices accelerated from 8.61 per cent in Dec 08 to 8.81 per cent at the end of Jan 09. This compares unfavourably with a decline from 9.45 per cent at the end of Jan 07 to 8.61 per cent in Jan 08.

On a month-on-month basis, food prices increased by 0.24 per cent at the end of Jan 09 from a marginal 0.05 per cent at the end of Dec 08. Non-food prices recorded a 4.77 per cent budge from 1.32 per cent at the end of January 08 (y/y); comparing negatively with a 4.33 per cent swell from 2.14 per cent at the end of Jan 08 and Jan 07 respectively. Month-on-month figures saw Non-food prices for Jan 09 inch-up to 0.42per cent from 0.24 per cent from 0.04 per cent at the end of Jan Dec 08 and Dec 07 respectively.

Outlook


The inch-up in the Consumer Price Inflation from 6.8 per cent at the end of Dec 08 to 7 per cent at the end of Jan 09 has been largely as a result of scanty increases in food prices though the strength of the Dalasi has provided some insulation to avert a protracted sharp increase.

The 2009 Budget Summary has highlighted a single digit inflationary target. Consequently, we maintain that the move towards the safeguarding, if not reducing the current single-digit inflation of seven (7) per cent remains attainable.

However, in the conduct of both monetary and fiscal policy, there is the need for the Central Bank to maintain a highly disciplined approach. Given the current global downturn, care must be taken in order not to expose the national price basket to the hikes in global food prices; no matter how inevitable such exposures may be. We are confident that the CPI (y/y) for February 09 will see a minor decline.

This isagainst the back drop of gains in the Dalasi against its major trading currencies; particularly the Dollar. In the event of this, import costs should ease down and transmit some downward revision in both food and non-food prices.

Gambian human rights lawyer urges cooperation in the arrest of al Bashir

A founding member of the Banjul-based human rights body, the Foundation for Legal Aid Research (FLARE), on Wednesday called on countries that are signatories to the instrument that established the International Criminal Court (ICC) to cooperate with the International Tribunal and arrest Sudanese President, Omar al Bashir.

Almami Taal, the FLARE coordinator, said the warrant issued by the ICC on Wednesday for the arrest of President al Bashir was long over due. He said issues affecting the African continent are not seriously taken up by continental bodies, therefore he said the ICC should be a non-compromising and fearless advocate against leaders that are committing human rights violations against their own people.

He remarked, “I really believe that the era of accountability in the criminal justice area should be about bringing to account the leaders at the highest level.”

The human rights lawyer said most of the criminal activities that happen within borders or across borders in Africa are dealt with quite effectively; adding that there are a lot of instruments in respect of money laundering, drug trafficking and other white coloured crimes.

“But when it comes to human rights violations, crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide, there has been very little continental or trans-border instruments and processes that could actualize human rights for all in the continent,” he said.

He continued, “So the ICC issuing an arrest warrant against al Bashir cannot come at a better time; because people like al Bashir should be tried openly and before an international tribunal so that their crimes against their own people could have a chance of being punished.”

Taal further stated that when prosecutors at the ICC started the process against al Bashir, there has been a lot of talk in Africa that only Africans are subjected to this type of procedure. But he was quick to add that such a claim is rubbish, adding that everyone was happy when Radavan Karadvic was arrested after several years of indictment by the Court. Therefore, he said this process should not be seen as targeting Africans.

Courtesy of APA

PK's BEEF:An insult to Gambians

Recent media reports of witch hunters forcefully entering people’s homes and detaining them in Kotu on suspicion of being witches and wizards is indeed and insult to Gambian men and women.

I first thought the stories were untrue. I thought they were untrue because I never imagined that a government in its right sense will hire a group of weirdoes from another country, provide them with military escort and give them 100 per cent backing to go round innocent people’s houses and mistreat them for being witches and wizards.

The action of these witch hunters is criminal as it goes against the provisions of the 1997 constitution and other laws of the country. And I will advise anyone who has been forcefully arrested, detained or mistreated in any way by this group of weirdoes to take them to court.

What type of nonsense is this and for how long shall the Gambian people continue to sit and allow the APRC government of Yahya Jammeh to treat us any how it wants without giving a monkey to the laws of the land? If Jammeh's government cannot provide us a decent standard of living, let it give us the freedom to live happily in our homes.

I have never believed and will never believe that there exists another breed of humans that fly on a broom in the darkness of night to eat their fellow human beings.

I asked myself what is the motive for hiring these witch hunters? Is Jammeh trying to expose his insecurity or showing his madness to the people. What ever the reason, Jammeh can never convince me that he is truely fit to govern the Gambian people.

The Islamic religion we all pride ourselves to be followers clearly tells us that backbiters are the only witches. And unless it wants to be seen as hypocrites, the Jammeh regime should without delay order an immediate stop to the activities of these witch hunters.

In this 21st century, it is very insulting to see the hard earn resources of the Gambian people being wasted so ridiculously in a so called fight against witches and wizards.

The people who were targeted by these weirdoes must be badly traumatised and I have no doubt in my mind that many of them will be stigmatised by their communities and families. These innocent people will never recover from this trauma and may even visit the land of see me no more before their time is up.

Jammeh have to understand that what is killing the Gambian people is not witches and wizard. What is killing the Gambian people is diseases and poverty. And no matter how much he tries he can never divert people’s attentions to the current hardships they are going through as a result of his incompetence and failures.


A waste of resources

The jailing of four Daily Observer printers for stealing 200 copies of the company was is indeed a waste of our resources.

The men who were first subjected to a trial by the media, pleaded guilty to the charge of theft. And instead of issuing a fine or community orders, the magistrate decided to sent them to the already overcrowded Mile Two Prisons.

Don't get me wrong, am not in anyway condoning what the men did, but I think as first offenders a jail term is too harsh. The men will be eligible for release in a month’s time and the Gambian people are going to pay for their feeding and upkeep while in prison.

Mile Two Prisons should not be used as a punishment centre. Rather, it should be used as a correction centre and if our Magistrates think they are being tough on people petty thiefs by sending them to Mile Two, then let them think again.

