By Gambia Correspondent – The Vice President and Minister of Women’s Affairs, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, yesterday presided at the opening of a three-day international seminar on the connection between terrorism and organized crime in West Africa. Organised by the African Center for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), the seminar is hosted by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and brought together representatives of AU international partners in the field of the prevention and fight against organized crime and narco-terrorism, with the aim of strengthening capacities in Africa. Underway at the Paradise Suites Hotel, the seminar seeks to provide a... Continue Reading
By Gambia Correspondent – The former chief of defense staff Lt General Lang Tombong Tamba and former chief of naval staff rear Admiral Sarjo Fofana were yesterday convicted for treason and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The former senior security chiefs were found guilty on four counts of treasonable indictments in connection with the 21st March 2006 abortive coup, alleged to have been masterminded by the former chief of defence staff, Colonel Ndure Cham. Lang Tombong Tamba, it would be recalled is currently serving a death sentence along with seven other men in connection with a 2009 coup plot. The former... Continue Reading
By Correspondent Chinyere Ogbonna – The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sudan has strongly condemned the latest looting and burning of the town of Abyei by armed men, which has forced large numbers of civilians to flee to the south of the disputed area. The mission (UNMIS) reported that looting and burning began in Abyei, two days after the wider area – disputed by north and south was taken over by Sudanese Government forces. The Security Council has condemned that move in its entirety describing it as a serious breach of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent, Dar es Salaam – More than 50 representatives of Civil Society organizations meeting in Dar es Salaam, have unanimously agreed to work relentlessly in demanding for governments adherence to principles of good governance through the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The CSO reached the agreement at the end of their two day seminar over the week end, organized by the South African based CSO (EISA) hosted by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC). Speaking during the opening of the seminar, Mr. Harold Sungusia from LHRC, said Tanzania has failed to show its commitments to the APRM... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent, Dar es Salaam – The Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday delivered the first ever judgment on one of the high profile External Payment Arrears (EPA) cases, sentencing Farijala Hussein and Rajabu Maranda to jail terms of 19 and 18 years respectively upon convictions on separate counts. Maranda (right) and Farjala being escorted to Prison after the sentence. Maranda and Farjala under police van to Ukonga Prison They will however serve only five years in jail because the sentences run concurrently. The two were charged with eight counts involving stealing of over Sh. 1.8 billion from the EPA... Continue Reading
