By: Binta Jaiteh
Fulbe Africa International Cultural Organization has celebrated its ninth international cultural festival over the weekend in Farafenni.
The cultural festival attracted different people from and within the Sahel region which included Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
The festival was characterized with different cultural performances and Fulani music and also with an organised conference.
The annual event aimed at promoting the rich and beautiful cultures and traditions of the Fulbe people with a view to unite all Fulbe people under one umbrella. It also meant to revive the Fulani cultural heritage and traditional practices in The Gambia and Africa as a whole.
Alieu Sowe, President of Fulbe Africa expressed delight for the successful celebration of the 9th anniversary, noting that the event was held in Farafenni Town to decentralize FA cultural activities to the rural Gambia.
The FA leader said there is a greater need for maintenance of peace and unity among Fulanis and other ethnic groups in The Gambia to ensure sustainable development in the country and the sub-region as a whole.
Peace and unity are one of the key objectives of the organization,” he said, and commended the people of NBR for welcoming FA to the region and for their hard work in the implementation of the annual event.”
He thanked FA founding members, executive, general membership, and partners for supporting the cultural organization in the successful implementation of the festival.
Sowe, expressing special gratitude to the sponsors of the event which among are Q-group, Sultan Traders and Real Estate, EMO Design and Construction, Jah group and President Barrow for what he called generous gesture.
Dano Sampate Jallow, guest speaker; Dr Abdou Ceesay, director of Livestock Services at Ministry of Agriculture, Alfusainey Dem, religious adviser for Pabital Pulaagu International; Salimatou Jallow among others delivered speeches at the celebration.