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To open this debate, I have taken the liberty of lifting some critical statements from Yolocamba Director's letter supporting the case against GAMCOTRAP. Those statements below will accompany this debate at all times in order to guide our submissions.

I believe Yolocamba Solidaridad, contrary to her submission, is NOT a NON-PROFIT NGO in her activities to eliminate "FGM" in Gambia. Yolocamba's project with GAMCOTRAP was funded / financed by Spanish taxpayers through the Spanish government administration. This establishes that Yolocamba's project with GAMCOTRAP is NOT Non-Governmental in nature.

I encourage coleagues here who wish to argue the opposite of the debate topic to share their arguments with us. Let us stay within the topic however and not stray too far afield because the case Yolocamba V. Gamcotrap is under consideration by The Gambia Courts. I encourage JDAM and Owens to afford us the benefit of their legal expertise in this debate.

I also encourage The Gambia Courts to counsel the prosecutors to adjust the style of the case to reflect the true plaintiff (Yolocamba Solidaridad) and defendant/s (Gamcotrap).

The debate is enjoined.

Haruna.

Yolocamba Solidaridad is a Spanish nonprofit NGDO which had worked since 1998 for

equality, justice, and development of the peoples.

This means that the money sent to Gamcotrap is public money, come from a Spanish

public administration, and is subject to the conditions of management of public money

and the rules of transparency and accountability of all public authorities and

international cooperation.

In this situation, and as responsible for the transparent management of public funds, we

put the problem to the attention of the government of Gambia, of course in any

situation like this in countries that have made commitments through international

treaties on protection of Human rights and where there is legislation to ensure the

safety of persons.

The Spanish Embassy in The Gambia, The AECID (The Spanish Agency for the

International Cooperation to Development), and the Region of Madrid (financier) are

aware of this situation. Yolocamba Solidarity has received the support of these agencies

and other international agencies and experts.

All of them think that it is inappropriate to use the rights of women to hide a situation

like this one.

We believe that Gamcotrap has violated all principles of international cooperation and

solidarity.

Begoña Ballesteros Sánchez

Director of YS

November 2010

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