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WANJOP Bissau coordinator visits The Gambia

Dec 24, 2010, 2:21 PM | Article By: Yusuf Ceesay

The National Coordinator of the West African Network of Journalists for Peacebuilding (WANJOP) in Guinea Bissau, Joao Umpa Mendes, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Regional President and National Coordinator of WANJOP in The Gambia.

Speaking during a brief meeting at The Point offices in Bakau, Mr Mendes said he came to share experience with his Gambian counterparts and to learn from them. “I am very happy to visit you guys,” he says.

Mendes reveals that he has been organising sensitisation programes in Bissau to popularise the network.

He used the opportunity to thank the people of The Gambia for their hospitality. “We have been working with some UN agencies and civil society organisations in Bissau to promote peace in our country,” he says.

In receiving the visiting Bissau WANJOP coordinator, the regional president of the network, Nfamara Jawneh, thanked Mendes for the visit, and urged him to keep up the good work and continue to promote peace in Guinea Bissau.

“As you know the people of Bissau have suffered a lot and since there is peace now it’s your responsibility to promote the maintenance of peace and stability in your country,” Jawneh says.

WANJOP regional boss further told the visiting Bissau coordinator that countries like The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Benin and Ghana, to some extent, have gone very far. “It is my responsibility as regional president of WANJOP to ensure the countries are moving at the same level and as a result I will be also visiting Bissau and Senegal in the first quarter of 2011 - inshalah,” Jawneh stated.

He said that the visit would help him to have firsthand information on the progress made by these countries and to provide them with technical support.

For his part, Modou Sanyang, WANJOP national coordinator for The Gambia, informed his Guinean counterpart of the achievements registered by the country.

“We have formed our national steering committee and are in the process of registering so that we can officially start operations in the country,” he says, adding that they have registered good number of members who have also paid their fees.

Baboucarr Senghore, editor-in-chief of The Point newspaper, welcomed Mr Mendes to The Gambia and The Point. He also praised the Gambian team for their achievements.