I hope and pray that leaders on both sides of the border will recognized
that the special relations between the Gambia and Senegal cannot be left to
the mercy of transportion unionists. If there are laws that protect free
movement of people and goods across the border such must be enforced.

Malanding

Fresh Trouble Re-Ignites Gambia-Senegal Impasse, Confrontations At
Yellitenda-Bamba Tenda



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The Independent (Banjul)

April 17, 2003
Posted to the web April 17, 2003

Lamin Njie
Banjul

Fresh problems have been reported along the transportation routes between
Senegal and The Gambia after drivers from both sides of the palaver fought
at a key river crossing.

Unimpeachable sources told The Independent that the impasse between the two
transportation associations has aggravated to such an extent that security
personnel of both countries were seen in the areas around Karang and
Amdalaye.

This fresh trouble, which casts a spanner in the works of both nations'
transport authorities to resolve the crisis began when a row between Gambian
and Senegalese drivers led to a war of fists around the Yellitenda-Bamba
Tenda river crossing.

Sources claimed that the aggravation of the situation could be gleaned from
the fact that vehicles from The Gambian side of the border must end their
journey at Amdalaye while vehicles from Senegal's side should stop at
Karang, causing great difficulties for people and goods.

Although the Gambian Army Chief of Staff Colonel Baboucarr Jatta told The
Independent Tuesday that they have received no such reports of a serious
flare-up between Gambian and Senegalese drivers, persistent reports speak of
confrontations between drivers of the two countries as they try to break the
road deadlock by other means other than dialogue.

"Incidents like that always happen there since the problem between the two
transport unions but I have not been informed. It may take some time to
reach my men and me. We will also do our investigations" Colonel Jatta
promised.

On whether he was aware that security personnel from both countries have
been deployed along the affected areas of the border shared by The Gambia
and Senegal, Colonel Jatta said he wouldn't know because he was arriving
from tour of West Africa, the last lap of which took him to the Senegalese
capital Dakar.

Meanwhile the standoff continues to disrupt the normal flow of traffic for
commercial vehicles between the two countries.

Momat Sane a Senegalese trader who travels between the two countries blamed
the Senegalese Transport Union for the standoff, saying by first declaring
that commercial vehicles from The Gambia are not to cross the border into
Senegal. "Although I am a Senegalese such a decision represents a betrayal
of Senegambian brotherhood that existed between the two countries for ages.
We the traders will feel the pinch for as long as the problem is not
resolved," he said.

Amadou Jobe a Gambian traveler blamed both transport associations for the
problem, which he said could have been avoided if their members really
respect the fraternal bond between peoples of the two countries.

He said the prolonged nature of the crisis showed that lip service was being
paid to the idea of Senegambia. "For the sake of our two peoples, members of
both associations should resolve the deadlock," he suggested.

In an earlier interview with The Independent Daddy Sowe the president of The
Gambia Transport Association squarely blamed his Senegalese counterpart for
not taking any decisive action that could help strike a compromise. An
official at the Department of Communication Technology and Information said
efforts are on-going up to end the standoff but owned up to the fact that
little progress was being made. "We are ready to work with the Senegalese
authorities" declining to make any further comment.



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