In observance of the commemoration of the day set aside for Forced Migrants, Asylum Seekers, Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons, and those seeking for International Protection, scheduled on June 20th, the Gambia Union of Forced Migrants was newly established in Dakar, Senegal.
This newly formed union is purposely created to oversee the general welfare, the promotion, the protection, and the defense of all the citizens of the Gambia who are either forced to migrate to a foreign land, to be an asylum seeker, a refugee, and those seeking for international protection.
It has now been nearly two solid decades, that people of the Gambia have witnessed the brutal yoke of bad governance, ruthless economic lifestyle, merciless dictatorship, which left the country in the darkness of social immorality, political instability, economic corruption, and even religious misguidance.
Confirmed reports have it that the number of Gambian citizens currently present in Senegal as forced migrants, asylum seekers and those looking for international protection, has out-matched the number of citizens of all the other nations looking for the same status. Looking at this burning issue, currently affecting the general life of our people in Dakar, we have decided to come-up with this Union that is going to allow us to collectively table our problems, issues, and concerns as people of the same nation.
We were told that one of the best ways of fighting dictatorship is to be solidly organized to share information and to take actions.
The current status-quo in the Gambia has made most of our assets to be banished from the Gambia mainly due to current harassment, intimidations, victimization, prosecution, torture, incarceration, bullying and false imprisonment. The above has made our people to be living in deplorable conditions in Dakar-Senegal and other parts of the World.
The Gambia Union of Forced Migrants has come to stay, and will continuously be fighting for the proper promotion and protection of all the vulnerable Gambians currently living in Dakar-Senegal. The Senegalese authorities have been challenged on several occasions with the above mentioned, but have always been reluctant to come forward and shed light on the allegations. Different experts alerted Wade’s government about this deplorable situation. Unfortunately, nowadays, under the new government the situation has worsened. The sad case of one Ebrima Jallow was proof of the worsening conditions of Gambian asylum seekers in Senegal. The Gambian citizen who was accused of homosexuality and was prosecuted by the Gambian government, fell sick and eventually died in Senegal after his asylum claim was not granted by that country’s government.
Now that the situation is like this, we the citizens of the Gambia wish to speak for ourselves, act collectively on our own, solve our problems in our own ways, and also to meet the different International organizations and Institutions, together with the different International Diplomats who are presently in Senegal-Dakar and forward our case under the banner of this newly formed organization; the Gambia Union of Forced Migrants (GUFM).
There are cogent and salient incidents occurring in Senegal that have to do with the lives of Gambian citizens. The Republic of Senegal has never legally been challenged by senior Gambians living in Dakar on some of the burning issues that have to do with Human life and that situation has to change. We must stand for each other especially in our best moments of needs. We must live by each other’s happiness and not each other’s misery. We must stand to fight for the welfare of our citizens; hence they are one of the precious assets we have which is naturally ordained by the Supreme Lord the Almighty. We will try to document all the previous and current cases of each and every Gambian citizen presently in Senegal for legal tussle.
A human being is a social being, so we must be ready to stand for our dignity, honor, respect, and prestige in any foreign land be it white or black.
Furthermore, the West Africa Focal Point of the International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), is also ready and willing to support the new initiative taken by the Gambians Union of Forced Migrants living in Senegal, to advocate and defend the collective fundamental human rights and the general welfare of all Gambians living in Senegal.
We are soliciting mutual cooperation with all the reputable and credible national and international organizations, in sharing credible and cogent information regarding the general welfare of all Gambian Citizens in and around the World.
The Gambian Union of Forced Migrants will also be meeting all the Diplomatic Missions, International Human Rights Organizations, and Civil Society Organization, based in Dakar to sensitize them about the current political, social, economic, cultural life of the Gambian people. Besides, we have drafted a new Constitution which shall be shortly approved, adopted and ratified by the general assembly of the (GUFM) members in Senegal. We also intend to create an office in Dakar, where members of the GUFM will be officially meeting to discuss on all burning and concern matters.
We will also inform the Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the African Commission of Human and People’s Right, to sensitize her about our situation in Senegal.
For further information regarding this new organization, you can reach us through this E-mail account and cell phone number. gufm2014@gmail.com or +221761317195.
The founder of this newly formed organization is named Mr. Abubacarr Saidykhan. The Chairman, the Secretary General, and the Treasurer will be named in a short while following the conclusion of all the formal and official consultation.