Gambia Government postpones UN experts visit

The United Nations Special Rapporteurs on torture, Juan E. Méndez, and summary, extrajudicial and arbitrary executions, Mr. Christof Heyns, today expressed their deep disappointment with the unilateral decision taken by the Government of The Gambia to postpone their country visit, scheduled to start today and take place until 18 August 2014.

In a news release issued by United Nations Human Right the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that: “We find it extremely worrying that a major undertaking dealing with issues such as unlawful killings and torture can be cancelled without explanation, just as it is about to start.”

The experts said, “The Government’s decision to postpone our visit casts doubt on The Gambia's willingness to engage with the United Nations' special procedures and to respond to the legitimate expectations of the human rights constituency in Gambian civil society.

SABALLY IN COURT, REMANDED AT NIA

Author: Binta A Bah, standard.gm

After being detained for over a month, Momodou Sabally was yesterday afternoon arraigned before the high court in Banjul.

State prosecutors have slammed one count of economic crime and two counts of abuse of office charges against the former secretary general and minister for presidential affairs, all relating to a Youth Career Development Programme organised by one Mariama Sillah in May 2014.

Mr Sabally, 40, is accused of causing economic loss to SSHFC in the amount of D402,500 by unduly influencing SSHFC to fund the programme without the recourse to due process. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

However, his request to be released on bail was denied by Justice Abdullahi Mikailu who ordered him to be remanded at the National Intelligence Agency after the prosecution said the investigations into his matter were ongoing.

 “I want an order to leave the accused in the custody of the NIA owing to the fact that the investigation in relation to the accused person is ongoing. We want the court to give an order to this effect,” the director of public prosecution told the court.  

Mr Sabally who was not represented by a lawyer told the court: “I have been detained for five weeks during which I cooperated with the investigators… I have a wife and children.

GAMCOTRAP Engages with the Lived Realities of Rural Women

resume on October 14 for hearing.

Nine hundred women and religious leaders in the Upper River, Central River and Lower River Regions are targeted to increase awareness on the lived realities of rural women within the context of QIWAMAH AND WILAYAH.   The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP), funded by The Tides Foundation, through the New Field Foundation will build the capacity of a critical mass of male and female religious leaders, women leaders and women of reproductive age in the rural areas to foster exchange of experience and mutual support of women’s rights and justice within their communities.  This is within the context of the project entitled "Increasing Awareness and Documentation of Women's Rights Issues on the Life Stories on Qiwamah and Wilayah in Three Districts of Rural Gambia."  The project is specifically targeting 450 religious scholars and 450 women.

In 2012, GAMCOTRAP as a member of MUSAWAH, a global movement to promote Equality and Justice in the Muslim family undertook a research project on the lived realities of thirteen Gambian women within the context of QIWAMAH and WILAYAH (QIWI).  While QIWAMAH and WILAYAH are contextualized as legal responsibilities of men providing protection and upkeep of the family, the data collected from the lived realities of the women revealed different narratives.

The data collected, revealed how women struggled in their daily lives to survive and support their families irrespective of whether the husband is alive or dead, or whether he is around or travelled or whether divorced or inherited. This is irrespective of geographical location, educational background, age or status. The high illiteracy rate among women, the prevalent rate of violence on women, and the strong adherence of deep-rooted culture and traditional practices exacerbate the problem. These coupled with women’s limited knowledge about their rights in their religion all have negative impact on women’s health and livelihood.

This is the main aim of the project sharing experiences and providing evidences of how QIWI concepts actually acts out or manifest for Muslim women in the Gambia.  The voices of the thirteen (13) respondents have been developed into a video documentary and a booklet funded by New Field Foundation.  These will be used as resource materials to raise the awareness of women, religious and Islamic scholars to effect change.  The resource materials will be widely disseminated for people to appreciate what women experience. It will also serve as resource material for feminist analysis within the framework of Islam and Human Rights of women. 

Source: GAMCOTRAP