We would like to say Eid Mubarak to you as the father of the nation and by extension to the people of The Gambia and the Islamic Ummah!
This year, we have noticed that many people in The Gambia are finding it very difficult to buy ram or other livestock to sacrifice for the Eid, which will be celebrated Wednesday 28 June 2023.
The inability of many people to buy a ram for the Eid is mainly due to the current exchange rate in the country, especially between the Dalasi and the CFA. Another reason could be attributed to the aftermath of the recent political upheaval in Senegal where most of the livestock such as rams are coming from.
As a result, prices of rams and other livestock have skyrocketed. For instance, a single ram now costs about D17,000 and above, which has rendered many people unable to buy a ram to sacrifice for the Eid, a vital Islamic feast to be done by every Muslim who can afford it.
However, we recognise the fact that Government has made tremendous efforts to help or cushion the situation by waiving or removing municipal tax, giving livestock dealers discount of 50% for ferries crossing, and clearing excessive immigration modalities or red tape, all in the spirit of cutting down the cost of importing livestock into the country and the final retail price.
Mr President, another issue of concern is security. Security is essential towards the Eid and during the period of festivities so that every person in the country will have a peaceful and blissful Tobaski. There is a need for security to be alert especially around the markets and shopping areas in order to protect the people as they do their shopping for Tobaski.
Mr President, another strand to our security concern is the protection of the borders of The Gambia. This concern is vital because the Senegalese ministers of Interior and of Tourism did reveal in the first week of this month during the political protest involving the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, that terrorists and other people armed with sophisticated arms and ammunition were involved in that demonstration and that some of them had been arrested.
Furthermore, the Senegalese President Macky Sall on April 4 this year – Senegal’s National Day - announced that the jihadists are at the borders of the eastern part of Senegal, which is also a recipe for security problems in our sub-region.
Mr President, the jihadists are a strong and dangerous rebel group well financed, trained and equipped to achieve their aim of conquering the Sahelian countries to transform them to Islamic states. According to security sources, currently the jihadists are operating in countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Central Africa Republic and are threatening to penetrate Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, Togo and other parts in the Sahel.
Mr President, it is also good to note that over 1,000 Russian mercenaries are working for a private company called Wagner and are in Mali to fight the jihadists. The Russian mercenary group Wagner is alleged to have 1,500 troops in Mali, 1,200 troops in Central Africa and are also in Sudan and Libya.
For these reasons, The Gambia should be red alert on security matters, especially at our porous borders, to avert any cross-border incident. Our security forces should also be equipped to face any challenges and eventualities.
Once again, we say Eid Mubarak to you and all the people living in The Gambia!
Good day!