Dr. Mamadou Tangara, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Gambia
By Buba Gagigo
Dr. Mamadou Tangara, The Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and candidate for the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General, has officially revealed his campaign team, which is led by Her Excellency Fatou Bensouda, The Gambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
“My campaign team, led by Her Excellency Fatou Bensouda, The Gambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), wishes to inform you that the campaign website is now ready,” Dr. Tangara wrote on Facebook.
If successful, Dr. Tangara will become the seventh Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and the second African to hold the position, following Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria.
The election, scheduled to take place in Apia, Samoa, from October 21 to 25, 2024, will see candidates from The Gambia, Ghana, and Lesotho vying for the prestigious role.
President Adama Barrow has already publicly endorsed Dr. Tangara, with a letter posted on Facebook last month.
“I am pleased to unconditionally endorse the candidature of the current Foreign Minister of The Republic of The Gambia, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, for appointment to the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations. Dr. Tangara represents a new brand of leadership in an era of emerging global dynamics that requires a visionary and transformational unifier. His distinguished career in academia, government, and diplomacy, his ability to build and manage partnerships,” President Barrow expressed.
Among those joining the endorsement is the Minister of Information, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General Candidates Debate is scheduled for today, Wednesday, September 11, 2024, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM.
Dr. Mamadou Tangara currently serves as The Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, a position he has held since 2018, after previously serving from 2010 to 2012.