Our Mile Two Prisons is overcrowded and magistrates should start issuing fines and community orders to first time offenders found guilty of committing minor offences so as to save the government money.

A welcome development
As I write my column for this week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued an international arrest warrant for the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

President Al- Bashir who is the first ever sitting president to be indicted by the international court is suspected of being criminally responsible for “intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcefully transferring larger numbers of civilians and pillaging their properties.”

While I welcome the indictment of Mr Al-Bashir, the ICC should not only focus its attention on war crimes committed in Africa. It should go further by investigating crimes committed in Iraq, Afghanistan as well as recent events in Gaza, Palestine and prosecute those responsible.

Crimes committed against innocent civilian populations must never go unpunished and the indictment of Mr Al-Bashir will sent a clear message to all those murder happy leaders who think that they can order the killing of thousands of people and go to sleep.

Wishing you all a great weekend.

DALASI AND BUTUT

with Databank Securities Ltd
The Gambia ’s local currency posted a mixed performance on both the interbank and parallel markets this week. On the interbank market, the local currency was stable against the dollar at D25.85 and moved up by 55 bututs against the Pound at D36.65.

The Dalasi also appreciated by 13 bututs against the pound and was quoted at D33while improving by D5

against the CFA francs to close the week at D252.50. On the parallel market however, the Dalasi was re-rated downwards by 22 bututs and was quoted at D26.17 but gained 42 bututs against the pound to close at D36.58.

Against the Euro and the CFA Francs, the local currency appreciated by 50 bututs but lost D1.25 and was quoted at D33.50 and D260 respectively.

On the international currency market, the US Dollar gained against the British Pound but lost value to the Euro and the Yen. The greenback chalked a 0.70 per cent gain against the pound to close at $1.42 but shaved off 0.79 per cent against the Euro to $1.27 and lost 6.23 per cent of its previously quoted rate against the Yen. The Dollar is currently quoted at $97.85 against the Japanese Yen.


Dalasi Inter-Bank Mid Exchange Rates

USD 25.85

UKP 36.65

Euro 33.00

CFA 252.50

Dalasi Forex Bureau Mid Exchange Rates

USD 26.17

UKP 36.58

Euro 33.50

CFA 260.00



Instruments Move South….

Trading on the money market of the central bank of the Gambia witnessed declines in all traded instruments except for the 91-Day Sukuk- Salami Bill. The Bill remained pegged at 11.13 per cent.

The 91-Day Bill moved south by 20 basis point from a previous quoted level of 11.44 per cent and is currently quoted at 11.24 per cent while the 182-Day Bill slashed 69 basis points off its value was quoted at 12.76 per cent .

The longer end of the market saw a downward revision of 77 basis points in the level of the 1-Year Note. The 1-Year Note was quoted at 14.24 per cent but was quoted at a much higher level of 14.53 per cent a week ago.

Toronto FC signs Gambian defenders

Toronto FC signed Gambian defenders Emmanuel Gomez and Amadou Sanyang, the Major league Soccer club announced on Tuesday.

"Both these players are great young talents and have a huge future ahead of them," TFC manager and director of soccer Mo Johnston said. "Gomez is very good in the air, has very good speed and is an outstanding young center back. Amadou has great ability as well; he's very talented and will be a great asset for many years to come. We are delighted to have them both on board."

Sanyang, 17, will not be able to become a full member of the Toronto FC senior squad until his 18th birthday. Until that time the defender will train with both the senior team and TFC Academy and be able to play matches for the Academy. He turns 18 Aug. 1.

Gomez, 18, will arrive in Canada following the completion of all international transfer and immigration procedures. As per league and team policy, financial details were not announced.
Courtesy of The Sports Network

Observer Anchorman Removed

The deputy managing director of the Daily Observer Newspaper is reported to have been removed from his post, authoritative sources told AllGambian.


Andrew P DaCosta was said to have been sacked last Friday in a letter signed by Momodou Sanyang, chairperson of the company's board.


Daily Observer insiders told AllGambian that no reason (s) was stated by the board for his removal.


"After indicating its regrets to remove him, the letter asked him to surrender his office keys, company car and any other company item in his possession to his managing director, Neneh MacDouall-Gaye," an insider told this paper.


A former senior banker with the International Bank for Commerce, (IBC) Andrew DaCosta joined the Observer as financial controller in the late 1990s. He was made deputy managing director and financial controller in 2000 and have been highly credited for keeping the company's finance afloat.


A devout Catholic, Mr DaCosta is regarded as a hard working man who has the interest of the Observer at heart.


Until his removal, Mr DaCosta has served as deputy to seven managing directors of the Observer namely; Sariang Ceesay, Buba Baldeh, Sheriff Bojang, Momodou Sanyang, Saja Taal, Dida Halake and Neneh MacDouall-Gaye.

US Slams Gambia's Human Rights Record

by PK Jarju, Birmingham, UK

The US government have severely criticise the APRC regime of President Yahya Jammeh over its treatment and lack of respect to the rights and liberties of Gambians.
In its 2008 annual Human Rights, and Labour Report, released on Wednesday, the US State Department stated that over the past year, the Jammeh regime has committed many human rights abuses with impunity thereby creating a more restrictive environment for Gambians in the country.

Quoting a recent Amnesty International report, the State Department says the Jammeh regime's respect for the human rights of its citizens did not improve during 2008 and that human rights situation have worsen since a foiled coup attempt in March 2006.
" Although the constitution and law provide for protection of most human rights, there were problems in many areas. Prison conditions remained poor, resulting in deaths. Arbitrary arrests and detentions, often without warrants, continued. Security forces harassed and mistreated detainees, prisoners, opposition members, and journalists with impunity. Prisoners were held incommunicado, faced prolonged pretrial detention, held without charge, denied access to families and lawyers, and were tortured and denied due process. The government restricted freedom of speech and press through intimidation, detention, and restrictive legislation. Women experienced violence and discrimination, and female genital mutilation (FGM) remained a problem. Child labour and trafficking in persons also were problems," the report stated.

Prison Conditions
The State Department noted that conditions of the Gambia's prisons do not generally meet international standards and the government refused visits by independent human rights observers to detainees and prisoners connected to matters considered politically sensitive.

