President
Adama Barrow has called on the people of Foni to work together to turn the
country around positively.
The
President made the call yesterday when members of a Foni reconciliation team
paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Fajara.
The
team has been working on national reconciliation, especially between the people
of Foni and the Barrow administration.
President
Barrow assured the group that the concerns raised in a report they presented to
him would be reviewed. He decried tribalism and commended the group for
courageously engaging in dialogue to solve the problem.
He
said that while citizens had worn their party colours during elections, it was
the national colours that took precedence once elections were over.
The
President stressed that he would continue to work based on principles and not
on personal sentiments. He assured the group of his commitment to The Gambia,
without discriminating against any sector or region of the country.
Mr
Barrow said Gambians should take pride in the mature manner in which the
political impasse had been handled, adding that it had become best practice
worthy of emulation across the world.
He
commended the Foni team for its maturity and said their visit and the spirit in
which they came was “a demonstration that we can resolve our own problems.” He
told them that while in office, he intended to make best use of his time and he
emphasised: “It is not the period you are in office, but what you are able to
do during the time you are there that is important. I am convinced that
together we can change the colour of Foni. It is part of our country. Remain
strong and brave and the truth will remain.”
Speaking
for the delegation, Retired General Lang Tombong Tamba said that being received
by the President was indicative of the interest President Barrow had in the
people. He spoke about why reconciliation was necessary, why the efforts had
been made to send a message of peace and to call on the people of Foni to
support the government of the day.
General
Tamba said Foni had always been a support base for the government in power, and
that was why its people did not accept Yahya Jammeh for two years, because of
their support for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime. He said a similar scenario presented itself
when the Barrow government came to power.
He
assured the president that the people of Foni had no major issues with his
government or himself personally but he did share a few concerns. These
included an appeal to drop the charges against the protesters in Kafenda and
Sibanor; reinstatement of those wrongfully dismissed; and access to fertilizers
for the farmers. General Tamba assured Mr Barrow that the people of Foni were
ready to support him, and urged him to address them.
Presidential
Political Adviser Yusupha Cham – who President Barrow had earlier sent on a
mission to Foni – thanked the people of Foni for warmly receiving him during
his visit. He said the protests there had been unfortunate and were not
supported by the majority.
Mr
Cham noted that the people who spoke when he visited Foni, like those who
visiting the president today, accepted Mr Barrow as President, and were aware
of his family link in Foni. He said that
despite the fact that many women support the APRC party, they would want
President Barrow to go there and address them. Mr Cham encouraged the
reconciliation team to continue their efforts to foster peace in the area.
The efforts to bring peace and reconciliation
in Foni have involved many actors, including National Assembly representatives
from Foni, the youth of Sibanor, Foni Jarrol, the Peace Ambassadors group and
the local authorities from the West Coast Region.