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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚–𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: On Saturday, 20th December 2025 Honourable Sering Modou Njie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, addressed the 2nd Russia–Africa Ministerial Partnership Forum held in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, on behalf of the Government and people of The Republic of The Gambia. Speaking under the theme “𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒, 𝐸𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡,” Hon. Njie highlighted the urgent need for resilient, diversified, and inclusive economies, stressing that for small and vulnerable states such as The Gambia, strategic partnerships are essential to overcoming global shocks, climate challenges, and supply-chain disruptions. Guided by Agenda 2063, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and The Gambia’s Recovery-Focused National Development Plan (2023–2027), the Minister outlined key priority areas for cooperation: ▪️Agriculture and Food Security – climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, mechanisation, agro-processing, and fertilizer security ▪️Energy Development – renewable energy, power generation, grid modernisation, and off-grid solutions ▪️Trade Facilitation & Industrialisation – logistics, fisheries, agro-processing, light manufacturing, and SME development ▪️Human Capital & Digital Transformation – STEM education, TVET, digital skills, innovation, and cybersecurity The Minister reaffirmed The Gambia’s commitment to sustainable, technology-driven partnerships focused on skills development, youth empowerment, and regional value chains. He also announced that The Gambia will host the 10th OIC Ministerial Conference on Agriculture and Food Security in Banjul in the first quarter of 2026, extending a warm invitation to all partners to participate. In closing, Hon. Njie emphasized that Africa seeks partnerships of impact, not dependency, and reiterated The Gambia’s readiness to translate commitments into concrete projects that advance inclusive growth and sustainable development.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚–𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟐𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: The Gambia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, H.E. Sering Modou Njie, on 19th December 2025 held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister, of the Russian Federation H.E Sergey Lavrov on the margins of the 2nd Russia–Africa Ministerial Partnership Forum. Foreign Minister Njie conveyed fraternal greetings from H.E. President Adama Barrow to H.E. President Vladimir Putin, and reaffirmed The Gambia’s commitment to strengthening the longstanding and cordial relations between the two countries. He applauded the warm and friendly ties that have characterized Gambia–Russia relations over the years. Hon. Njie expressed his firm commitment to deepening and expanding bilateral cooperation between The Gambia and the Russian Federation under his leadership as Foreign Minister. He conveyed appreciation to the Government of the Russian Federation for the scholarships awarded to Gambian students, noting their significant contribution to human capital development. The Gambian Foreign Minister further called on the Russian Federation to explore investment opportunities in key sectors of The Gambia’s economy, including but not limited to energy, agriculture, tourism, education, infrastructure, and capacity building. He also warmly welcomed and applauded Russia’s plan to open an Embassy in The Gambia, describing it as a milestone that would further enhance bilateral engagement and cooperation. In response, the Russian Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for The Gambia’s support on a number of international and multilateral issues, and underscored Russia’s interest in strengthening relations with The Gambia. He noted that the meeting would serve as a catalyst for expanded cooperation between the two countries. Both Ministers exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and discussed avenues for enhanced political, economic, educational, and technical cooperation between the two countries.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚–𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐣𝐚 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia, Hon. Sering Modou Njie paid a courtesy visit to his counterpart, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, OON, at his office in Abuja. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government Summit. The visit provided an opportunity for both Ministers to reaffirm the longstanding cordial and brotherly relations between The Gambia and Nigeria, and to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, Hon. Njie expressed profound appreciation to the Government and people of Nigeria for their continued technical assistance and capacity-building support, particularly in the areas of defence and security, health, education, and the judiciary. He underscored the important role Nigeria has played in supporting The Gambia’s development efforts and institutional strengthening over the years. Both Ministers reiterated their shared commitment to further deepening and consolidating bilateral relations, guided by mutual respect, solidarity, and shared regional and international priorities. The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries and a mutual resolve to continue working closely for the benefit of their peoples and the wider ECOWAS region. 📸 Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria

𝐏𝐒 𝐘𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐍 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐫. 𝐍𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐌’𝐣𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟏𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday 8th December held a high-level meeting between Permanent Secretary I, Ambassador Lang Yabou, and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (SRSG-VAC), Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, as part of her official visit to The Gambia. Dr. M’jid, who serves as a global advocate for preventing and eliminating violence against children, engaged the Ministry on The Gambia’s progress, challenges, and priorities in strengthening child-protection systems. She commended ongoing national efforts while noting the urgent need to address harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and concerns related to maltreatment in certain educational institutions. She highlighted positive regional models, including Senegal’s reforms of Islamic boarding schools, and committed to sharing briefing documents and agreements to reinforce global cooperation. Ambassador Yabou welcomed SRSG Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid on behalf of the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs and underscored the Government’s commitment to safeguarding children, describing them as the nation’s most important asset. He emphasized the need for stronger partnerships, additional resources, and improved implementation of existing child-protection policies and programmes. He reaffirmed full government support for enhanced collaboration with the UN and the commitment of the Gambia to fulfill its international reporting and other obligations. On the issue of local Daaras’ Ambassador Yabou underscored the importance of community engagement, sensitization and funding support to enable them to overcome their challenges and welcomed the offer by SRSG Dr. Najat to share experiences from Senegal’s success story in reforming local Daaras. Delegation members recommended capacity-building for Gambian Missions abroad, including training to support diaspora communities The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen cooperation throughout the SRSG-VAC’s mission and to strengthen national mechanisms that protect all children in The Gambia.