"Local jails were overcrowded, and inmates, including detainees awaiting trial, occasionally slept on the floor. Inmates complained of mistreatment by guards, poor sanitation, and inadequate nutrition, and often relied upon outside sources of food, which was allowed prior to conviction. Prison guards were reluctant to intervene in fights between prisoners, which resulted in injuries," the report added.

It further stated that despite attempts by prison officials to improve prisoners' nutrition and well-being during the year, there were unconfirmed reports of deaths of prisoners at the Mile 2 Prison due to poor diet, health, and living conditions.

Arbitrary Arrest or Detention
The State Department said although the Gambian constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, there were numerous instances of police and security forces arbitrarily arresting and detaining citizens.

It added that many people were arrested without warrants and detained beyond the legal 72-hours. It cited the cases of Businessman Alhaji Banta Kaira, Dodou Jobe, NIA financial director, Bakary Gassama, Lamin Marong and Ebrima Marong, Pastor Gideon A. Adeoye among others as an example.

Denial of Fair Public Trial
The State Department said although the Gambian constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, in practise the courts, particularly at the lower levels, were corrupt and at times subject to executive pressure. It noted that during the year the president have removed three High Court judges without even consulting the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

"Judges presiding over "sensitive" cases and who made decisions not considered favourable to the government risked being fired. On July 10, newly appointed High Court Judge B.Y Camara was dismissed, but later reinstated, without explanation, but unconfirmed reports stated his firing was linked to his handling of the trial of foreign fugitive Christopher Badjie. Also on July 10, Justice Haddy Roche, who in previous years made decisions not favourable to the government, was dismissed from her job without explanation. She was later reinstated as the presiding judge at the Commercial Division of the High Court. On September 11, Justice Naa-Ceesay Sallah-Wadda of the High Court in Banjul, was dismissed without explanation. Her firing was reportedly related to her decision to grant bail to British mining engineer Charles Northfield, who was arrested on February 12 when the mining license of his employer, Carnegie Minerals, was withdrawn. In late August Northfield jumped bail and fled to the United Kingdom. Justice Sallah-Wadda was also reinstated in her job," the report stated.

Political Prisoners and Detainees
The State Department said during the year, there were credible reports that the government held civilians based on their political views or associations and that some were held incommunicado for prolonged periods. It added that unlike the previous year, there were no reports that the government arrested and detained opposition members who publicly criticised or who expressed views in disagreement with the government.

Freedom of Speech and Press
The State Department said although the Gambian constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and of the press, the government limited these rights by intimidation, detention, and restrictive legislation.

It added that the deterioration of the Gambian media environment continued during the year and that the government harassed journalists who wrote articles it considered inaccurate or investigated cases it considered sensitive. As a result, the report said several journalists reportedly went into hiding out of fear of government retaliation.

Women and Children
The State Department said domestic violence, including spousal abuse, was a widespread problem; however, it was under reported due to the stigma surrounding such violence. It added that police considered reported incidents to be domestic issues outside of their jurisdiction. The report also said traditional views of women's roles have resulted in extensive societal discrimination in education and employment.

It added that Gambian laws do not prohibit female genital mutilation (FGM) and as a result the practise remained widespread. It said between 60 and 90 percent of women have undergone FGM, and seven of the nine major ethnic groups reportedly practised it at ages varying from shortly after birth until age 16.

Drop the bogus charges against Pap Saine

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional body the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) yesterday called on President Yahya Jammeh and his government to drop what it calls 'bogus charges' against Pap Saine, editor and co- proprietor of The Point Newspaper, with immediate effect and to desist from the continued intimidation of the Gambian press.

In a press release issued yesterday, Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office says: “The sequence of events concerning the editor of The Point Newspaper is a clear indication of systematic harassment and intimidation that is directed at crippling the paper and gagging press freedom. It seems that the Gambian authorities have specifically targeted the Point Newspaper, which is presently, the only independent daily in the country, in order to silence dissent views.”

On Monday February 2, Pap Saine was arrested and detained for eight hours and was eventually released on bail. He was later charged with the “publication of false information” and had already appeared in court. Pap Saine was later rearrested and questioned about his citizenship by the authorities. He appeared in court yesterday and today under this new charge and his case has been adjourned to March 11.

According the Gambia Press Union, “Initially, Mr Saine was brought before the Courts charged with one count of false publication in reference to a story captioned Arrested Gambian Diplomat now at Mile II. Reappearing today [Wednesday], a second count of false publication was added to the charge sheet for a story on its January 30th issue captioned Three Gambian Diplomats recalled. Saine is also due to reappear at the Banjul Magistrates Court (10kms away) the same day, at midday on a trial in relation to his citizenship.”

It could be recalled that in 2005 Pap Saine was arrested with two of his colleagues, by the authorities and his citizenship was also questioned. He was later cleared by the same authorities that are today once again questioning his citizenship.

Saine is now appearing in court for two different cases and the Gambia Press Union has expressed concern that the government is vengefully exploring possibilities to nail him down, even after bestowing a media award to him recently.

The IFJ calls on the Government of Yahya Jammeh to drop the bogus charges against Pap Saine with immediate effect and to desist from the continued intimidation of the Gambian press.

Gamcel to be sold

by PK Jarju, Birmingham, UK

Gambia's secretary of state for Finance and Economic Affairs have revealed that the Gambia government is planning to sell a huge chunk of its shares in the Gambia Telecommucations Cellular Company Limited (Gamcel).

Mousa Gibril Bala-Gaye made this revelation in a recent letter to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In the letter, Mr Gaye said the Gambia government will be offering a significant portion of its shares in the Gambia Telecommucations Cellular Company Limited [Gamcel] for sale.

Mr Gaye however, did not give any reason as to why the government is wanting to part with a huge portion of its shares in one of the most profitable public enterprise in the country

Gamcel was established by incorporation on November 16, 2000, as a limited liability company under the company’s Act of 1955. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Gambia Telecommunication Company (GAMTEL).

It began commenced business earnest on May 25, 2001 when the GSM network was launched, replacing the outdated analogue network (TACS) and has since being making huge profits.

Apart from 2007, Gamcel have registered huge profits year after year and have pumped millions of Dalasis into the country's economy.

