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Photo credit: Reuters  (Reuters) - Fifteen people were killed and more than 150 were missing after a boat carrying 300 passengers capsized near Mauritania's capital Nouakchott on Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday. The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, typically used by African migrants trying to reach Spain, is one of the world's deadliest. Summer is its busiest period. The IOM said the Mauritanian coastguard rescued 120 people and that 10 of them were taken to hospitals while efforts to locate the missing continued. It said the passengers were travelling from Gambia and that they had spent seven days at sea before the shipwreck. Ibba Sarr, a fishmonger at a waterside fishmarket in Nouakchott, said that strong winds in the past had two days moved the bodies closer to the shore and he saw around 30 bodies being collected from the beach. "Surely other lifeless bodies will be discovered in

  Release   Gambian Women Are Free to Choose is publishing this press release – our fourth this year – to bring to the attention of the Gambian public, the Gambian authorities including the Ministry of Interior, as well as the ECOWAS Representative, Sierra Leone Embassy, U.S. Embassy, other diplomatic missions, local and international NGOs, CSOs, and importantly Gambian and international journalists, recent threats against my person, Dr. Fuambai Sia Nyoko Ahmadu, Founder and Executive Director of Gambian Women are Free to Choose (GWAFC). On July 15, 2024 at around 9am, myself, my personal assistant, Fuambai Jallow, and a colleague from Australia, were verbally harassed in full public view by anti-FGM activist, Ms. Jaha Dukureh, in front of the gates of the National Assembly. Ms. Dukureh was yelling at us and at the riot police guarding the gates instructing the latter to not let me in, screaming “she is not a Gambian, do not let her in, she doesn't belong here!”. In the early morni

  Team Outpost     Lawmakers of the National Assembly have yesterday confirmed and approved the appointment of five commissioners for the Access To Information (ATI) along with a proposed package remuneration. The Ministry of Information is pleased to announce that the National Assembly has confirmed the appointment and approved the salary scale of the Information Commissioners. This decision marks a significant step forward in the implementation of the Access to Information (ATI) Act 2021, which aims to promote transparency, accountability, and access to public records and information. On 8th July 2024, the Hon. Minister of Information, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, moved a motion at the National Assembly for the confirmation of the appointments and remuneration packages for the Information Commissioners. These appointments, made by H.E. President Adama Barrow, in accordance with sections 42 (1) and 42 (2) of the ATI Act 2021, followed a comprehensive and inclusive nomination process. The nomin

By Sheriff Saidykhan   Sirra Ndow, the Country Director of African Network against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (ANEKED) has said that accountability is not negotiable in the face of injustice and gross human rights violations.  She rebuked exiled former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s called for unity and forgiveness, saying that cannot be possible at the expense of justice, accountability and reparations for victims. “In our context, unity and forgiveness is essential; however, it cannot come at the expense of justice, accountability, and reparations for victims. It also cannot come at the expense of reforms to ensure that no one can ever do what he did to Gambians and The Gambia.” she said. In a recent telephone interview with this medium, the rights activist highlighted the significance of Jammeh’s prosecution to victims. She added that Jammeh committed human rights violations against Gambians and non Gambians alike. “As to why Jammeh's prosecution is imp

   Celestine Kujabi  Team Outpost  Celestine Kujabi, the Secretary General of Coalition of Progressive Gambians (COPG) has said that the country is facing rampant and indiscriminate corruption.  He said the high rate of institutional corruption, and those running the said corrupt institutions have shown no remorse for corruption. “It's very sad for a population that prides itself in strong religious beliefs with good ethics to register such a high rate in rampant and indiscriminate corruption. Unfortunately our institutions are also occupied and managed by a human resource who has no sense of remorse for corruption.” he said. In a telephone interview with this medium on Monday, he further stated that the government of President Adama Barrow is not sensitive to the adverse effects of corruption in the country. He added that the changes made in the Anti-Corruption Commission manifested the government's lack of commitment to fight corruption. “If we have a government which is not

  Team Outpost  The African Network against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (ANEKED), has on Tuesday concluded a weeklong legal empowerment training for different communities across the country. The weeklong training was meant to educate individuals about the upcoming trial of Michael Correa, its significance, legal procedures and potential outcomes.  Michael Correa, 41, was an alleged member of this notorious death squad, set up by former President Yahya Jammeh whose members have confessed to committing torture and other serious human rights abuses. Sirra Ndow, ANEKED Country Director said people's participation is important to fully trial and the accountability process.  “For people to engage and participate meaningfully and support the process, it is, therefore, necessary to ensure they understand the basics of legal procedures and processes.” she said. She added: “Many people have shared that they did not know that we do not have some of the laws, such as en

On Friday 12 July 2024, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice issued a landmark decision in a case of enforced disappearance in The Gambia during the regime of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, by which it found that the Republic of Ghana violated the right to information, as guaranteed by article 9 (1) of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights of 27 June 1981 and article 19 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The ECOWAS Court also ordered the Ghanaian Government to release to the Plaintiff, no later than four months from the date of service of its Judgement, documentation and a videotape in its possession in relation to that enforced disappearance, including the 2009 joint UN/ECOWAS investigation report, the Ghanaian coroner’s/pathologist’s report on the bodies returned by The Gambia to the Republic of Ghana in 2009 and a report on the disbursement of the money paid by The Gambia to Ghanaian families. In