Government Calls for Immediate Withdrawal of EU Rep


The Independent (Banjul)

January 14, 2002
Posted to the web January 14, 2002

Banjul

The Gambia Government has expelled George Marc Andre the Charge d'Affaires
of the Office of the European Commission, saying his stay here jeorpadises
the smooth relations between the EU and The Gambia.

A note verbale from the embassy of The Gambia to the EU in Brussels dated
December 26 2001, calls for the immediate replacement of Marc Andre barely
four months before the end of his tour of duty, which began in 1998. The
government says although it regrets having to make such a request to the
EU, it holds that Mr. Andre's replacement is in the best interest of Gambia-
EU cooperation. The note verbale indicates that the reasons for prematurely
ending Marc Andre's tour of duty are manifold.

"Not only does Marc Andre at times dwell too long on micro-issues, which
suggests a hidden of his own; he also displays an attitude that borders on
contempt for governmental authority" the note verbale claims. The
government therefore believes that his continued presence as head of the
Commission's office here "risks poisoning the excellent relations that so
happily exist between The Gambia and the European Union".

The Gambia government also claims that working with Marc Andre who was
threatened with expulsion three times previously, would be inimical to the
Gambia's Country Support Strategy that was drawn within the framework of
the Cotonou Partnership Agreement "as it may slow down the high rate of
programme implementation to which The Gambia has been accustomed".

The government's request is also being underlined by another request to
have Mr. Andre replaced by "an official who would be both respectful of The
Gambia's sovereignty and at the same time be disposed to cooperate fully
and openly with the Gambian authorities in the implementation of the
national development programme in general and the Country Support Strategy
in particular".

Although the note verbale is dated December 26 2001, George Marc Andre who
is away on his annual leave received it on January 8 2002.

His expulsion comes on the heels of controversies between his office and
the government over the recent sacking of Dr. Omar Touray the co-ordinator
of the EU Support Unit and Gabriel Gomez the co-ordinator of Agric business
Service Plan Association (ASPA) - actions, which did not go down well with
Mr. Andre, who protested to decision-makers. Dr.Touray and Mr. Gomez were
jointly appointed by the EC programme and The Gambia Government.

George Marc Andre was also noted as having registered open disenchantment
with the handling of the groundnut sub-sector after he justified the
payment of 11 million dollars to help the government in its case with
Alimenta an international groundnut firm. He was also reported to have gone
into loggerheads with government officials over the release of funds from
the EU, which has pumped 10 million Euros for the last few years for the
running of the EC programme in The Gambia.

Marc Andre's expulsion is also being linked to the tone of a December 10
demarche issued by the European Troika, which besides congratulating
President Jammeh for his election victory, highlighted serious concerns
over The Gambia's image in the wake of dismissals from the civil service,
intimidation, harassment and detention of opposition sympathisers and
journalists, which followed last October's presidential poll. The EU
categorically had indicated in the demarche that it was not satisfied with
The Gambia's image, which it warned could deteriorate if the trend is not
contained.

Meanwhile the Africa Working Group of the European Commission would be
meeting this week in Brussels to discuss among other things the expulsion
of George Marc Andre. The meeting would set the basis for the EU response.

In the recent past, the government has made threats to expel Brain Browne
the former US deputy chief of mission at the American Embassy.

Also prior to his expulsion in August last year, Bharat Joshi the then
British High Commissioner to The Gambia was also threatened with expulsion.

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