Friends,
I have just received the Newsletter from the "Gambia Friends"-organisation
in Denmark.For your information I will render some of the newsletter.

1. Mr. Henrik Specht (who is both manager in Spies Travel Agency and danish
Consul-general of The Gambia) present news for danish tourist going with
Spies and Ving the comming tourist season, which will start 27.th october
and every wednesday. From 15. th december not only from Copenhagen but also
from Billund.
But what is interesting, he says that Sunwing Resort will change name to
Siva Sunbeach Resort and the hotel will continue the
"all-inclusive-concept",(quote) "which was introduced last season with
succes. It means that included in the tour-price is  free food and drinks
etc from the fine restaurants in Siva Sunbeach Resort."

My comment:
One month ago we got the information on Gambia-L that after studying the
situation the Gambian authorities has decided that the "all inclusive
package" was whiped out. Maybe it´s not ? Can we get some comments from The
Gambia please.

2. Mr. Henrik Specht has received information from the danish authorities
(The "Udlændinge Styrelsen ") about the practice concerning gambian
citizens who apply for Visa for visiting Denmark.
The danish authorities will only give visa for gambians who has a legal
claim to obtain residence permit, or can substantiate/prove that they need
to come to Denmark for business-, cultural-, or scientific- purpose
and/(or) is engaged to someone  allready living here in Denmark.
Visa can be given in special circumstances such as life-threatening
diseases (himself or a relative living in Denmark), and if the applicant
has residence permit in another Western-European country, Australia, Canada
or USA, or the applicant allready has visa to another nordic/EU- or
EØS-country.
Those who has legal clame are: spouse, children under 18 years and parents
over 60 year, if the references are danish, refugee or nordic citizen.

A result of this practise is that gambians in general can not get
tourist-visa for Denmark, even invited by danes and a guarantees for all
costs in connection with the visit.

Mr. Henrik Specht has according to the news-letter promissed to work on
this, so it maybe could be easier to get visitors from The Gambia.

My comment:
As you can see we (Denmark) try to close boarders for gambians even to come
and visit us. What will the Gambian state think of such a practice. I find
it embarrassing and humiliating and will react. You can only guess what has
caused such a practice.

3. The Gambia Friends - organisation has since jan 1998 shipped 14
40-feet-containers with school-, hospital-equipments to the gambia, where
the gambian - part of the organisation take over. The gambian branch of the
organisation has been given D 5000 from the gambian government to run the
organisation in The Gambia. The organisation has a depot in Kanifing where
they sort and store the materials till it is spread to the schools.

Asbjørn Nordam