(JollofNews) – Around 45,000 people are now reported to have arrived in Senegal from The Gambia – according to the Senegalese Government, amid the ongoing political uncertainty as Senegalese and West African troops entered the country on Thursday.
It is feared that more people may continue to flee as the situation remains tense.
Arrivals in Senegal have been a mix of Gambians, Senegalese, bi-nationals, as well as Ghanaians, Liberians, Lebanese, Guineans, and Mauritanians among other foreigners. In addition, at least 800 people have crossed into Guinea-Bissau.
According to UNHCR’s spokesperson Babar Baloch, people have been arriving in Senegal’s Fatick, Kaolack and Kaffrine regions, to the North of the Gambia, as well as in the Ziguinchor, Sedhiou and Kolda regions at the southern Gambian border with Senegal. The next few days will be critical and more people may leave the country if the current situation is not resolved peacefully soon.
“Over 75 per cent of arrivals are children, accompanied mainly by women. They are staying with family members, host families or in hotels. Some families are hosting up to 40 to 50 people and will soon need support as they may quickly run out of resources,” Mr Baloch said at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Authorities in Senegal have developed plans to distribute food and relief items to up to 100,000 people. Food will include rice, oil, sugar while non-food items will include mattresses, mats, blankets, sheets and soaps. Forty tons of food arrived in the Ziguinchor region yesterday and distribution to recent arrivals and host families should start in the next days.
UNHCR with other humanitarian actors stand ready to help the authorities and provide our expertise on assisting displaced populations. We are also available to support the authorities to establish a harmonized registration system, as well as to train border personal on refugee rights and protection principles.
UNHCR has deployed assessment teams to Senegal’s key border areas with the Gambia and our staff are closely working with the local authorities to assess the needs of people who have arrived in Senegal. In Dakar, UNHCR is constantly in contact with the Interior Ministry – in charge of coordinating the humanitarian response. We will continue our contingency preparations in collaboration with other UN Agencies, international and national NGOs, as well as implementing and government partners.
The Gambia, itself, hosts some 8,000 refugees, mainly Senegalese, who remains anxious and worried over the unfolding political events in the country.
Why all the mass exodus? This in details explains Jammeh’s high headedness and how he has been abusing power all along. He should be subjected to the law in no uncertain terms for defying the constitution and subjecting the whole nation to unnecesary tension and anxiety whereas the constitution explains the way forward. What a hard nut?
The Senegalese invasion
That’s the SECOND time Senegal has invaded the Gambia. On both ocasions with the pretext of reinstating a “President”.
That’s the pretext but the sole Senegalese clandestine desire of invading our very tiny and developing country that has always been a thorn in the flesh of every Senegalese government is to halt our pace towards progress and prosperity.
Even though over 250,000 Senegalese are making/make a livelihood in the Gambia, the ulterior desire of every Frenchnized neocolonial Senegalese President to annex the Gambia as Saddam Hussein intended in Kuwait.
But the onus of responsibility lies squarely on every Gambian who wants to govern the Gambia stained with the blood of our peaceful people. Jawara was accounted for it and now “President” Barrow will be reckoned for allowing Senegal to lead an invading army into our country.
It also depicts that we have always been regarded as a territory which is at the whims and caprices of Senegal. Because Senegal has never intended to invade Mauritania where their nationals were butchered in cold blood during theEx-President Abdou Diouf regime. The loss of lives of their military in the hands of the Guinea Bissau army equally went unchallenged.
But why does Senegal always want to invade the Gambia? Why the haste and anxiety? A country that has always sheltered her hundreds of thousands of nationals, giving them economic and social safe haven and collaborating with them in all international fora.
If Barrow and his cohorts with the aid of Senegal’s Macky Sall believe they should assume the reins of power at all cost even over Gambian blood, days will come when they will be judged for this irresponsable decision and called to account for it.
I believe a deal can be struck at a negotiating table. The problem with the Barrow camp is time and the haste to nuture power. We can still talk in our Gambian atmosphere and log heads to resolve this MINUTE matter which is simply who rules the Gambian people in PEACE.
Senegalese forces have long been looking forward to invading the Gambia where as in 1981, they would vandalise our properties, steal whatever merchandise they can find in all our rich commercial centres, maim the innocent population, arrest and keep incommunicado any potential figure and opposition to their unruliness and sexually assault our young girls and women.
ECOWAS’s involvement is just a prelude to the covert desire of Senegal who never wants a negotiable solution but an armed invasion.
What happens next is everyone’s guess. If President Jammeh stays put, who can guarantee the period of time it will take to oust him and the impending costs on life and material.
Barrow is erroneously following the path of Ex-President Jawara with the ill-advice of his cohorts; Mai Fatty, Fatoumatta Tambajang, Hamat Bah, Omar Jallow, Dembo Bai Force Bojang, Halifa Sallah, Sedia Jatta and “Dr” Isatou Touray. Equally faltering the Gambian masses.
Each of these cohorts is just looking for revenge, quick position and a way to perpetrate their buddies, familes and love-ones into lucrative Gambian official positions. Fatoumatta Tambang a blood cousin sister of Ex-Lt Sanna Sabally left the Jammeh government when his cousin brother was arrested and jailed.
Mai Fatty, Sedia Jatta, Halifa Sallah, Dembo By Force Bojang, Omar Jallow are all defeated political figures who revenge could only be met within the “coalition” party. That “Coalition” will soon tumble into ashes as personal interests would soon pervade. We must be very careful, Gambians not to join the bandwagon that would inevitably plunge us into an undaunting ditch. Today’s political fanfare is at the climax but tomorrow’s collective welfare is the most crucial.
When Gambians and other foreign nationals are fleeing because of the uncertainty at the outcome of the political impasse, Mai Fatty and Adama Barrow have already assumed the party-style governance of inviting Gambians to a grand-night party at one of Dakar’s most luxurious and expensive hotels. Who is defraying the costs? What’s the haste in partying while the political predicament still prevails and lives are still looming?
Our future still remains bleak!
You see babu soli, you are full of nonesense fabrication and and being infected by denial, this action justify jammeh to be removed as his mandate is expired period. Now shut up and watch how international community will handle the situation. Jammeh now is a rebel no matter what he try to do, he is a rebel, before he was a dictator now a rebel. Senegal is part of international community and most importantly they our neighbor by DNA notting can change that . If you still want jammeh to remain power well you can call him and ask him if he can move in to your house and rule you, you will be more than happy to have him as your dictator.
HIS EXCELLENCY SHEIKH PROFESSOR YAHYA A J J JAMNEH BABILI MANSA COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE GAMBIA ARMED FORCES AND PRESIDENT OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA.
Babili Mansa is here to stay and no force on earth is capable to remove him from his position. I would inform puppet Barrow and all his gang of sellouts and traitors with their foreign backers to go to hell.
Jammeh Musa you are the legitimate ruler of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia and who ever dont like that can go to hell. All the Bastard who are plotting to overthrow you illegitimately will all be killed and go to hell. Babili Mansa is guarded by God The Almighty, who Jah bless no one can curse.
With all the rattlings and warmongerings does not move Jammeh Jilanka an inch. Enemies of President Jammeh can all go to hell or they can eat their cowardly poops.
LONGLIVE BABILI MANSA AND LONGLIVE THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA.
Babili mansa jammeh musa ajjjjj profesor junkung Ha any more names just to make it important as you guys hope for, any more oh Dr HIV and what more.