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Casamance is essentially the place where you will find the last forest of Senegal, and it could dissapear entirely soon! According to experts, as of 2019, Casamance has lost over 10,000 hectares of its forest to illegal logging, approximately 1 million tress.  The Casamance forest arear covers a total of 30,000 hectares and is known for its rare tree species. The loss of 10 hectares accounts for 33 per cent Isn’t that frightening! This includes roosewood, which is particularly much in demand in China. The rapid growth of the wood industry in China has created tremendous demand.   China is currently the largest manufacturer of wooden furniture worldwide and the second largest manufacturer of paper products after the United States. Moreover, the construction and real estate industries in China, two of the largest consumers of wood products, have seen significant growth over the past five years. It is no secret that The Mouvement des Forces Democratique de la

| The Truth About The Rapidly Thinning Boundary Between ECOMIG and Senegalese Government Foreign Policy Interests & Its Implications |      By Pa Louis Sambou   T he presence of foreign troops of whatsoever nationality, fold or grade, on any third country is an exceptional phenomenon which is bound to attract a considerable degree of curiosity from ordinary citizens. The fact that this is so in our case is not an exception at all. Besides, one of the benefits of living in an open democratic society is, it avails as of right and constitutional entitlement, the freedom for questions to be asked of matters of public interest which are not fully understood. In light of the active provocation of conflict between The Gambia and MFDC fighters in Senegal’s Casamance regions by the foreign troops in question, it is of paramount importance that hard-hitting questions be asked as to whether these foreign troops are staying far too long for their own good and undoing all the good they have don

    By Sheriff Saidykhan When people of great virtures left the face of the earth, many people reminded themselves of the indelible footprints they left behind as a recollection of daily reminder for admiration at all times.  Gambia’s long serving journalist Pa Modou Faal, has now joined the ranks of the departed souls. The good virtures of Pa Modou Faal, cannot be understated.  He was a cool collected journalist. Loved by his colleaques for his ardent fight for media freedom during the ruthless dictatorship of former president Jammeh. A graet humanist and a strong desciple of Allah has left us too soon. The many good deeds of Pa Modou, cannot be chronicle in one book. One of the fascinating things about Pa was that, every morning after the Fajr prayers at the Masjid. He will hold a prayer beat to be in the remembrance of Allah, by calling his great names on his way to work. A brother, father, colleaque and a figure of the enlightment. Pa, has contributed his immense quotas towards the

  By Saul Saidykhan Paul Begala and James Carville saved Americans from the countless TV Talking Heads by capturing the essence of the 1992 presidential contest between Bill Clinton and then President Bush I in the now famous phrase: “ It’s the economy, Stupid”!  The Gambia’s TRRC submitted it’s report and Recommendations to the president several weeks ago. Like most, I’m yet to find the time to read the report. But I’ve looked at the Recommendations. One particular recommendation jumped at me:  “Reviving (the inter/intra-ethnic and regional) Joking Relationships of yore to defuse social tensions and prevent conflict.  At first glance, this is a great idea except the Joking Relationships never died! Even in the darkest period of our recent past, the Fulani bantered with the Jola, just as the Sarahule did with the Mandinka, the Nuiminka with the Jarranka, the Baddibunka with the Sarahule, the Jammeh with the Darbo, etc.  In fact, this was not only a survival tactic many deftly used to e