ECOWAS CITIZENS IN THE GAMBIA CRY FOUL (NIGERIANS & SENEGALESE) VICTIMISED
BY YAHYA JAMMEH (Source PANA and Lesoleil.sn).

Both the French and English versions of PANA'S AND LESOLEIL.SN'S report on
the latest driective being applied by The Gambia Police force against
foreigners can be seen below:

ENGLISH VERSION:

GAMBIA:FOREIGNERS NOT AUTHORISED TO DRIVE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN THE
GAMBIA.
Article published on thursday February 12th 2004.

The Gambia Police Force yesterday started imposing a new directive that
prohibits foreigners from driving commercial vehicles within Gambian
territory.
Pa Jallow,the spokesperson of the Gambia Police Force,emphasised that
henceforth foreigners will only be authorised to drive private vehicles
(cars),he further argued that The Gambia Police Force had in The past been
encountering difficulties with non Gambian drivers.The greater part of
those foreign drivers who are affected by this latest directive originate
from Nigeria and Senegal."This is total discrimination that has been
directed towards non Gambian taxi drivers pure and simple",said Felix
Stevens a Nigerian taxi driver who denounced the Gambian authorities for
applying this lates measure.The drivers concerned have so far regrouped
and ready to apply pressure therefore fight against this new
directive.Their first step will be to meet diplomats or representatives
from their respective countries accredited to The Gambia.
Likewise they will contact all human rights agencies in The Gambia thus
register their complaints within a legal framework.
Most of the taxi drivers in The Gambia are foreigners,originally from
Nigeria,Senegal and other (ECOWAS) member states.

Source:PANA.


FRENCH VERSION:LA CONDUITE DES VEHICULES  COMMERCIAUX INTERDITE AUX
ETRANGERS.


Article publie dans l'edition du Jeudi 12 fevrier 2004.

La Police gambienne a commence,hier,a appliquer une nouvelle directive
interdissant aux conducteurs  etrangers de vehicules commerciaux d'exercer
dans le pays.Pa Jallow,le porte parole de la police,a precise que les
etrangers ne seront desormais autorises a conduire que des vehicules
particuliers,expliquant la police gambienne avait, dans le passe,rencontre
beaucoup de difficultes avec  les chaufeurs non gambiens.Les personnes les
plus touchees  par cette mesure sont les chaufeurs des taxis originaires
du Nigeria et du Senegal.
"C'est de la discrimination pure et simple a l'egard des chaufeurs de
taxis etrangers en Gambie",a denonce Felix Stevens ,un chaufeur de taxi
nigerian.
Les chaufeurs concernes qui se sont mobilises pour faire pression contre
cette nouvelle politique,ont dit qu'ils contacteront eux-memes leurs
ambassades respectives,mais aussi les institutions de defenses des droits
de l'homme en Gambie.La plupart des conducteurs de vehicules commerciaux
en Gambie viennent du Nigeria,du Senegal et d'autres pays de la communaute
economique des Etats d'Afrique de L'Ouest(CEDEAO).


                                               (PANA)

Please visit lesoleil.sn or PANA-Pan African News Agency's archives, for
further verifications.OPTV has no interest whatsoever to talk about a mad
man like Yahya if he was not riding on our people's backs with a
cutlass!
Next OPTV will translate walfadjr's latest article on The Gambia-Senegal
border impasse.Gambia increases tariffs on Senegalese vehicles and people
passing through Bureng and other border posts.A Senegalese district
governor and angry Senegalese Youths protest against that sudden
unnecessary mad move.
Visit www.walf.sn(february 14 the 2004 and see for yourselves).
God knows that the aim of all concerned Gambians is the same and no one
has the time to go against a mad man if our people were not affected by
this sad soul.

Binneh S Minteh
New York University

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