Several
Upper River Region (URR) communities said the continuous blockage of waterways
from Senegal streams to The Gambia is affecting their livestock as they hardly
access water for them.
Alkalo
of Sareh Alpha in the region’s Tumani District said their community depends on
the running water from a stream in a neighboring Senegalese village of Niadouba
to provide water to their livestock.
He
said the difficulties his village is facing in accessing water from the streams
in Senegal have been in existence for years. “We have been facing difficulties
in accessing water from Senegal streams to some parts of the Upper River Region
due to the blockage of waterways by a neighboring Senegalese village at the
border. The water flow is important to us as we fish from it and fetch water
for the drinking of our animals.”
He
said they are currently suffering as there is no other source of water for them
to provide drinking water for their animals, saying it will be worse in the dry
season. “We are pleading to the two governments to solve the situation,” he
said.
They
said the blockage was built during former President Yahya Jammeh’s regime when
relationship between the two countries went bad, characterized by border
closures.
Fisheries
Minister over the past months had confirmed to the Standard newspaper
publications that he is working with the foreign Affairs Ministry and the
Senegalese ambassador to expedite the removal of the blockage.
