By Landing Ceesay
His Excellency Muhammed B.S. Jallow, Vice President of the Republic of the Gambia, and His Excellency Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, announced their commitment to border protection and ending deforestation in Casamance during a press briefing.
The leaders made these statements in Dakar, coinciding with Vice President Jallow’s two-day working visit to Senegal.
VP Jallow highlighted that extensive discussions were held with Prime Minister Sonko, focusing on the bilateral relationship and border security.
“There are a lot of issues we discussed. It borders on various issues; for example, we discussed a lot on the issue of cooperation in terms of fishing. Because we shared the same Marine resources. As the Honourable Fisheries Minister of Senegal says, the fish do not know boundaries. They cross from one boundary to another, and a lot of agreements have been signed. Some issues have been raised during the meeting, and we have concurred and resolved ourselves to actually ensure that some of those agreements are implemented.
“There were discussions in defence and security. For example, in the joint patrol, the Honourable Prime Minister has indicated some of the challenges we have, particularly on the Southern Border. Our Southern Border is the Casamance Region. Now that various agreements have been made, we are now implementing cross-border visits as far as the two Armies are concerned. I think that has been very positive. We have raised some issues that the Honourable Prime Minister noted, and I think they will take action,” VP Jallow told the Senegalese media.
Regarding the highly discussed issue of timber trading in Casamance, VP Jallow mentioned that he had addressed it with Prime Minister Sonko. He disclosed that there is already an agreement between the governments of the Gambia and Senegal to protect the forest in Casamance.
“We have raised the concern of the deforestation of the forest in Casamance. His Excellency President Adama Barrow has resolved to make sure that, like they say, if there are no buyers, there will be no sellers. So we are making sure that all the agreements are in place to protect the forest cover in Casamance. Because protecting the forest cover of Casamance also protects the environment in the Gambia,” VP Jallow said.
VP Jallow further stated that there have been discussions between the two countries in terms of the Millennium Challenge Account that Senegal has already implemented through compacts with the American Government.
The Gambian Vice President said Senegal is now going into their third compact, which is the Regional compact that is going to concentrate on the blue economy.
“We have been advised by the Administrators of the Millennium Challenge Cooperation to initiate discussion with the Senegalese Government. I think this is one of the things we have discussed so that Gambia can be included in that regional compact. We are very happy with the response we have gotten from His Excellency the Prime Minister (Ousmane Sonko) and his team. There are a lot of other areas that have been discussed, including the issue of the Senegalo-Gambia Secretariat.
“The Institution that was discussed in 1967 and started operation in 1972. But after sometime there were some weaknesses, that is the Institution that is mandated to make follow-ups on all the agreements we have signed between the two countries. As His Excellency the Prime Minister says there were some positions the Senegalese Government was supposed to fill, and they have not filled. But they have now committed themselves that in a very short time, some of those vacant positions will be filled, and they will make sure that we empower this Secretariat to actually follow up all the agreements, including those we have done today,” VP Jallow said.
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko expressed his gratitude to the Gambian Vice President and his delegation for their two-day working visit to Senegal.
He emphasized the strong relationship between Gambia and Senegal, noting that their neighboring status is divinely ordained.
Regarding the Casamance Forest, Sonko underscored its significance and detailed the measures his government is implementing to protect it.
“You are all aware that since this government came to power up to now, there has been a lot of communication with our people about the Casamance Forest, where they are cutting down trees and destroying the forest to an extent that if we don’t act fast, it will spoil a lot.
“The place is between the Gambia and Senegal border, that’s why the discussion about it is very important. Because if we want to make any progress, we must collaborate with our Gambian neighbours. So there is an agreement on it as well as a resolution. We try our best to see to it that the patrol we are doing with our Gambian counterparts at the borders succeeds in protecting the forest,” he said.
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