16 October 2000

Ms. Sigga Jagne



Via email: [log in to unmask]





Foreign &

Commonwealth

Office

King Charles Street

London SW1A 2AH

www.fco.gov.uk



Dear Ms Jagne



Thank you for your e-mail of 10 October to the
Minister for the Cabinet Office, Dr. Mo Mowlam,
expressing your concern at the British Government's
resumption of small-scale military co-operation with
The Gambia. As an officer with responsibilities
towards the Gambia, I have been asked to reply



The resumption of Sandhurst training for Gambian
cadets by no means implies a wholesale endorsement of
the Government of The Gambia's performance since the
1994 coup. We have publicly condemned the harassment
of journalists and opposition activists. The United
Kingdom was instrumental in securing an EU Presidency
Statement following the arrest and charging with
murder of 25 senior opposition UDP activists.



The British Government was also the first to express
its concern over the tragic deaths of students on 10-
11 April this year.



Our High Commissioner called the Secretary of State
for the Interior on 11 April to express our concern at
the high number of casualties, and urged the
government to ensure the security forces exercised
maximum restraint and not fire upon demonstrators. He
stressed the need to maintain full respect for human
rights.



With the full support of the UK, the EU issued a
declaration on 17 April, seeking assurance from the
government of The Gambia, that the incidents leading
to the disturbances are dealt with through dialogue,
and in a peaceful and orderly manner. The president of
The Gambia ordered a Commission of Inquiry later that
same day.

Despite these concerns, the Gambia has repeatedly
proven herself ready to support international
peacekeeping efforts under UN auspices in trouble
spots like Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, East Timor and
Kosovo. This was a key factor in our decision to
support Sandhurst training for Gambian subalterns: we
are keen to support Gambian efforts to create
professional military force capable of carrying out
its international and domestic duties to the fullest
extent possible.



The UK, both directly and with our EU partners, will
continue to monitor events in the Gambia closely. We
urge the government of Gambia to restrict the use of
force; ensure that all enjoy the protection of the
law, and that the rights of all Gambians are respected




Nicholas Hackett


Nicholas Hackett

Africa Department (Equatorial


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