Dr. Jaiteh,
I agree that The Gambia and Senegal governments should have a viable trade agreement in place, that is if they do not already have one and safe us the constant bickering.
Against this background however, I think Wade's proposals are preposterous and arrogant to say the least. The proposals that he is making sound more like ultimatums than invitation to dialogue, if I go by the online versions of the Senegalese newspapers, Sud Quotidien and Wal Fadjr.
Let us recall that this is the second time around that Senegalese transport unions have arbitrarily closed down the border in flagrant violation of existing international, regional and bilateral treaties singed by the two countries. It is inexcusable that the Senegalese government will not even lift a finger to end an unofficial embargo, but rather make pronouncements that could aggravate the situation.
I once sat at a lecture where my Senegalese professor made a silly remark that The Gambia thrives on cross-border smuggling (fraud) and that in order to stop it all his government needed to do was to close the border. I responded to him that what we were witnessing is the desperate attempts by traders, mostly Senegalese for that matter, who go to The Gambia, purchase goods at cheap prices and try to beat custom officials on both sides of the border to resell them in Senegal. I said that it is incomprehensible that although Senegal produces sugar in Richard Toll, the price of sugar in The Gambia was a lot cheaper. Africans, I said, divided by such colonial blunders go into extremes to smuggle cheaper goods from their neighbors, sometimes aided and abetted by greedy and underpaid custom officials. I gave him an example of how a packet of Chinese green tea and a packet of sugar that I had bought for a friend on my way to Dakar were confiscated by custom officials at Karang and how my
pair of new shoes was seized in Kaolack.
The reverse happens on The Gambian side of the border at Hamdallai when Gambian custom officials seize gifts from Gambians returning from Senegal or from Senegalese visiting families or friends in The Gambia.
I have no doubt that President Jammeh's government could have communicated better the tariff increments to his Senegalese counterpart in accordance with the current treaty governing the trans-Gambia ferry crossings. Initiating sweeping and abrupt changes without consideration of the impending consequences is bound to meet with hostile reaction. Most Gambians have family ties in Senegal and whatever may hurt our Senegalese kin is bound to spill over in The Gambia, whether we like it or not.
Inasmuch as I think President Jammeh’s government should approach such sensitive issues as tariff increments with caution and bilateral discussions, I also think that President Wade should live up to his ideals of NEPAD and African Unity by treating President Jammeh with the same respect he would treat Obasanjo. The big brother – little brother attitude has no place in international relations if only we want to live in peace. When former President Abdou Diouf decided to walk out of the Senegambia Confederation, he did so not by consulting his Gambian colleague, President Jawara but by making a simple pronouncement: “doyna sek”, i.e. enough is enough, and with that, the confederation was buried as another failure in African unity.
What we need in Africa is enlightened leaders who have their people’s interest at heart and not demagogues and dictators who could whip up sentiments of hatred and light the fires of war. I only hope that both Presidents Jammeh and Wade will realize that whichever way they may flip the coin neither The Gambia nor Senegal is going anywhere. To paraphrase, we are condemned to live side by side… but let it be in peace.
Momodou.
Malanding Jaiteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Ebou,
I did not read your piece until after sending my own input. It looks
like you and I have differing views on this issue. My take on this is
based on:
1. Gambia's official re-export trade is close to 20% of our GDP.
Comparable only to agriculture and tourism in magnitude. Bear in mind
that over 90% of that passes through Senegal.
2. The above does not include other trades with Senegal. i.e fruits and
vegetables, peanuts, millet, dry fish we sell and firewood and charcoal,
fertiliser, farm implement, Tobaski sheep and sounds ala Youssou Ndour's
and team, we import.
I believe Gambia must not be scared of an open border policy with
Senegal. With less restrictions the Port of Banjul could easily become
the port of choice for those merchants heading east and south. It may
even make way for the development of an inland port facility at Balingo
(Farafenni). This will cut down tranportation costs to central and
eastern regions. All these could mean one thing for the Gambia - more
trading opportunities.
The bottomline is the Gambia and Senegal must recognize what is at stake
here. And whether we agree or not, common sense dictates that what is
good for Senegal is good for the Gambia and vice versa.
Malanding Jaiteh
[log in to unmask] wrote:
>OK, since when has a trans-border trade dispute between two sovereign nations end up with an egotistical ultimatum- dig a tunnel under your river or else...Who the hell does Master Wade think he is ? Never mind; the old vulture is growing senile. I know for a fact that he shall meet his match in a much younger and dynamic leader in Yaya Jammeh. Senegal is callously rooting for its own interests. Let us pray that the Gambians are not stupid enough to ignore their own national interests for the sake of some meager reexport trade benefits.
>
>Ferries, tunnels, and bridges are all vital infrastructure for the socio-economic development of the Gambia. However, this should be a Gambia government initiative of attracting investment capital to finance such projects. This national responsibility should never be mortgaged or outsourced to the damn Senegalese.
>
>To hell with Laye N'jumboor!
>
>
>
>Ebou Jallow
>
>
>
>
>
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