Abdoulai G. Dibba
The Political impasse in the Gambia, which is a result of the outgoing president’s rejection of the election result of December 1, has impacted negatively on the weekly markets [Lumos].
Information has it that the Senegalese who are the main players in these Lumos are not forthcoming due to the political impasse.
According to information coming from Farafenni, a border village where lumos are held every Sunday, the ‘lumo’ on Sunday, 15 January, 2017 was virtually empty as the Senegalese vendors failed to come.
Talking to Foroyaa, Hincha Faal, a vendor from The Gambia, revealed that the Sunday Lumo at Farafenni was a failure because there were low sales as their counterpart failed to attend the lumo due to fear for their lives.
Madam Faal asserted that she could not sell the commodities simply because her customers did not come to the ‘lumo’.
‘This ‘lumo’ is a bad ‘lumo’ for me because my customers have not come and when I asked them they said Gambia is not safe,’ stated Hincha Faal.
According to a Senegalese vendor, Amie Diop, she has been attending the Farafenni ‘lumo’ for 19 years now but that the political impasse in the Gambia has created a climate of uncertainty and therefore not safe for her to attend ‘lumos’ in The Gambia until the situation is normal.
‘The political impasse has created economic loss not only to Gambians but Senegalese as well. This is why the situation needs to be addressed with urgency,’ she stated.
