The Gambia - Foreign Relations
The Gambia maintains generally good relations with other African countries. In June 2006 the Gambia successfully hosted the summit of the African Union. Jammeh has mediated (sic) both in the peace process in Guinea-Bissau between 1998 and 2000 and in the peace process in the Casamance region of Senegal. However relations with Senegal in recent years have been difficult effecting trade and transport issues. Relations further worsened when Jammeh accused Senegal of habouring those behind the coup attempt of March 2006.
The Gambia followed a formal policy of nonalignment throughout most of former President Jawara's tenure. It maintained close relations with the United Kingdom, Senegal, and other African countries. The July 1994 coup strained The Gambia's relationship with Western powers, particularly the United States, which until 2002 suspended most non-humanitarian assistance in accordance with Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act. Beginning in 1995, President Jammeh established diplomatic relations with several additional countries, including Libya, Taiwan, and Cuba.
The Gambia plays an active role in international affairs, especially West African and Islamic affairs, although its representation abroad is limited. As a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Gambia has played an active role in that organization's efforts to resolve the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and contributed troops to the community's ceasefire monitoring group (ECOMOG) in 1990 and (ECOMIL) in 2003. It also has sought to mediate disputes in nearby Guinea-Bissau and the neighboring Casamance region of Senegal. The Government of The Gambia believes Senegal was complicit in the March 2006 failed coup attempt. This has put increasing strains on relations between The Gambia and its neighbor. The subsequent worsening of the human rights situation has placed increasing strains of U.S.-Gambia relations.
The Gambia is a member of the Commonwealth. In 2000 the Gambia was referred to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) over concerns that the country was not respecting the political and human rights values of the organisation. In 2005 the Commonwealth appointed a representative, the Nigerian retired general and former President Abubakar, as special envoy in the run up to the elections. It was again on CMAG agenda in 2009 following a visit by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Under Jammeh the Gambia has developed links with many countries in the Islamic world, including Libya who offered political support in the 1990s. Gadafi visited Banjul in July 2009. Ties have been developed more recently with Iran (Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is slated to visit Banjul on 22 November 2009) and Venezuala, who have offered financial support. The Islamic development bank and OPEC have offered financial support, for example in road building projects.
Historically the UK had strong ties with the Gambia. Many thousands of Gambians have lived and studied in the UK, and some 60,000 British citizens visit the Gambia on holiday each year. Diplomatic relations were strained following the 1994 coup, and again following the expulsion of the UK Deputy High Commissioner in 2001. On 02 October 2013, the Government's interior minister announced on state TV that The Gambia would leave the Commonwealth of Nations with immediate effect.
The Statement by President Yahya Jammeh on the occasion of the Gambia’s 49th Independence anniversary 18th February 2014: "My Government places a high premium on national security and this sacred national interest will never be sacrificed on the altar of satanic and ungodly international standards that continue to promote the evil Agenda of the world powers that are today playing god to Africa and the third world. ... the coercive and dictatorial pressures by some foreign powers aimed at imposing on us their ungodly and decadent cultures like homosexuality and unbridled freedoms that endanger the peace and welfare of the majority, will never be accepted in this country.These dangerous and irresponsible freedoms by these satanic forces would one day lead to brothers marrying their biological sisters and fathers marrying their own daughters and mothers marrying their own sons.Such an evil world they are preparing for mankind, cannot be accepted by We ALLAH worshipping Muslims and Christians the world over; more so Africans especially Gambians.
"We cannot be called dignified and independent when instead of putting our destiny in the MIGHT OF THE ALMIGHTY ALLAH’s custody, we look up satanic powers that be; whose only objective for humanity is to glorify all that is Evil and Ungodly. These so-called world powers of today’s world comprising racist, Homosexual, Devil-and-material- worshipping perverts bent on the continuous sucking of African blood and resources to perpetuate decadence, abject poverty, violence and mayhem in Africa, cannot be listened to by ALLAH-worshipping people like us more sobe taken for Masters. I am sure that even Iblis or Satan believes that he is less evil than these powers who have set one set of standards for themselves, and another for the rest of mankind especially Africans....
"On the international front, The Gambia will continue to pursue a foreign policy based on equality and genuine friendship with the rest of the world. Such friendship must be anchored on mutual respect and the inviolability of our sovereignty and independence. We are not against any country or race but we demand absolute respect for our religious values from all nations regardless of size race, wealth or ideology. In interacting with the rest of the world, we shall continue to jealously guard our independence and sovereignty. We do not and shall never interfere with the domestic politics of any nation and therefore we will not tolerate interference in our domestic affairs under any guise. Our Islamic Faith is precious and we shall guard and preserve it by all means necessary. While we wish to maintain peaceful relations with all countries near and far, we will never accept any Ungodly, Satanic and Anti Human behaviour as a way of life or a human right.Homosexuality will never be tolerated and in fact will attract the ultimate penalty since it is intended to bring humanity to an inglorious extinction. We will fight these vermins called Homosexuals or gays the same way we are fighting malaria-causing mosquitoes; if not more aggressively.
"Let me also make it very clear that Gambia will not spare any homosexual and therefore no Diplomatic Immunity will be respected for any Diplomat who is found guilty or accused of being a homosexual. We will also not accept Diplomats that are homosexuals."
Gambia accused the International Criminal Court of ignoring “war crimes” 26 October 2016 as it withdrew from the institution, following in the footsteps of South Africa and Burundi, which withdrew from the court earlier in the month. Gambia’s Information Minister Sheriff Bojang accused the court system of being racist and unfairly targeting Africans for prosecution. "This action is warranted by the fact that the ICC, despite being called the International Criminal Court, is in fact an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of color, especially Africans," he said on state television.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on 14 February 2017 that Gambia, which was seeking to emerge from more than two decades of authoritarian rule, would be readmitted "as fast as possible" to the Commonwealth. Longtime leader Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled since seizing power in 1994, fled Gambia in January 2017 after regional militaries launched an operation to remove him. In 2013, the mercurial former coup leader pulled his tiny West African nation out of the Commonwealth. Gambia's new president, Adama Barrow, also planned to stop Gambia's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
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