By: Momodou L Jaiteh, Founder of Kaba Communications
The Director-General of Senegalese Customs, Abdourahman Dieye, on Wednesday crossed into neighbouring Gambia at the Jiboroh border post while on a working tour of Senegal’s southern province of Cassamance.
The impromptu visit which lasted barely 30 minutes was meant to cheer up men/women in uniform stationed at Jiboroh border post.
Jiboroh is the last Gambian town neighbouring Southern Senegal and lies less than three Kilometers from Selety Border Post where Mr Dieye visited and was greeted by a gathering including senior Gambian security officials who went there to welcome him and his convoy.
After a brief meeting with his men/women at Selety post and realising the presence of Gambians within the welcoming crowd as a mark of solidarity, peaceful coexistence and good neighbourlines,
Dieye made an impromptu crossing over to the Gambian side to salute and cheers up the security installation around Jiboroh and by extension all Gambians in general.
“I see no difference here between the Senegalese security officials and their Gambian counterparts except for the English and French Languages spoken,” he remarked during his stopover visit that lasted barely 30 minutes within the Gambian territory.
“This is an evidence that our people are one and the same and it speaks volumes of the level of collaboration, brotherhood and good neighbourlines between the security forces of the two countries,” Dieye said.
“This is very good and reassuring. It will reassure the populations within the two states that Gambia and Senegal indeed have peaceful co-existence,” the Senegalese Customs chief added.
Welcoming Mr. Dieye and entourage into Jiboroh Border Post, Abdou .M Jeng, the head of Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) Unit stationed at the place also echoed the excellent relations and comradeship between the two sides of the border.
He emphasized the appreciation of his boss, Yankuba Darboe, the Director General of GRA over the short stopover made by his Senegalese counterpart.
He said the short visit was never planned and had Mr Darboe got prior knowledge he would have personally been in Jiboroh to welcome his brother.
Other senior Gambian security officials that made brief remarks included M. Manneh the head of Immigration Unit at Jiboroh all of whom reiterated the good relationship between the two sides.
After the short meeting, the visiting Senegalese Customs boss took a symbolic family photo with the gathering and then later drove back into Selety direction under heavy military escort.