GAMBIA EXPELS EU CHARGEE D’AFFAIRES

By Suwaibou Touray and Saikou Nyassi The Chargee d’Affaires of the EU Delegation to The Gambia Agnes Guillaud has been asked to leave the country. According to a release broadcast over The Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) on June 5^th, the EU Chargee D’Affaires is asked to leave the jurisdiction of the Gambia within 72 hours as from Friday 5^th June 2015. The release did not indicate any reason for the expulsion. Reports have it that Mme Guillaud is expected to depart today. The EU is considered to be the Gambia’s biggest development partner. The majority of funds are mainly focused in the following areas:

• Infrastructure
• Governance (comprising justice, media and public financial management components)
• Rural development
• Food security
• Climate change (particularly coastal zone management)
• Water and sanitation
• Technical cooperation

In her speech at the inauguration ceremony of the Basse By-pass – Sabi Road on 21 March 2015, the EU Chargée d’Affaires, Mme Agnès Guillaud indicated that “in the roads sector alone, the European Union financed a total of 76.5 million euros (equivalent to more than four billion dalasis) for the rehabilitation and construction of 273 km of road in The Gambia. This is nearly 50% of the paved road network of this country.” According to media reports, an EU foreign affairs spokeswoman said the European Union was summoning the Gambian ambassador on Saturday to seek an explanation.]]>