Malanding, Sister Jabou and Omar, I share the same sentiments with you on
the issue of the Gambia and Senegalese relations.

I had opposed the manner the Senegambian confederation was made back in
1981 because I believed and still believe the best way to do it was to
conduct a referendum in both countries.

Below is the confederation document signed on the 17th December 1981.

regards,
Momodou Camara

-------------------------------------------

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF SENEGAL
CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SENEGAMBIA CONFEDERATION

THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
and
THE REPUBLIC OF SENEGAL

Aware that they constitute a single people divided into two States by t
he
vicissitudes of History;
Taking due account of the geographical fact of their ties;
Conscious of the historical, moral and material imperatives, which unite
the two countries;
Considering the many past and present experiments made with a view to
rapprochement, solidarity and sub-regional and regional cooperation;
Respectful of the Charter of the United Nations, the Charter of the
Organisation of African Unity and the Treaty of the Economic Community of
West African States;
Affirming their devotion to the rights of their peoples declared in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948; in the United Nations
Covenants on Human Rights; and in the African Charter of Human and Peoples
Rights of 1981; Intending to strengthen the unity of their defence and
their economies and the coordination of their policies in other fields;
Resolved to establish an institutional framework, consistent with nati
onal
sovereignty and democratic principles, within which these intentions may be
gradually realized;


HAVE DECIDED to create a Confederation and have agreed as follows:
SECTION I: PRINCIPLES
Clause 1:
By this Agreement a Confederation of the Republic of The Gambia and the
Republic of Senegal is constituted with the name of the Senegambia
Confederation.

Clause 2:
The Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of Senegal shall constitute the
Confederation known as Senegambia; each State maintaining its independence
and sovereignty.
The Confederation shall be based on:
- the integration of the armed forces and of the security forces of the
Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of Senegal, to defend their
sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence;
- the development of an economic and monetary union;
- the coordination of policy in the field of external relations B
- the coordination of policy in the field of communications and Clause in
all other fields where the Confederated States may agree to exercise their
jurisdiction jointly;
- joint institutions.

Clause 3:
The institutions of the Confederation shall be as follows:
The President and Vice-President of the Confederation;
The Council of Ministers of the Confederation;
The Confederal Parliament.

Clause 4 :
The Official languages of the Confederation shall be such African languages
as are specified by the President and Vice-President of the Confederation;
English and French.

Clause 5 :
Within the framework of this Agreement the Confederated States shall enter
into protocols of implementation for the realization of the purposes set
out in Clause 2.
SECTION II: THE PRESIDENT AND Vice-President OF THE CONFEDERATION

Clause 6 :
The President of the Republic of Senega
l shall be the President of the
Confederation.
The President of the Republic of The Gambia shall be the Vice-President of
the Confederation.

Clause 7 :
In agreement with the Vice-President, the President shall decide on the
policy of the Confederation on matters of Defence and Security.
He shall co-ordinate the policies of the Confederated States on matters
within the responsibilities of the Confederation.
In agreement with the Vice-President, the President of the Confederation
shall make appointments to all confederal posts.

Clause 8 :
The President of the Confederation shall command the Armed Forces and the
Security Forces of the Confederation. He shall be responsible for the
Defence and Security of the Confederation.
A Protocol shall establish the modalities of implementation of the
provision in accordance with the constitutional requirements of each State.
The President of the Republic of T
he Gambia shall continue to be Commander-
in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of The Gambia in accordance
with its constitutional requirements.

Clause 9 :
The President of the Confederation shall preside over the Defence and
Security Council of the Confederation.
The Defence Council shall comprise the President and Vice-President of the
Confederation and such other persons as the President, in agreement with
the Vice-President of the Confederation, may determine.

SECTION III: THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
Clause 10 :
There shall be a Council of Ministers of the Confederation whose members
shall be appointed by the President of the Confederation in agreement with
the Vice-President.
The President and the Vice-President of the Confederation shall be the
President and the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers respectively.
The Council of Ministers shall deal with matters submitted to their

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~