In 2004, the company made a turnover of D313 million an increase in revenue of D39.6 million registered in 2003.

In 2005, it registered a total operating profit, before tax of D240.3 million, which, compared to the corresponding period as at end 2004, show an increase of D70.5 million, representing an increase of 41.49 percent.

In 2007, the company made a profit before tax of D163 million, a decrease of D79 million or 48 per cent over 2006.

In a similar development, Secretary of State Gaye revealed that the Gambia government have received US$28 million out of US$35 million from Spectrum Group, which bought 50 per cent shares of Gamtel/Gamcel in November 2007. He added that the said amount was received before government terminated the partnership agreement with Spectrum Group and negotiations are ongoing between the two parties for the settlement of the outstanding US$6.5 million

Gambia gets more financial assistance from IMF

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the fourth review of the Gambia's economic performance under a three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement, and approved an increase in financial assistance under the arrangement in an amount equivalent to SDR 6.215 million (about US$ 9.2 million) to help mitigate the impact of the global slowdown.

According to a press release from the IMF, the completion of the review allows for the immediate disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 5.11 million (about US$7.5 million)—including SDR 3.11 million (about US$4.6 million) from the augmented amount, bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 13.11 million (about US$19.3 million).

The press release added that the IMF executive board have also approved the authorities' request to waive the nonobservance of the fiscal basic balance performance criterion, and to modify quantitative performance criteria for end-March 2009.

The PRGF arrangement for The Gambia was approved on February 21, 2007 for an amount of SDR 14 million (about US$20.7 million).

Following the executive board's discussion, Murilo Portugal, deputy managing director and acting chair, said: "The Gambian authorities are to be commended for the satisfactory implementation of their PRGF-supported program and their commitment to prudent economic policies, which have contributed to robust growth and moderate inflation. Nevertheless, The Gambia has not been spared from the effects of the global economic crisis, with international reserves declining and the current account deficit widening as a result primarily of reduced income from tourism and remittances.

"The authorities remain committed to achieving sustained growth and poverty reduction by maintaining fiscal discipline, reducing the still high debt level, and promoting private sector development. The authorities will increase the share of budgetary resources allocated to poverty reduction, in line with the priorities of their poverty reduction strategy, and in order to make faster progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The authorities intend to review the system of investment incentives to improve the climate for private investment while maintaining fiscal prudence.

"Fiscal policy is being strengthened to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. The authorities have appropriately scaled back their expenditure plans to partially compensate for the contraction of revenues. They have also maintained the retail prices of petroleum products at current levels to allow for some recovery in government revenues. Going forward, it will be important to improve the revenue base, rationalize taxation, better align the budget with PRSP priorities, and further strengthen public financial management.

"The commitment of the Central Bank of the Gambia (CBG) to maintain a monetary policy designed to keep inflation at single-digit levels is commendable. The authorities are appropriately planning to rebuild international reserves in order to provide a stronger buffer against adverse external developments, and the augmentation of access under the PRGF arrangement will provide helpful support in this regard.

"The Gambia remains at high risk of debt distress, even after receiving HIPC and MDRI debt relief, due to high levels of debt in relation to exports and vulnerability to external shocks. It is important to expedite the formulation of a national debt strategy to guide government borrowing decisions and ensure long-term sustainability. As much as possible, there should be reliance on grants to finance the country's development programs," Mr. Portugal said.

The PRGF is the IMF's concessional facility for low-income countries. PRGF-supported programs are based on country-owned poverty reduction strategies adopted in a participatory process involving civil society and development partners and articulated in the country's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. This is intended to ensure that PRGF-supported programs are consistent with a comprehensive framework for macroeconomic, structural, and social policies to foster growth and reduce poverty. PRGF loans carry an annual interest rate of 0.5 percent and are repayable over 10 years with a 5½ -year grace period on principal payments.

Time for Change

Coming into existence of the Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) is a welcome development in our country’s democratisation.

Many like me know Mr Fatty as intelligent, hard working and enthusiastic person. There is no doubt that he will give Jammeh and the APRC a good run for their money in the coming months and years. That is if he commits hundred and ten per cent effort.
All Gambians know that President Yahya Jammeh and his AFPRC/APRC government have failed the Gambian people woefully. Jammeh has brought nothing meaningful to the Gambia except retrogression, hardship, and endless sufferings epitomised by skyrocketing prices of basic commodities.

Despite being in power for more than 14 years, the regime is unable to provide a good standard of living for the average Gambian 59 per cent of whom continue to be born in poverty, grow up in poverty and disgracefully die in abject poverty.

Jammeh is a brutal dictator, who has no respect for rights and freedoms of the citizenry. Gross human rights violations are being committed left, right and centre by men in uniform with the blessings of the president against the civilian population they swore to protect. The Gambian people are today living in a state of fear resulting in a situation where they are afraid of their ruler instead of the leader serving them.

Gambian people are fed up with Jammeh. They are tired of waking up everyday and seeing their president getting fatter and fatter at their expense while they suffer with starvation and malnutrition. They are sick of being unable to meet the rising costs of living while the president and his associates divert public tax money for flamboyant life styles. They are tired of being held to ransom by a president who is being paid from their taxes. They are sick of seeing a president who does not have their interest at heart. They hate a president who wastes millions of Gambian Dalasi to feed exotic animals in his Kanilai zoo while the population cannot afford a decent three squared meals. They hate to see a president who treats them like kids and swears Billahi Wallahi Tallahi at them.

Gambian people are looking for change but for the past many years, they lack a real leader to lead them out of this political madness. Frustration and bitterness of the Gambian people towards the Jammeh regime can be felt and seen in our streets, work places, ghettos, everywhere- and anger is brewing just beneath the surface. They just need a capable leader to drill the brewing anger out through the polls.

Current opposition leadership in the country looks out of touch with the people and does not have an idea how to win an election. Politically, the opposition don't pose any threat to Jammeh.

Some opposition parties are all hiding in their shells and running their private businesses. They are not providing effective alternative to the people.

You log on your computer or open your newspaper everyday hoping to see them selling their party polices and programmes. You expect to see them speak against the thuggish regime of Yahya Jammeh, the sufferings and hardship of the people among other pertinent issues. Yet they are nowhere to be seen.

