Paris Climate Agreement: Gambia Missing From the List of Signing Countries.

Paris Climate Agreement. Source: UN

The signing ceremony of the Paris Climate Agreement which was adopted last December, took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Friday 22nd April 2016. A total of 175 countries signed the agreement which is seen as an extraordinary show of support that have exceeded the historical record for first-day signatories to any international agreement.

Speaking at the ceremony, the UN secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon expressed his delight at the ‘strong spirit of multiculturalism’ saying: “I am very pleased to see so much support and political momentum to move the Agreement forward.”  The UN boss went further to add that; “the participation by so many countries today, and the attendance by 55 world leaders, along with leaders from civil society and the private sector, leaves no doubt that the world is determined to take climate action.”

It could be recalled that the Paris Agreement was adopted by all 196 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at COP21 in Paris on 12 December 2015. In the agreement, all countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and given the grave risks, to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius. Implementation of the Paris Agreement is essential for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and provides a roadmap for climate actions that will reduce emissions and build climate resilience (UN).

As already known, 175 countries out of the 196 that agreed the deal back in December appeared on the official list of signatories to the agreement as published by the UN. So, that means a total of 21 countries including The Gambia are yet to sign, or have decided against signing the agreement after all. Individual countries might have different reasons for not taking part in the signing ceremony. However, there are reports from some groups calling for developing nations to boycott or not rush into signing the agreement.

It is worth remembering that signing the agreement is just the initial step. Countries must now seek formal ratification and approval through their individual governments. The agreement could only enter into force after 55 countries accounting for 55% of global emissions deposit their instruments of ratification. Fifteen countries have already submitted their ratifications during the signing ceremony. We do hope that other signatories follow these rapid reactions so the agreement come into force sooner rather than later.

Gambia: A Ticking Time Bomb Waiting to Explode at any Minute

History has taught us time and again that an uprising or a revolution anywhere in the world often emanates from a very unlikely or unexpected source. We have seen it in the case of Ebrima Barry whose untimely death in the hands of Brikama Fire Officers sparked the student riots of  April 10th & 11th in the year 2000, which eventually led to the death of over a dozen students. And more significantly, the popular Arab Spring uprising which started in Tunisia in the year 2010 was orchestrated by the unlawful killing of Mohammed Bouazizi.

Since the unfortunate incidents of April 10th & 11th 2000, demonstrations and political assemblies/marches have been largely subdued in the Gambia. The opposition parties are rendered toothless and press freedom is virtually non-existence, leading to the exile of many journalists and political activist. Over the years however, a lot of Gambians have become increasingly angry and frustrated with the current government - albeit not been able to voice or express their concerns.

Ever since the forthcoming election date was confirmed for December 1st 2016 - with the Independent Electoral Commision (IEC) coming up with series of strict requirements for political parties, a lot of debates have been raging on in the political arena regarding positive electoral reforms. Negotiations have been forth-going on the ground between opposition parties to try and pave the way for a possible alliance to take on the incumbent in the upcoming presidential elections. Notwithstanding, political activist and commentators continue to call for a level playing field in the Gambian political arena.

UDP Party Demonstration. Source: seneweb

Consequently, a handful of United Democratic Party (UDP) militants took to the streets on Thursday 14th April 2016 to exercise their constitutional right. Soon after displaying their banner at the Westfield Junction, they were forcefully arrested by officers from the Police Intervention Unit (PIU). Bombarded in police trucks and whisked away to the National Intelligent Agency (NIA), they were reportedly tortured overnight which led to the apparent demise of one of the unarmed protesters.

Subsequently, the UDP party executive organised an emergency meeting and embarked on a reactive demonstration to demand the unconditional release of their party militants. They were similarly met with restrictions from the security forces with the party leader and most of his executive members arrested and detained. As a result, the international community most notably the UN, Amnesty International and the US State Department have unanimously issued statements condemning the situation.

It is obvious that the events of the last couple of days have generated a lot of anger and frustrations in the country. In as much as the ordinary Gambian is renowned for being peace loving, it is inevitable that someday they will say 'enough is enough' - and stand up to the brutal security forces who continue to oppress and terrorise the citizenry. And this is exactly what has happened and only God knows what the final repercussions are going to be. People are cornered to the wall, so they have no other option than to retaliate or fight back to liberate themselves. If care is not taken however, the title ‘Smiling Coast of Africa’ which the Gambia is known for over the years, will all but soon become history. We therefore urge the government to treat the current situation with optimum cautiousness and allow the people of the Gambia the freedom they rightfully deserve.

