ECOWAS CITIZENS IN THE GAMBIA CRY FOUL (NIGERIANS & SENEGALESE) VICTIMISED BY YAHYA JAMMEH (Source PANA and Lesoleil.sn). Both the French and English versions of PANA'S AND LESOLEIL.SN'S report on the latest driective being applied by The Gambia Police force against foreigners can be seen below: ENGLISH VERSION: GAMBIA:FOREIGNERS NOT AUTHORISED TO DRIVE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN THE GAMBIA. Article published on thursday February 12th 2004. The Gambia Police Force yesterday started imposing a new directive that prohibits foreigners from driving commercial vehicles within Gambian territory. Pa Jallow,the spokesperson of the Gambia Police Force,emphasised that henceforth foreigners will only be authorised to drive private vehicles (cars),he further argued that The Gambia Police Force had in The past been encountering difficulties with non Gambian drivers.The greater part of those foreign drivers who are affected by this latest directive originate from Nigeria and Senegal."This is total discrimination that has been directed towards non Gambian taxi drivers pure and simple",said Felix Stevens a Nigerian taxi driver who denounced the Gambian authorities for applying this lates measure.The drivers concerned have so far regrouped and ready to apply pressure therefore fight against this new directive.Their first step will be to meet diplomats or representatives from their respective countries accredited to The Gambia. Likewise they will contact all human rights agencies in The Gambia thus register their complaints within a legal framework. Most of the taxi drivers in The Gambia are foreigners,originally from Nigeria,Senegal and other (ECOWAS) member states. Source:PANA. FRENCH VERSION:LA CONDUITE DES VEHICULES COMMERCIAUX INTERDITE AUX ETRANGERS. Article publie dans l'edition du Jeudi 12 fevrier 2004. La Police gambienne a commence,hier,a appliquer une nouvelle directive interdissant aux conducteurs etrangers de vehicules commerciaux d'exercer dans le pays.Pa Jallow,le porte parole de la police,a precise que les etrangers ne seront desormais autorises a conduire que des vehicules particuliers,expliquant la police gambienne avait, dans le passe,rencontre beaucoup de difficultes avec les chaufeurs non gambiens.Les personnes les plus touchees par cette mesure sont les chaufeurs des taxis originaires du Nigeria et du Senegal. "C'est de la discrimination pure et simple a l'egard des chaufeurs de taxis etrangers en Gambie",a denonce Felix Stevens ,un chaufeur de taxi nigerian. Les chaufeurs concernes qui se sont mobilises pour faire pression contre cette nouvelle politique,ont dit qu'ils contacteront eux-memes leurs ambassades respectives,mais aussi les institutions de defenses des droits de l'homme en Gambie.La plupart des conducteurs de vehicules commerciaux en Gambie viennent du Nigeria,du Senegal et d'autres pays de la communaute economique des Etats d'Afrique de L'Ouest(CEDEAO). (PANA) Please visit lesoleil.sn or PANA-Pan African News Agency's archives, for further verifications.OPTV has no interest whatsoever to talk about a mad man like Yahya if he was not riding on our people's backs with a cutlass! Next OPTV will translate walfadjr's latest article on The Gambia-Senegal border impasse.Gambia increases tariffs on Senegalese vehicles and people passing through Bureng and other border posts.A Senegalese district governor and angry Senegalese Youths protest against that sudden unnecessary mad move. Visit www.walf.sn(february 14 the 2004 and see for yourselves). God knows that the aim of all concerned Gambians is the same and no one has the time to go against a mad man if our people were not affected by this sad soul. Binneh S Minteh New York University ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~