The more they remain silent about issues affecting the country, the more ordinary Gambians become frustrated. Of course the more Jammeh maintains a firm grip on the reins of power.

One of the greatest weapons Jammeh is using against Gambian people is FEAR. Knowing that we are peace loving people, he employs all sorts of scare mongering tactics to harass and intimidate us into believing that he is indeed the Chosen One. He portrays himself as the only one who can guarantee peace and stability in the country and that without him the Gambia will be engulfed in flames. Funnily, many people have bought that idea forgetting that the Gambia has been a very peaceful country even before Yahya Jammeh was born.

Inactiveness of the opposition has made many Gambians to lose confidence in democracy. Many believe is Jammeh can never be removed through the ballot box. The opposition is doing little or nothing to give Gambian people hope.

Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) can make a real difference if it chooses being a party that is truly committed in freeing enslaved Gambians. It should learn from past mistakes of other opposition parties. Instead of waiting until 2011, they should start a massive familiarisation tour and hold political rallies in every town and village in the country selling the idea of change to the grass-root.

They should start talking to anyone and everybody will listen about how Jammeh has been bad for the Gambia and bad for them. Gambian people are very aware of the hardships they are going through. A well coordinated political engineering will surely yield the much needed changes for our country.

Local organising committees should be established in all towns and divisions mandated with the responsibilities of conducting monthly meetings as well as delivering the message of change. This will give hope to people and to let them know they being opposition does not mean they hate the Gambia. They have to differentiate between Yahya Jammeh and the Gambia. The people need to be told that the country does not belong to Jammeh and that while Jammeh as and individual will be history, whether today, tomorrow or day after, the Gambia which as home to 1.5 million people will remain forever until the end of time.

This may seem very difficult because of the harassment of opposition supporters by the NIA and police. However a determined and strong body can make huge difference.

However, the GMC should also bear in mind that there is no easy walk to freedom and success. They will be folding the sleeves against a brutal dictator, who regards himself as god and wants everyone to worship him. Therefore, they should be prepared to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before they reach the mountain tops of their desires.

The GMC membership must also know that their struggle to salvage the Gambia will be a very bitter one. Some of them will be arrested and charged with sedition, arbitrarily detained, or killed. They will be terrorised by Jammeh's security officers in an effort to deter their progress. A possible good advice for them is that, they should never lose focus. The more determination and courage they display in their match, the more members they will have to flush Jammeh out. They should always remember that the labour power of the Gambian people is a force, which when fully tapped can bring about the much needed changes in our land of birth.

For comments, write to papak196@yahoo.co.uk or info@allgambian.net

Goodbye Georgie

I wish to join millions of Americans, in saying goodbye to George W Bush and wishing him and his family well in their future endeavours.

Bush may have been the most unpopular US president in history, but he was the best friend of Africa, a continent he visited twice and his wife Laura, five times during his presidency.

You will be right to call him a war criminal, who has the blood of thousands of women and children on his hands, a maroon, an enemy of the environment and a staunch supporter of the State of Israel, yet Bush has done more than any other US president in helping out the African people.

When President Bush came to power in 2001, the US spent US$1.4 billion a year on humanitarian and development aid in Africa. By 2006, the figure had increased to a massive US$5.6 billion a year. The centerpiece of Mr Bush's aid to Africa is the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), a five-year US$15 billion HIV/Aids prevention and treatment programme, which he launched in 2003. His last budget proposed doubling the funding to US$30 billion over the next five years.

Before the coming to power of Bush, the US government funded anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs for just 50,000 people across the continent despite millions of people suffering from the disease and thousands dying every year. Thanks to Bush, the number has today increased to 1.3 million people.

The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a three-year US$1.2 billion programme centred in Africa, has brought dramatic gains in several focal countries; in 1997, the US malaria programmes in Africa were US$1 million per year, which was increased last year to US$338 million.

Eleven well governed African countries are currently benefiting from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), accounting for 65 per cent of the over US$5.5 billion committed worldwide.

Since Bush came to power, the US has backed programmes to cancel US$34 billion worth of debt for 27 African countries. At the same time, aid to Africa has risen to US$5.7 billion a year by 2007.

While he may be criticised by many for refusing to recognise the International Criminal Court (ICC) and supporting attempts by human rights organisations to indict President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Mr Bush led the international community in declaring that the atrocities in Darfur amounted to genocide.

Even some of the severe critics of the Bush administration have spoken out favourably about his support for the continent. Joel Barkan, a senior associate at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies said: "Taken alongside US funding for malaria prevention, plus the Millennium Challenge Accounts, which provide funding for countries with strong governance records, Mr Bush has done more for Africa than any other US president. I am a very severe critic of the Bush administration, but you cannot take away from the president the fact that the commitment of the US, in terms of aid and debt relief, is certainly greater under Bush than Clinton."

Anti-poverty campaigner, Bob Geldof, who traveled to Africa, last year with Mr Bush said: "The Bush regime has been divisive - but not in Africa. I read it has been incompetent - but not in Africa. It has created bitterness - but not here in Africa. Here, his administration has saved millions of lives."

Todd Moss, a senior fellow at the Centre for Global Development in Washington said: "I don't think it's too strong to say that President Bush's Africa policy is the most distinguished foreign policy legacy of the administration. Although few expected such interest eight years ago, the president has clearly been deeply and personally committed to strengthening US - Africa relations."

Bush’s Africa Record

**Pumped US$18bn into fighting HIV/Aids, much of it in Africa
**Backed cancelling US$34bn worth of debt for 27 African states
**Launched initiative that has halved malaria in 15 African countries
**Led condemnation of Sudan's record in Darfur as genocide
**Pressed for north-south peace deal in Sudan
**"Saved millions of lives", according to aid activist Bob Geldof
**Backed Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia to battle Islamists

Looking at the assistance Bush rendered to the continent, all I can say is enjoy yourself in your Texas ranch.


A camel does not make fun of another camel's hump

Here we go again. Last week, while reading some online papers, I came across President Yahya Jammeh's condemnation of last month's military coup in Guinea Conakry.

