The
22 reinstated Gambian ambassadors Monday held talks with the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad.
According
to officials of the ministry, the diplomats met the new minister for
introduction purposes, as well as to make their contributions, ahead of the new
foreign policy validation.
Speaking
at the meeting, Ousainou Darboe, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International
Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, thanked the ambassadors for the step they took
during the difficult time.
He
said their step to call on former President Yahya Jammeh to step down
influenced the process.
“You
have shown the world that when it comes to push, you are prepared to give The
Gambia a good image as our image has been tarnished.”
“We
are grateful for that. Your reinstatement was done in pursuit of our policy. We
do not believe that any person serving in the former government should have his
or her services temporarily dispensed with, because we believe in due process,”
he said.
Mr
Darboe said all missions are important, but they are very much concerned about
the missions in Washington, United Nations, United Kingdom, and Ethiopia as
headquarters of African Union, and Nigeria as headquarters of the ECOWAS.
Speaking
earlier, Lamin Faati, Permanent Secretary 2 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in Banjul, said there is a new government in place and it was important for the
diplomats to use the opportunity to meet the new minister.
He
recalled that during the impasse, the ambassadors put pressure on the former
government to relinquish power.
“As
ministry of Foreign Affairs, we decided to have an interaction with the
minister since they are in the forefront of diplomacy and foreign policy,” said
PS Faati.
Also
speaking was Dembo Badjie, dean of the Gambian diplomats and Gambia’s
Ambassador to the Peoples’ Republic of China, who said some months back the
ambassadors articulated their views on the prevailing circumstances in the
country at the time, because they felt that diplomacy is about image.
He
said on 2 December 2016, The Gambia was on the world map for all the right
reasons and, again on 9 December, the country was on the world map for all the
wrong reasons.
“As
the representatives of the country abroad, we felt that it is our professional
duty to speak out on the issues and ask the former government to step down, and
to ensure the peaceful transfer of power to the president-elect at the time,
Adama Barrow, in accordance with the will of the Gambian people.”
He
thanked the government for reinstating them in their positions, recalling when
the decision was made by the former president for their jobs to be
terminated.
Ambassador
Badgie assured the new authorities in Banjul that they would remain resolutely
committed to supporting the government, and will continue to do their job
professionally “in the best interest of the government of The Gambia and
Gambians.”
