President Jammeh calls for durable solution to sahelian crisis

Assuring of The Gambia’s readiness to play its part in the search for durable solutions to the Sahelian crisis in line with his call for a decade of peace and reconciliation in Africa, the Gambian leader further stressed the need for harmony among various actors in the region.

“There are too many international actors in the Sahel and that calls for greater harmony in the coordination of their interventions and what they need now is a dedicated platform for the coordination of that response in a manner that really lifts people out of poverty and gives them a stake in their societies,” he underscored. 

President Jammeh underlined that they must equally scale up the quality of their response by appropriately channeling the goodwill of the international community. 

“From the AU to the UN, EU to ECOWAS, the Bretton Woods Institution to the AfDB- their interventions should have shared common goals and a shared platform through which to channel their interventions. We must collectively use that platform for assessing the impact of our support to the Sahel,” he added. 

President Jammeh told the meeting that there cannot be any sustainable development without peace, something he said is especially true in the case of the Sahel. He observed that in all the indicators of human and national development, the region has under-performed and that as such, the new post 2015 Agenda should incorporate issues that are geared towards enhancing peace and stability as a prerequisite for sustainable development. 

The Gambian leader stressed that governments must be willing to heavily invest in social projects such as agriculture, education and health, and promote gender empowerment as an indispensable component for the realisation of their goals of socio-economic development. 

“The other challenge that we face in the Sahel is how effectively we harmonise the international community’s approaches and responses to the multi-faceted crises. For this to be achieved there must be a seamless synergy between the programmes that have been developed by the governments of the region, the AfricanUnion and the international community to promote coherence and generate concrete outcomes. Therefore, the issues of ownership and collaboration should be carefully considered, including the option of predicable and sustainable funding based on assessed contributions. Salvaging the region from its multidimensional crises is a shared responsibility,” he stressed.

However The Gambian leader expressed his strong conviction that the outcomes of the meeting will avail them the opportunity to effectively consolidate ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring the realisation of sustainable peace and socio-economic development in the Sahel region. He used the opportunity to congratulate the former interim president of Mali, Dioncounda Traore and his government for their sterling contribution towards the return of normalcy in Mali.

“They have given their nation a fresh impetus to build on for the coming years. The crisis in Mali only brought to the fore the endemic problems that the region had been encountering for decades. We must use the success in Mali as a new beginning for bringing peace, stability and development to the Sahel. It is only through frank discussions we would be able to address the challenges that are impeding our capacity to realise our collective aspirations in making the Sahel a haven of peace and development. The Sahel cannot be allowed to remain a sanctuary of insecurity and instability,” he said. 

Condemnation of Kenya terror attack

The Gambian leader used the opportunity to add his voice to chorus of condemnation around the globe of what was described as a “barbaric and cowardly” terrorism attack packaged and delivered by Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabab in Kenya; a shocking assault that left dozens dead and many wounded.

“I wish to extend my condolence and prayers to the families of the victims of this senseless attack and the Kenyan government. Such brazen attacks are testimony that terrorism, religious extremism and organised crime should be given due consideration in our deliberations. Improving the security and development dynamics of our region should be a matter of utmost priority for the international community,” the President Jammeh concluded.