The coup in Guinea was of course illegal, but how can Jammeh himself forget so soon that his July 22 coup was also illegal. Both he and Moussa Camara committed a crime against their countries and he is not qualified to offer any lecture to Captain Camara.

Jammeh is among a few African statesmen who because of their selfish interests maintained a cordial relationship with the Late Lansana Conte, while ignoring the sufferings the ordinary Guineans were going through as a result of his misrule.

Despite the fact that his military coup was illegal and that the Gambia is now under 'civilian rule', Jammeh still continue to waste millions of tax payers' money in glorifying it. Just last July, a cash prize of a million Dalasis was awarded to someone for composing a song suitable for adoption as the anthem of the July 22 coup. That is very insulting to the Gambian people many of whom are living on less than one Pound Sterling a day.

Jammeh's July 22 coup was unjustifiable as it has not brought anything meaningful to the Gambian people. And the more Jammeh continues to ruin the hopes and aspirations of the Gambian people and tear our country into shreds, the more he is breading dissatisfaction among the people.

Sit-tight despotism breeds military coups and rebellion.

Another thing that makes me laugh is the way Jammeh kept emphasising the importance of Ecowas in the article. The Gambia has ignored or broke many Ecowas protocols since Jammeh came to power.

Secondly, the Gambia government showed total disrespect to Ecowas when it failed to appear at the Ecowas Court of Justice last year. To further insult the sub-regional court, the government is yet to comply with court ruling that for the immediate and unconditional release of Chief Manneh.

If Jammeh truly believes in the ideals of Ecowas, then let him comply with its court ruling and show respect to its protocols.

For comments write to info@allgambian.net or papak196@yahoo.co.uk

Lawyer Darboe chides Jammeh's criticism of Guinea coup

APA Banjul (The Gambia) The Gambian leader, President Yahya Jammeh, who recently chastised those African leaders that endorsed the coup d'etat in Guinea, on Monday came under sharp criticisms from the leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party, Ousainou Darboe, who accused him of paying lip service to democratic ideals.

Darboe made the statement in response to a press release issued by President Jammeh informing people of the opening of a competition for the composition of a song suitable for adoption as the anthem of the July 22 military takeover that brought him to power.

The release states that the winning entry will receive one million dalasis (US$40,000).

Darboe remarked, "it is ironical that a government that calls itself a constitutional government could extol a military takeover to the extent of asking people to write an anthem to extol it. This press release shows that Yahya Jammeh was hypocritical in condemning the military takeover in Guinea. He has no moral standing to condemn the coup d'etat in Guinea, because what he is doing is condoning and encouraging a coup d'etat."

OBAMA THE GREAT

My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.
At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
Serious challenges
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.


These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
Nation of 'risk-takers'
We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
'Remaking America'
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.


This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Restoring trust
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.


What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.
The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
'Ready to lead'
As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.


Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
'Era of peace'
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
'Duties'
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.
What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
'Gift of freedom'
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Keeps gettin' worst

by PK Jarju
It is common believe that a new year brings new habits and better things. However, with regard to the Gambia, the more the years come and go, the darker and dangerous the atmosphere in which the media operate becomes.

Since the coming to power of the AFPRC/APRC government, the Gambian media has never enjoyed the rights and freedoms that are enshrined in the laws of the country. Their rights and freedoms are trampled upon by a government that funnily swore to protect and defend them.

While the rest of the African continent is well on the road to democracy and good governance, the Gambia is moving hundred steps the opposite direction, as the government continues to do everything possible to kill and bury the press.

The government is using the repressive criminal code it enacted in 2004 to clamp down on its critics and opponents. The criminal code makes criticism of the Jammeh regime a criminal offense liable to heavy fine, imprisonment or both.

Local media houses are today afraid to embark on investigative journalism, writing editorials or publish articles that are critical to regime.

The government is yet to repeal Decree 70/71, which increased the bond to be executed by a newspaper from D1, 000 to Dl00, 000 before it commences operation. The Newspaper Amendment Act enacted in 2004 is also yet to be repealed. The Act which further increased the bond to be executed before a media house commences operation from D100, 000 to D500, 000, is making it very difficult for Gambians to establish private and independent media houses.

Decree 45, which abrogates constitutional safeguards against arbitrary search and permits search and seizure of property without due process, is still not repealed by the government despite criticisms from international human rights organisation.

These allows the NIA, which centres its operation on journalists and critics of the regime to arrest and detain people arbitrarily as well as tap phone lines without a court warrant. These harassments, arbitrary arrests, torture and disappearances have forced many journalists and critics into exile.

There has never been a year since 1994 in which a journalist has never been arrested and detained in the Gambia for writing or publishing articles that are deemed critical of the Jammeh regime.

2008 was the same as the previous years. The Gambian media witnessed arrest and detention, harassment, intimidation.

On June 14, 2008, Dida Halake, managing editor of the pro-government Daily Observer, was arrested and detained for many days by the police before being charged with sedition. Mr Halake's arrest came in the wake of fallout he had with the paper's board. He was later acquitted and discharged but not without losing his job.

On July 17, 2008, Abdulhamid Adiamoh, editor of TODAY newspaper was arrested and detained for several hours by the police before been charged with sedition. He was arrested in connection with an article on his July 15 publication captioned: Children dodge school to pick scrap metal.

While the matter is still ongoing, Mr Adiamoh, a Nigerian, was convicted on a separate charge and ordered to pay a fine of D10, 000 in default to serve six months imprisonment for failure to renew his business certificate with the registrar of companies at the AG Chambers contrary to Section 3 (1) and punishable under Section 2 (a) (1) of the Business Registration Act 2005.

On 18 August 2008, Fatou Jaw Manneh, a US based journalist received a heavy fine after been found guilty of sedition by Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Kanifing court. Ms Manneh was arrested on March 28, 2007 by NIA officers upon arrival at Banjul International Airport for granting an interview to this paper [AllGambia]. In the interview, she criticised the manner in which the country is being rule by the president, whom she accused of betraying and tearing the country into shreds.

On December 30, 2008, two Scottish Christian missionaries, David and Fiona Fulton, were fined D250, 000 and sentenced to one year in prison with hard labour by Magistrate Idrissa Mbai of the Banjul court for sedition.