African Development Week: Towards a new Transformative and People-Centred Development Trajectory

AU Headquarters - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Source UNECA

For the past nine years, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have held joint annual conference to discuss statutory issues of relevance to the African continent. This years event took place at the Ethiopian capital - Addis Ababa from the 31st March to 5th April, 2016 under the theme: “Towards an integrated and coherent approach to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals” .

An African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration together with experts from the Economic Commission for Africa and other institutions, dilated on a framework that could possibly led to transition towards a new transformative and people-centred development trajectory that combines economic, social, environmental and other developmental considerations.

In her keynote address, the AUC chairperson - Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma remarked “We've had a week packed with meetings, all focused on the central question of our time: how to achieve economic transformation in order to change the lives of African men, women, children, young and old, urban and rural for the better.” Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the ECA - Dr Carlos Lopes warned that transformation will not happen spontaneously, but rather as a result of deliberate and coherent policies that are entrenched into a harmonised development strategy and enlightened by transformational leadership.

While considerable progress towards social outcomes has been recorded in various regions in the continent, the delegates recognised that; inequalities still persist in regards to income, gender, youth, people with disability, access to opportunities and geographical location. They also recognize that multiple development frameworks have not met Africa’s imperative for accelerated, inclusive and sustainable growth, thus weakening the continent’s prospects for structural transformation.

However, the experts at the conference acknowledged that Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offer a unique opportunity for Africa to achieve inclusive and transformative development with equity. Underscoring the importance for Africa to adopt a coherent strategy for the effective and coordinated implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda, they agreed on a single monitoring and evaluation framework, and a common reporting architecture that will produce a single periodic performance report accommodating both agendas.

On the key issue of regional integration, the Finance and Economic experts called upon the  UN to continue its support for Africa’s transformative agenda by aligning itself with, and supporting the priorities of the African Union, particularly the aspirations for a continental free trade agreement. They also agreed that strong continental and sub-regional financial institutions, along with multiple funding sources are essential for the successful implementation of the continent’s transformation agenda.

Senegambia: The Need for Closer Integration as Opposed to Needless Border Closures

For almost two months now, the borders between Gambia and Senegal remain shut, resulting in the struggle of many a person whose livelihoods largely depends on the routes linking the two neighbouring countries. It all started when transporters began boycotting the popular Trans-Gambia route leading to the Southern Senegalese Region of Cassamance due to apparent ferry tariff hikes. Soon afterwards, other border posts between the two countries follow suit severely hampering the free movement of people and goods.

In addition to loss of revenue, the consequence of the border closure is negatively impacting people’s daily lives in both countries. Petty traders on both side of the border virtually ceased trading as they only see a fraction of customers on a daily basis. Prices of basic commodities imported from Senegal to the Gambia are scarce, therefore more expensive nowadays. Also travellers who used to ply the Trans-Gambia are now facing nightmare journeys having to spend more and more time on the roads, meaning higher travel cost.

Photo source: UNECA

Meanwhile, with all the troubles ordinary Senegambians are enduring, both the Gambian and Senegalese governments continue to be tight-lipped on the matter. There is no single official statement from either party since this unfortunate situation began over six weeks ago. The only rhetoric regarding this mess have so far come from the Senegalese Transport Union who unfortunately, advocates for the continued closure of the borders.

However, there are unconfirmed reports that a Gambian delegation visited Senegal last week to work out modalities of reopening the borders. Unfortunately the would-be dialogue was called off by the Senegalese authorities who apparently referred the Gambian delegation to the country’s Transport Union instead. If this reports are true, then it is very irresponsible of the Senegalese government whose President happened to be the current chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

If the Gambia government who are gravely accused of initiating this unwanted situation, try to reach out for their Senegalese counterpart in order to find a solution to the problem, they ought to be accommodated with some dignity as a sovereign state, not to be redirected to negotiate with a Trade Union. Just to reiterate one of the fundamental principles of ECOWAS which calls for; “peaceful settlement of disputes among Member States, active Co-operation between neighbouring countries and promotion of a peaceful environment as a prerequisite for economic development”

Therefore the two governments must put aside whatever difference they might harbour and work towards closer integration which is paramount to the economic success of both countries, needless to say. If you are using the borders to settle your scores, please understand that the ordinary people you represent will continue to be the only losers. Governments come and go but the people of Senegambia will forever remain tight-knit. So not only are we asking for the reopening of the borders, but for all restrictions regarding free movement of people, goods and services to be lifted between the countries forever.