By Mustapha Jarju
A consortium of parliamentarians made up of five National Assembly Members from five constituencies in Foni West Coast Region has vowed to uproot the abnormality that is happening in the constituencies as they come together to sign a petition addressed to President Adama Barrow demanding the immediate removal of the ECOMIG Senegalese Forces from Foni.
The five parliamentarians Sunday, 4th December 2022 held an organised press conference in Kampanti village in Foni Bintang Karannai District to sign the petition that they addressed to His Excellency President of The Gambia, and in the petition, they emphasised that the ECOMIG Senegalese Forces should be removed from the area with immediate effect as they all say “we want to uproot what is happening in Foni.”
The signed petition by the 5 Foni NAMs is to be shared with different concerned institutions, which include the Office of the President, Ministries, National Assembly, NGOs as well as the UN and EU office in The Gambia, with an estimate of more than 25 relevant stakeholders will be served with this petition.
According to them, they said it remains a deep concern to them for the continued occupation of the Senegalese Soldiers in the Foni Region which continued to manifest violence, and altercations between the Senegalese soldiers and residents of Foni “causing injuries to the people in Foni, death, property damage and destruction of the Foni natives by Senegalese soldiers.”
The petition also stated that Barrow’s government has established Commissions whose recommendations and implementations were mainly targeted against the people of Foni.
“The recommendation of the commissions which are mainly against our people speak volumes of your Government’s intention to continually marginalize and discriminate against the people of Foni,” the petition indicated.
Almameh Gibba the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala who serves as the focal person for the 5 Foni NAMs, read the petition before the press that the safety, security, and well-being of the residents of Foni to live a peaceful and dignified life is a great concern. “We are giving the president (chance) to make his reaction to the petition within a month or two before we take any further action,” Honourable Gibba read.
Gibba added that the evidence of this government’s marginalization and discrimination against the people of Foni is the installation of ECOMIG forces in Foni in a false presumption that, the people of Foni are opposed to the new dispensation and will make the new government of Adama Barrow ungovernable.
“Your Excellency, your government promised to nurture and promote unity, good governance, and respect for fundamental rights of the citizenry irrespective of political, socio-demographic, and state of affairs. However this was a far-fetched dream by the people of Foni and your government continues to marginalize and discriminate based on political differences since you came into power in 2017”, Gibba read from the Petition addressed to the president.
The petition addressed to the president stated that Barrow`s government has deliberately terminated and dismissed Foni citizens who held a key positions in civil and public service based on political and tribal affiliations. “Some were arrested, detained, and maliciously prosecuted for crimes they have not committed,” Gibba said.
“The allegation that the MFDC separatist in Cassamance was serving in the Gambian Armed Forces, and Yahya Jammeh`s departure could further deteriorate the regime`s security hence, informed the deployment of the ECOMIG forces into Foni under the pretext of national security,” he stated
The Foni NAMs also reminded the president that on the 18th of February 2017 women and children who were selling at Kanfenda Police checkpoint were arrested and detained unlawfully due to a confrontation they had with the President loyalist who was returning from the 52nd independent celebration.
“The (President) loyalists made utterances such as ‘we will not buy from murderers,’ referring to the women and children selling at the checkpoint leading to a bitter quarrel. As a result, 50 people including children and pregnant women were arrested and detained without being told the offense they committed nor been arraigned before any court”, Gibba said.
The petition also called on the attention of the president on the 3rd June 2017 peaceful protest which lead to the death of Haruna Jatta, 2020, Senegalese soldiers in Bwiam threat against one Ebou Camara of Bwiam Bajonkoto, on the 10th January 2022, Senegalese soldiers stationed in Bwiam fired a live bullet against a loaded truck with timber.
The 24th January clash between the MFDC and the Senegalese soldiers which lead to the exchange of bullets between the MFDC and the Senegalese ECOMIG forces in the Gambia caused fear among the residents of Foni, and also the recent killing of Yankuba Badjie, a native of Jifanga among other oppressions that the people of Foni are going through in the hand of the Senegalese ECOMIG force based in Foni, are the demands to put to an end before any further actions by the people of Foni.