"For Peace to Come to Casamance President Jammeh is the Key" – says President Macky Sall on Visit to The Gambia

By Alh. Abdou Njie

Press Officer, State House

Senegalese President Macky Sall has said that for peace to come to Casamance President Jammeh is the key. He was speaking at the Coca Ocean Resort and Spa shortly after landing at the Banjul International Airport on his first official visit (and first trip overseas) after taking office in Senegal.

Gambia and Taiwan Sign Joint Communiqué at the End of President Ma's Visit

By Alh. Abdou Njie

Press Officer, State House

The Presidents of The Gambia and Taiwan Saturday signed a joint communiqué, indicating their governments interest to further broaden relations between Banjul and Taipei. The signing ceremony held at the grounds of the State House came hours before President Ma Ying-jeou ended his tour of The Gambia.

The communiqué goes to support other existing cooperation agreements that have helped scale up relations between Taipei and Banjul. They have on one hand sustained Taiwan's assistance to The Gambia and on the other ensured Gambia stay the course of its advocacy role in calling for Taipei's inclusion in the United Nations and other specialized agencies. And based on that understanding, the two leaders have remained true to their words and have undertaken to further broaden the scope of their cooperation.

Gambia-Taiwan Relations can be Strengthened for South-South Cooperation – President Jammeh says as He Fetes President Ma

The Gambian leader His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh has said that the cordial bonds that exist between the Republic of China on Taiwan and The Gambia can be strengthened and deepened to be a model for South-South cooperation.

The President made this remark on Wednesday at a state banquet in honour of His Excellency Ma Ying-Jeou, President of the Republic of China on Taiwan held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. President Ma is in the country on a four-day state visit that is expected to deepen the already fruitful ties existing between the two countries.

President Jammeh further remarked that the mutual friendship, care and respect that so happily characterize the very cordial bonds that exist between the governments and peoples of our two nationals could not have climaxed into anything less than such high-level political engagements at presidential level, "that offer us the opportunity for in-depth bilateral discussions, which in turn would bring about understanding and mutual trust at the highest political level between the two countries".

President Ma Begins Tour of Gambia

By Alh. Abdou Njie
Press Officer, State House

The President of the Republic of China on Taiwan His Excellency Ma Ying-jeou has arrived in Banjul at the start of four day visit to The Gambia.

He was received at the foot of the aircraft by the President of the Republic His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh. Also at the Banjul International Airport were the Vice President, Her Excellency Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy, Cabinet Ministers, local and foreign dignitaries, members of the civil society, cultural groups, students and members of the Taiwanese community in The Gambia. President Ma, who was given a red carpet welcome, had his country's anthem as well as that of The Gambia played before inspecting a guard of honour mounted by personnel of the Gambia Armed Forces. The line of welcome started there and then extended well beyond the airport, spreading wide along the route leading from Banjuluding, Lamin, Abuko, Tabokoto, Tallinding, West Field, Kairaba Avenue, Bertil Harding Highway and terminated right at the Coco Ocean Resort and Spa where he was installed.

President Jammeh attends Macky's Inauguration

The President, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh was among eleven African leaders who travelled to Dakar on Monday to attend the Inauguration Ceremony of President Macky Sall of Senegal. President Sall, 51, won a crushing victory during a runoff election, grabbing 65% of the votes to his rival, former President Wade's 34% in last month's presidential elections.

In Dakar for that all important moment, several other African heads of state, mainly from the regional bloc, ECOWAS have also made the trip, after following closely the elections in this country. That process has produced a new leader, not necessarily new to government but to the responsibility he is meant to handle. He is Macky Sall, and at 51 he is but the youngest leader to have led this nation and also the only political leader born after the country's Independence in 1960.