Article

2015-12-13 Africa Subsaharan

Gambia now an Islamic republic, says President

The Gambia has been declared an Islamic republic by President Yahya Jammeh who said he wanted to further distance the west African state from its colonial past. The tiny, formerly secular country – named after the river from which British ships are said to have fired cannonballs to fix its borders – joins the ranks of other officially Islamic republics such as Iran and Afghanistan.

Good company...

“In line with the country’s religious identity and values I proclaim Gambia as an Islamic state,” said Jammeh on state television. “As Muslims are the majority in the country, Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy.”

The Gambia’s population of 1.8 million people are 95% Muslim. Jammeh said citizens of other faiths would still be able to practise.

I think there's a book somewhere that describes exactly how that is to be done...

Jammeh, an animated orator who has earned the reputation for making surprise declarations over the course of his 21-year presidency, pulled the Gambia out of the Commonwealth in 2013, calling it neo-colonial. In 2007 he claimed to have found a herbal cure for Aids.

A loon leads an islamic republic. What could go wrong?

Despite strong commercial ties with Britain and other European countries whose citizens are regular visitors to the Gambia’s white-sand beaches, relations with the west have deteriorated in recent years.

The European Union temporarily withheld aid money in 2014 over Gambia’s poor human rights record. The Gambia, whose main industries are agriculture and tourism, ranks 165 out of 187 countries on the UN development index.

I think I'll take the waters elsewhere...

The blogger Sidi Sanneh, a former foreign minister who has become a US-based dissident, said: “Starved of development funds because of his deplorable human rights record and economic mismanagement, Jammeh is looking towards the Arab world as substitute for and source of development aid.”

I guess El Jefe didn't hear about the collapse in the price of oil and the problems of the Soddies...

Posted by Steve White 2015-12-13 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11138 views ] Top

#1 I guess El Jefe didn't hear about the collapse in the price of oil and the problems of the Soddies...

...True enough, but on the other hand the Saudis could be down to a buck fifty they found in the throne cushions and a couple of bus tokens and they'd still have more money than the Gambia.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2015-12-13 08:14|| 2015-12-13 08:14|| Front Page Top

#2 ^ true and lol

Posted by Shipman 2015-12-13 08:45|| 2015-12-13 08:45|| Front Page Top

#3 The Gambia?

Rickey Henderson approves

Posted by Frank G 2015-12-13 12:38|| 2015-12-13 12:38|| Front Page Top

#4 I suspect the fickle response to ISIS will result in a number of nations with high Muslim populations to become Islamic Republics.

Posted by rjschwarz 2015-12-13 20:32|| 2015-12-13 20:32|| Front Page Top

#5 See RELATED WORLD MILITARY FORUM > GAMBIA DECLARES ITSELF TO BE AN ISLAMIC STATE, SECOND TO DECLARE AFTER MAURITANIA. PRO-TAIWAN, ANTI-BEIJING PRESIDENT JAMMEH ONCE TOLD FORMER US POTUS GEORGE BUSH [Dubya = Bush 43] IN 2007 HE CAN SEND GAMBIAN TROOPS TO ATTACK MAINLAND CHINA'S COASTAL ECONOMIC ZONE TO DETER EXPANSION BY BEIJING ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT, + TO BASE GAMBIAN TROOPS ON TAIWAN TO HELP DETER ANY MILITARY ATTACK FROM BEIJING.

The above being said, looks like LIBERIA + SOUTH AFRICA are now that much important to US AFRICOM.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2015-12-13 23:15|| 2015-12-13 23:15|| Front Page Top

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