State
House, Banjul, 14 March 2020 - President
Adama Barrow and his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall have entreated
respective and successive governments of The Gambia and Senegal to endeavour,
upon signature, to fully implement the bilateral agreements reached at the
second Presidential Council Meeting held in Dakar.
The assembly provided the political leadership
of the two countries with an avenue to dialogue on key issues of common
interest and take concrete decisions on them for the mutual benefit and
socio-economic development of their peoples.
President Barrow in addressing the opening
session, stated that “successes and appreciable levels of implementation” have
been registered since the first Presidential Council Meeting held in Banjul, in
March 2018. However, he argued that more needs to be done to enable both
countries fully and successfully implement the programmes agreed jointly.
It was an intensive three days of diplomatic
engagements in the Senegalese capital. Technical experts and political
leadership of the two countries deliberated on policy matters of strategic
interests to both their peoples and respective countries.
In spite of socio-cultural, historical,
geographical and economic ties, the two countries have been facing challenges
to fully integrate as one. Their model of integration is believed to serve as
an embodiment of the much dreamt of African unity.
Since the boundaries separated them as
independent republics over a century ago, consecutive heads of states from both
sides for the past fifty years have been working to realise such a unity dream.
The Senegambia Bridge
Presidents Barrow and Sall, meanwhile, have
committed themselves with renewed zeal to cement this existence as “two nations
living in peace and prosperity.”
In the area of trade for example, a key
success story for them is the inauguration and the opening of the SeneGambia
Bridge in 2019. It enables free traffic flow between the northern and southern
parts of both The Gambia and Senegal.
The
bridge also enables farmers and traders to reap the benefits accruing from the
ease of movement and, to a larger extent, facilitates increased sub-regional
trade in pursuance of ECOWAS integration objectives.
President Macky Sall described the SeneGambia
Bridge as representing more than a development infrastructure; rather, he
described it as a link between their peoples and a tool for African integration
through free movement of people and goods.
He
emphasised its importance to the integration efforts of both countries and the
sub region in general. President Sall maintained that the two governments must
ensure the fluidity of public and private transport on both sides.
“It is for this very purpose that significant
investments were made in the construction of the bridge. It must be made clear
that blockages and other obstacles to free movement people and property are not
acceptable,” he emphasized.
The Senegalese President asked that the
respective governments must not tolerate such acts contrary to bilateral
agreements and ECOWAS community instruments on freedom of movement of people
and goods.
President Sall said it is equally important
that the two governments continue to work together so as to remove obstacles to
the full implementation of the Agreement on Road Transport, including by
setting up the Observatory of Abnormal Practices, in accordance with the
conclusions of the First Presidential Council held in Banjul.
One people, two republics
President Barrow in his opening statement to
the Council, reiterated that the Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of
Senegal are tied by destiny.
“We may be two nations, but we are one people.
Our development aspirations are closely linked,” he said.
“This means that, as a people and as political
leaders of the two countries, our endeavours revolve around enhancing the
advancement of our peoples and fostering the economic development of the
Senegambia region,” he added.
The Gambian leader emphasizd that this is a
responsibility that both governments should task themselves.
He expressed delight that through constant
engagements between senior officials and the political leadership of the two
countries, hindrances to smooth transport of persons, goods and services
between The Gambia and Senegal through border closures are being successfully
managed. The dialogue with unions on both sides is yielding fruit accordingly.
“Through this meeting,” he went on, “the two
governments and indeed the two of us, have committed ourselves to raise the bar
of the bilateral cooperation between The Gambia and Senegal to a strategic
partnership and offer the latter as a model for emulation in the sub region and
a beacon of hope of integration at the continental level.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs, International
Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Mamadou Tangara said the two governments
should commit to transforming the SeneGambia cooperation.
“Our partnership must be cherished and
jealously guarded so that future generations of Gambians and Senegalese will
learn from it and carry forward the baton as they continue our race for peace,
progress, prosperity, and brotherhood,” Dr. Tangara said at the Ministerial
Meeting that preceded the eve of the Presidential Council meeting.
In order to consolidate the achievements and
accelerate the implementation of the bilateral agreements, the two heads of
states in a Joint Communiqué read by their respective Foreign Ministers, urged
their governments to implement the roadmaps with specific deadlines, notably in
the following areas:
1. Defence, Security, Border Management and
Environmental Protection
2.
Economic Exchanges, Free Movement of people and goods (integration, trade,
customs, transport, fisheries and Consular Affairs).
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