The couple were arrested in November after sending e-mails to groups and individuals outside the country which criticised the government of Yahya Jammeh.

Until now, the government is yet to comply with the June 5, 2008 ruling of the Abuja based Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States for the immediate release of Chief Ebrima Manneh.

Mr Manneh a journalist with the Daily Observer was arrested at the newspaper premises on July 11, 2006 by plain clothes security officers and detained incommunicado. He has since been sighted several times in the custody of state security personnel.

The Jammeh regime has consistently denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of the journalist, and has demonstrated gross disrespect for the Ecowas court by refusing to appear throughout the proceedings.

By the end of the year, there is no development with the government investigation into the gruesome murder of Deyda Hydara, managing editor of The Point Newspaper, who was gunned down by unknown assailants on December 16, 2004 while driving home.

For comments, write to papak196@yahoo.co.uk or info@allgambian.net. U can also read my blog www.pkjarju.blogspot.com

Ghana to be tough on Banjul

New Ghanaian vice president John Mahama has reiterated his desire to seek justice for some 44 Ghanaians brutally murdered in Gambia in 2003.

He told Journalists in Accra he has called for a briefing from the ECOWAS committee mandated to investigate the matter, and a decision will be taken thereafter.
He assured government will seek adequate compensation from the Gambian authorities to appease the relatives of the victims, adding, bodies of the victims would be retrieved for the appropriate burial ceremony to take place in Ghana.

Vice President Mahama was an ardent critic of the Kufuor administration and advocated for a tougher stance to be taken on Gambia.

He suggested government must sever diplomatic relations with Gambia until they cooperate with investigations.

The killings were suspected to have been perpetrated by operatives of the Gambian government and have since frustrated efforts to investigate the matter.

Not even the United Nations emissary tasked with the responsibility to investigate the killings have made any headway, at least for now, but have shown no signs of giving up, until they get to the bottom of the killing.

Vice president Mahama said a lot more pressure will be mounted on the Gambia to extract more information on the details of the killing.

Story by Nathan Gadugah, myjoyonline - JoyFM Online

The dark, strange truth behind David and Fiona Fulton in Gambia

By Richard Pendlebury
Mail online
At the State House in the Gambian capital of Banjul one evening last week, President Yahya Jammeh addressed a gathering of his nation's Christian leaders.
His Excellency told them that not a single member of their religious faith had been convicted of a crime by a Gambian court during the whole of 2008.
What a marvellously trouble-free example the Christians were to his country's Muslims, who make up 97 per cent of the population.
This was a puzzling statement by the head of state, given that in Banjul only a few hours earlier, two Pentecostal missionaries, David and Fiona Fulton, originally from Devon, had been sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for allegedly spreading sedition against his rule.
The case had already made international headlines and did so again the next morning.
But if any of the senior churchmen present raised a cynical eyebrow at the President's blandishments, it went unreported by the state media.
After all, Gambians have learned it's best not to contradict a leader who claims to have personally invented a 'cure' for Aids using green paste and bananas and has kept power for 14 years through what Amnesty International lists as 'unlawful detention, torture, unfair trials, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial executions'.
Two hundred years after the British established it as a base from which to attack the West African slave trade, fear and political oppression are the twin realities of life in Africa's smallest mainland nation.
In those early days, the only way to communicate along the steamy banks of the great Gambia River was by small boat and word of mouth.
Today the internet has reached the larger towns, allowing instant access to the rest of the world for a few of its inhabitants.
It is thanks to the internet that the Fultons came to be lodged last night in the notorious Mile Two maximum security prison on Banjul's outskirts.
Emails which they had sent to friends in the UK had found their way back to Gambia and into the hands of Jammeh's security apparatus.
One of the messages had apparently contained the observation that the country was 'sinking fast into a morass of Islam'.
But what undoubtedly sealed their fate was the description of the president as a 'madman'.
In many respects, the Fultons' story is one of sin and redemption, struggle and disenchantment, set against a tropical background of seething violence and widespread corruption.
But there are areas which remain unclear, not least among them David Fulton's colourful life before he found God and relocated to the African jungle.
He was born 60 years ago and was brought up in the Scottish seaside town of Troon, where his elderly mother still lives.
According to a cousin, Mr Fulton left the town in his late teens and would appear to have joined the British Army.
But members of his wife's family seem vague about his military career and immediate aftermath. (His own are not commenting on the affair, in the hope of securing a presidential pardon.)
But two biographical details have been repeated as fact in all press reports on Mr Fulton since his arrest.
The first is that he had been an Army officer and risen to the rank of Major. The second - made all the more remarkable by the first - is that after leaving the military he embarked on an armed robbery spree which led to his imprisonment.
But contemporary newspaper accounts of this remarkable and unexplained rise and fall are conspicuous by their absence.
Nobody of Fulton's name and seniority appears on the Army Lists - the annual directories of serving officers - during the relevant period.
But friends recall that he said he was a major in the Territorial Army while in Devon.

Family album: David Fulton and his wife Fiona holding their adopted daughter Elizabeth, alongside son Luke and daughter Iona
On the website of the Christian charity Prison Fellowship International (PFI), with which Mr Fulton has been working for many years, there is a brief account of his earlier life.
It states: 'As a young man David had served in the British Army, where he had risen to the rank of major.
'Despite his military career, David also had a background in prison. When he was in his 30s he became involved in armed robberies. "I robbed security cars all over England," Mr Fulton says.
'When the law eventually caught up with him, he faced the possibility of serving a lengthy prison sentence.'

