Gambia, Guinea strengthen ties

The Gambia and Guinea have renewed commitment to the bilateral cooperation between Banjul and Conakry, following a recent state visit to the sister republic by President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, accompanied by a high-powered delegation, on July 14.

President Jammeh was received upon arrival at the Conakry International Airport by Dr Ahmed Tidiane Souaré, the prime minister of Guinea, on behalf of President Lansana Conté. Malick Sanko, the governor of Conakry, high profile officials of Guinea and members of the Gambian community were also at the airport to receive the Gambia leader.

According to GRTS, part of Dr Jammeh’s engagement was to express solidarity with Guineans and to renew the bilateral agreements that bind the two peoples together.

Conakry and Banjul have had excellent relations, underpinned by the aspiration of their people to find common solutions to their problems with a uniform pattern of development.

The presidential entourage received a rapturous reception as Guineans nationals gathered on the side lanes of the main highway to the official presidential residence, where Dr Jammeh had an audience with his counterpart, President Lasana Conté.

President Conté has been out of action as a result of a reported stroke but his health has improved greatly and he still enjoys immense popularity. The Guinean leader had pursued a Pan-African approach to key regional and continental issues.

On Tuesday, Dr Jammeh met the Gambian community in Conakry, where they had the opportunity to discuss their welfare. Many Gambian expatriates work in the mining sector, while a good number of them engage in the re-export trade, which has been the key area of interaction between Conakry and Banjul. Their welfare has been thoroughly handled by the Gambian Embassy in Bissau and its consular bureau in Conkary.

Cherno Touray, the Gambian ambassador in Bissau, said the show of welcome accorded to President Jammeh in Bissau and again in Conakry is a manifestation of the love and confidence the expatriates bestowed on him.

Alhagie Momodou Gaye, the Gambian consul general in Conakry, said Gambian nationals are law abiding ambassadors, who have never betrayed the trust of his bureau. Guineans have on their part, reciprocated the friendship extended to their nationals in The Gambia and have ensured that Gambians based in Conakry have their rights and welfare looked after.

Many of the speakers had been living in Guinea for decades and found the country ideal for business, as Gambian interest is highly protected. Nyima Trawally and Fatoumatta Drammeh felicitated Dr Jammeh for recognising women.

Dr Omar Touray, the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs, said the president’s visit renewed the commitment of his counterpart in ensuring the protocols that guide relations between their governments are enforced.

The Gambia leader, he said, has gone the extra mile to ensure the welfare of Gambians.

President Jammeh, who was later involved with other official engagements, was represented at the meeting by the secretary of state for Fisheries and Water Resources, Yankuba Touray. SoS Touray enjoined Gambian nationals to play an ambassadorial role in their stay in Conakry. SoS Touray donated on behalf of President Jammeh, US$15,000, to assist the consular bureau in its transactions.

As Gambians get more involved in business, the price of basic commodities, as in other parts of the world, continues to soar. The Guinean currency has depreciated greatly and a bag of rice costs 215,000 Guinean Franc (equivalent to D1,250).

During the visit, the ministerial committees of the two governments held closed door sessions and a joint communiqué was issued by the two leaders at the end of a four-day working visit. The draft communique outlined the governments’ commitment to bolstering existing trade relations and their joint interest to secure their borders against foreign aggression. The communiqué also entails cooperation in the areas of fisheries, commerce, transport, the civil service and tourism.

During the visit, President Jammeh appealed to Guineans to treasure the natural resources their country has been endowed with and work for a common solution and strategy to solve their problems.

He warned against division, saying that measures that some wanted to resort to will only cost the country more. President Jammeh thanked the Guinean authorities for ensuring that Gambians in Conakry live in peace.