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The maiden edition of West African Ambassadors’ Cultural Day was held on July 27th, at the gardens of the Embassy of the Republic of The Gambia in Brussels, Belgium. High-level dignitaries, including several African Ambassadors in Belgium and other guests, attended the event. The culturally focused event featured traditional musical performances by musical groups from Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau, followed by a rendition of cultural music from all West African countries and displays of West African dishes. In welcoming the guests to the event, Ambassador Pa Musa Jobarteh dwelt on the significance of the event in bringing together the members of the West African Community under one roof to display shared history and culture as well as to promote unity. He also mentioned that “through this cultural day, we hope to display our rich heritage and traditions, unity, strength, and the shared aspirations of our region and peoples. Each culture represented here shall showcase its uniqueness tied to our collective identity. It is my strong belief that it is through events like this that we can strengthen our bonds and deepen our mutual understanding”. H.E. Leopold Bonkoungou, Ambassador of the Republic of Burkina Faso, who is the current rotating Chair of the West African Ambassadors in Belgium applauded the Gambia Embassy for successfully hosting the maiden event. The Ambassador noted that “it was important to find channels to strengthen the spirit of solidarity among us, to share convivial moments, and to make people discover the cultural richness, through its different facets, the cultural richness of our countries that history and geography unite”.

H.E. Pa Musa Jobarteh, the Ambassador of the Republic of The Gambia to the Kingdom of Belgium and Permanent Representative to the European Union with concurrent accreditation to the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia on Tuesday, 23rd July 2024 presented his Letters of Credence to the President of the Slovak Republic, His Excellency Peter Pellegrini, as the Ambassador of the Republic of The Gambia to the Slovak Republic at a ceremony held in the Presidential Palace in Bratislava. Ambassador Jobarteh conveyed fraternal greetings from His Excellency President Adama Barrow to the President, the Government and the people of the Slovak Republic. He underscored his willingness to work with the Government of the Slovak Republic to further strengthen the existing bilateral ties between the two countries. His Excellency, President Peter Pellegrini welcomed Ambassador Jobarteh to the Slovak Republic and congratulated him on his appointment as the Ambassador of the Republic of The Gambia. He expressed interest in the Government of the Slovak Republic supporting The Gambia through development cooperation in agriculture, the details of which are to be discussed with the Gambian authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad is pleased to announce the resumption of diplomatic ties between the Republic of The Gambia and the Islamic Republic of Iran on July 29th 2024. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mamadou Tangara met with his counterpart, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Bagheri in Tehran, Iran. The two signed the Communiqué on the resumption of diplomatic relations between The Gambia and Iran. The two Ministers agreed to build friendly bilateral ties between the two countries based on mutual respect, equality and common interests. This development comes after a series of high-level engagements between the representatives of the two countries.

The International Organization for Migration, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Network on Migration in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, hosted the Interregional Dialogue on the Reviews of the Global Compact for Migration for Interstate Consultation Mechanisms on Migration in Africa and the Americas on 23rd and 24th July 2024. The two-day workshop aimed to enhance cooperation between Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regions on migration issues, with a focus on labour mobility and the protection of migrant workers. This initiative aims to improve information sharing, review the progress of the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and explore collaboration opportunities at the global, regional and cross-regional levels. In the opening remarks, the representative from the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), Ms. Yvonne Masara said, “ we recognize the Government of The Gambia for its dedication and commitment to the GCM and for creating a comprehensive framework which will aim to address the challenges, opportunities and issues surrounding migration”. She also emphasized the importance of addressing human rights compliance issues in migration governance. Representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Secretary I, Ambassador Lang Yabou, welcomed the guests from various countries to The Gambia and reaffirmed the government’s commitment, cooperation and solidarity in developing an effective global migration governance framework. He stated that The Gambia is one of the Global Champions of the Global Compact on Migration because like many other countries, is deeply affected by migration. Therefore, “It is important to have a wholesome approach to manage migration effectively.” he continued. Ambassador Yabou encouraged all stakeholders at all levels to continue to engage in constructive dialogue to strengthen collective efforts which will promote safe, orderly and regular migration as well as protect the rights of migrants and harness the potential of migration for sustainable development. The event was attended by various officials from across the international community and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other institutions of government.

Hon. Ummy Mwalimu (MP), Minister for Health of the United Republic of Tanzania and her delegation landed in The Gambia on Friday, July 12, 2024, as the Special Envoy of Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Hon. Mwalimu was received by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Mamadou Tangara at the Banjul International Airport. The two discussed pertinent bilateral matters between the two countries and proceeded to meet His Excellency President Adama Barrow to deliver the message from Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan. President Barrow buttressed the importance of the relationship between The Gambia and Tanzania and recognized the great strides being made by Tanzania under the leadership of President Suluhu Hassan. Hon. Mwalimu thanked President Barrow for granting audience to her and her team and expressed that Tanzania looks forward to continued cooperation with The Gambia.

In his opening statement, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, mentioned that at the recently concluded ambassadorial preparatory meeting, extensive deliberations were held on the Commission's efforts in addressing developments in the political, security, and humanitarian situation of the sub-region. Furthermore, Dr. Touray announced that the upcoming ECOWAS Summit will consider Memoranda on the sub-region's political, peace, and security situation. The Summit will also critically assess the Memorandum on the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Security Architecture and the report of the meeting of Finance and Defense Ministers. The Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, His Excellency Yusuf Tuggar, who doubles as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, highlighted terrorism as one of the major threats the Community is facing. he urged the meeting to adopt appropriate response measures in addressing the challenges being faced by the member states. Minister Tuggar said, “ it is crucial for every country within ECOWAS, including those in the Sahelian belt, to understand that the fight against terrorism is not the burden of a few but a collective responsibility. Therefore, we must remain united and demonstrate