The family emigrated to Gambia in 1999 (file picture)
While in prison, David visited the prison chapel and converted to Christianity.
During the early to mid Eighties, he served time at Dartmoor Prison in Devon and then Channings Wood, a category-C training prison near Newton Abbot, also in Devon.
It was at the latter establishment that he met and fell in love with Fiona McMinn, a prison visitor from nearby Torquay, 14 years his junior.
She came from what one family member described as a 'conventional Christian background', but had a strong faith which Mr Fulton now shared.
They married in 1986 and had two children, Iona, now 20, and Luke, 18. After his release, Mr Fulton went into the car repair business in Torbay, where the family lived in the Nineties.
A source close to Mrs Fulton's family said: 'We never knew exactly what David had done in the Army, not even what his regiment was or where he might have seen service.
'But I had no doubt because of references he made to his service, in particular an operation which involved helicopters, that he was a regular Army soldier.
'Whether he didn't speak about it because of the sensitivity of what he had done or whether he was just private about it, I don't know. It was the same with his time in prison.
'The reason he came to settle in Devon was because he had first been moved there, to a jail at Newton Abbot.
'He never spoke to me about what he had done, where he had done it or when it had all happened.
'Obviously we knew he had met Fiona in prison, so we knew he had been convicted and was doing time.'
Maureen Stone, a local family friend, had a similar story. She says: 'I didn't know much about his background - certainly not that he had ever been in prison.
'I think his involvement with the Army continued after he left, because I recall that he was in the TA.
'In the years before they went to Gambia for good, we used to help them collect old tools and sewing machines, which he would then take out there and give to young offenders in prison.
'That was so typical of him. He was always trying to help others.
'I couldn't believe it when I heard what had happened on the news. But David had a strong sense of what was right and wrong.
'He would speak up when he felt something wasn't fair.'
The PFI website says Mr Fulton had a 'calling' to go and minister in Gambia after going there on holiday.
A source close to Mrs Fulton's family said the couple announced their decision to become missionaries at a family dinner. He described it as a surprise, 'but they felt very strongly about it'.
The family emigrated to Gambia in 1999.
'David was planning on doing vehicle maintenance to pay his way, but I think soon after they got there the government introduced a licence system whereby non-Gambians had to pay to work,' says the source.
'The cost of the licence was so prohibitively high you would have had to work for years before you could recoup the outlay.
'That was the reason they went across into doing full-time missionary work.'
Given what has since happened, it is ironic that Mr Fulton found work as a chaplain to Jammeh's armed forces and prison network.
Mrs Fulton was appointed chaplain to Bunjal's international airport while spending most of her time visiting the terminally ill.
The family source explained: 'Their funding came from a network of supporters, particularly Canada, but not particular churches other than one near Manchester - the Westhoughton Pentecostal Church.
'It paid for all sorts of things but particularly medicine, some of which might be sent out from the UK.
'Sometimes Fiona would cross into neighbouring Senegal to buy basic supplies such as antibiotics.
'Money could be erratic and for a long time they only had half a house and half a roof until more money arrived and they could add bits on.
'Everything is so haphazard out there. People don't think long-term, but when your goal is to get through the day alive and fed, you have very different priorities - especially when there is so much disease and danger.'
It was a great comfort for the Fultons to be able to talk of their work and troubles with the outside world.
'In the early days, they would send regular letters back and more recently emails,' says the source.
'When they first got online they used an internet cafe. But then they got their own connection.
'The emails which came back were almost like installments in a book in that each one could be a chapter in their daily life. I can imagine how they came to be misconstrued.
'If you know David and the sort of person he is and the sort of humour he had, then you wouldn't read too much into his words.
'But if you were Gambian and in authority, and read them literally without any wit or irony, then you might take offence.'
The emails contained grumbles about a number of aspects of life in Jammeh's Gambia, including the chronic shortages of fuel and water, according to a member of the Fulton family.
On one occasion, they were stopped by the authorities from giving water from their new borehole to local people because the authorities were asking for contributions towards the fuel for the generator that pumped it.
Life had become increasingly hard for everyone in the past two years. In March 2006 Jammeh claimed to have uncovered yet another coup attempt - the sixth since he came to power.
It led to a fresh round of arrests, imprisonments and disappearances. Against this background, the Fultons decided to send their two teenage children back to Devon to finish their education.
They had just adopted a baby Gambian girl whom they called Elizabeth when Mr Fulton was sacked from his prison chaplaincy for allegedly trying to convert inmates.
There had also been a number of religiously motivated attacks on him in the street and he had begun to carry a gun for protection.
On one occasion, he is said to have fired it at an assailant.
Latterly, the couple were based in Kerr Sering, an hour from the capital. Mr Fulton was ministering to communities deep in the bush.
A family friend spoke of 'domestic difficulties' which put Mr Fulton 'under a tremendous amount of pressure' and might have clouded his judgment.
One message from Mr Fulton, sent in September, was apparently headed: 'Hell in The Gambia.'
Another read: 'I believe it is quite clear there is a growing extremist element in the army and indeed in the country.
'I suggest that we arm the Muslims with sticks and the Christians with machine guns and let them fight.'
It seems that these and other offending emails were seen by a Gambian national living in the UK with whom the Fultons had fallen out. The couple were arrested on November 24.
On Christmas Eve they changed their pleas to being guilty of attempting to 'bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the President of the Republic, President Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh and the government of Gambia'.
While on remand, Mr Fulton was held at the squalid Mile Two, where beriberi, malaria and food poisoning kill a number of prisoners each year. Having refused to eat the food he is given, his health is failing.
His wife was kept at Banjul's main police station, while Elizabeth is being cared for by friends.
They both face a year's imprisonment in Mile Two, plus hard labour - possibly in one of the peanut plantations which, along with tourism, are a cornerstone of the economy.
Meanwhile, their daughter Iona is reportedly due to give birth in the UK. Little wonder the Fultons both broke down and cried when sentence was passed this week.
'It's so hard for all of us back here,' says a family member. 'We are desperate for information about what is happening to them yet so little is filtering back.
'The Deputy High Commissioner is one of the few allowed to visit them.'
Last night, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: 'We will continue to provide consular assistance to them both. There have been no significant developments.'
On Sunday, a letter from the Fultons to Jammeh was read out on Gambian state television.
They wrote: 'We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to apologise publicly to His Excellency and humbly ask for what will graciously and compassionately show us clemency.
'We humbly ask that the present proceeding be withdrawn and our passports be returned to us so we may return to the United Kingdom with our little daughter Elizabeth on the first flight available to us.'
Reports yesterday suggested that the two-year-old has, in fact, now been sent to Britain.
Friends say that before his arrest Mr Fulton was putting the finishing touches to his autobiography.
From 'Army officer' to armed robber, to missionary to prisoner once again, it promises to be gripping.