𝐌𝐨𝐅𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟏𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: Ambassador Lang Yabou, Permanent Secretary I, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday 8th December 2025 on behalf of the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, received a United Nations Peace-building Fund (PBF) technical partner delegation for a technical engagement aimed at reviewing progress and strengthening collaboration on ongoing peace-building initiatives in The Gambia. Ambassador Yabou welcomed the delegation and highlighted the PBC/PBF’s critical role in supporting The Gambia’s democratic transition, especially, the transitional justice process, including the establishment of the TRRC, Constitutional Review Commission, Security Sector Reforms, Legal Reforms, etc. He pointed out that, the UN Peacebuilding Commission through the PBF in 2017/2018 provided catalytic funding to The Gambia at a time when the country needed it most and continues to-date. Hence, PS Yabou convey the appreciation and gratitude of the Government and People of The Gambia to all the donors and partners of PBC/PBF and the UN Country Team for their support and partnerships. Ambassador Yabou informed the delegation of the importance and great contributions made by PBC/PBF interventions towards the Gambia’s progress from 2017 to the present and, underscored the importance of continued partnership and further support. Permanent Secretary Yabou concluded, by pointing out that, the new Peacebuilding interventions in The Gambia should focus more on addressing youth unemployment, irregular migration, job creation, women and youth empowerment, supporting economic growth and institutional strengthening. The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Karl Frederick Paul, commended the Government’s leadership and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting national peace-building priorities. Delegation lead Ms. Bushra Hassan from the UN Peace-building Support Office outlined the purpose of the annual mission as assessing progress, identifying challenges, and exploring opportunities to expand cooperation. Discussions covered transitional justice, youth and women’s empowerment, security sector reform, and alignment of PBF programming with national priorities. Donor representatives praised The Gambia as a model PBC/PBF beneficiary country while encouraging stronger monitoring and inclusive approaches. Both parties agreed to enhance coordination, share updated program briefs, hold technical follow-up meetings, and conduct field visits during the mission. The meeting concluded with renewed commitment from both the Government and the UN to deepen collaboration and sustain The Gambia’s peace-building gains.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟓𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: Honourable Sering Modou Njie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad and Honourable Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof, Minister of Defence participated in the 55th Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at Ministerial Level, held on 9 December 2025 in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Session, convened under the auspices of the ECOWAS Commission, brought together Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence from across the region to deliberate on key political and security developments affecting Member States. Honourable Minister Sering Modou Njie reaffirmed The Gambia’s strong commitment to democracy and constitutional order, transitional justice and accountability, regional peace and counterterrorism, as well as deeper ECOWAS integration. He also welcomed ongoing ECOWAS efforts to strengthen regional security and democratic governance, underscoring The Gambia’s continued commitment to a peaceful, secure, and united ECOWAS Community.

𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐮 𝐌. 𝐎. 𝐊𝐚𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐈𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐓 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad is pleased to announce that H.E. Professor Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Ambassador of The Gambia to Switzerland and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the WTO, and other international organizations, has been honoured with the 3rd Intelligent Industry Integration High-End Think Tank (IHETT) International Digital Intelligence Award 2025 for his 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒. The award ceremony took place in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. This distinguished recognition highlights Ambassador Kah’s exemplary leadership and his substantial contributions to advancing global data governance, artificial intelligence, digital education, digital security, and capacity development. The award was presented during the 3rd International Artificial Intelligence Governance Forum and the 5th IHETT High-End Think Tank Forum, convened as part of the China International Fair for Trade in Services. The honour was received on his behalf by the Embassy of The Gambia in China. Ambassador Kah’s achievement further underscores The Gambia’s expanding role in international digital diplomacy and its continued commitment to promoting an inclusive, secure, and sustainable global digital ecosystem. The Ministry conveys its sincere congratulations to Ambassador Kah on this notable international recognition and commends his steadfast service in advancing The Gambia’s interests on the global stage.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: A Foreign Office Consultation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia was held in Bali, Indonesia on 4th December 2025. The meeting served as an implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of The Gambia on the establishment of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, signed in Jakarta on 14 March 2014, and reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to strengthening longstanding bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in key areas. The Indonesian delegation was led by H.E. Ms. Dewi Justicia Meidiwaty, Director of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, accompanied by Mr. Aditya Aji Nugraha from the Directorate of African Affairs, Ms. Dyah Kuncorowati from the Embassy of Indonesia in Dakar, and other senior officials. The Gambian delegation was headed by H.E. Ambassador Lang Yabou, Permanent Secretary I and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad. He was accompanied by H.E. Ambassador Alhagie Nyagado, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture; Mr. Sheick Omar Bittaye, Director of Asia and Oceanic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ms. Jainaba Manjang, Counselor for Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two delegations held a productive meeting in a warm, friendly, and fraternal atmosphere, during which they discussed and agreed on ways to further promote bilateral ties, explore opportunities for enhanced mutually beneficial cooperation, and exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern. The Head of Delegation of the Republic of Indonesia warmly welcomed the Gambian delegation and expressed satisfaction with the strong bilateral relations that Indonesia and The Gambia have enjoyed for over four decades, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1982. For his part, Ambassador Yabou thanked the Indonesian side for their hospitality, commended them for convening and hosting the first Foreign Office Consultation, and underscored that the meeting provides an important platform for direct communication and coordination to chart a way forward for strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. Both sides affirmed the meeting as an important avenue and a reflection of their commitment to fostering a constructive environment for direct communication and collaboration, with the aim of advancing political, economic, socio-cultural, and development cooperation. In this regard, the parties reviewed and agreed to hold the second Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Banjul, The Gambia, in 2026, as the principal platform for advancing and monitoring bilateral initiatives. Both parties also agreed to enhance inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and underscored the importance of closer engagement between the Indonesian House of Representatives and the National Assembly of The Gambia, through exchanges of delegations, the sharing of legislative best practices, and capacity-building activities to support the overall development of bilateral relations and complement ongoing executive-level collaboration. They also highlighted the importance of promoting greater people-to-people connectivity. On consular cooperation, the parties agreed to work together to enhance consular services and the welfare of their nationals in each other’s country. They also expressed appreciation for the signing of the Visa-Free Agreement for Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders in May 2024 in Banjul and conveyed their commitment to ensuring its full implementation. The meeting emphasized agriculture as a flagship area of cooperation and called for optimal utilization of the existing framework. Both sides noted the need to develop specific areas, including topographic research, land development, and rice cultivation, within The Gambia’s agricultural sector. In connection with this, the parties endorsed the Agricultural Rural Farmer Training Center (ARFTC) in Jenoi, LRR funded by Indonesia as the most immediate avenue to implement the framework, and agreed to explore the possibilities of triangular cooperation to further develop the ARFTC into a regional center of excellence for agricultural training. The meeting also agreed to sign the 4th Amendment to the ARFTC Revitalization Grant Agreement to facilitate the final disbursement of funds to ensure the completion of renovation works at ARFTC in Jenoi in 2026 for the Center to be inaugurated. Furthermore, the Meeting agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in higher education, research, science and technology through the establishment of cooperation frameworks between the Governments and educational institutions on various research fields and requested The Gambia to provide preliminary information on prominent or national-priority research fields. In the area of capacity building for the Gambia’s Diplomatic Service, the Indonesian side acknowledged the formal request from The Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated April 2024, for assistance in diplomatic training, as well as, the new requests for the Indonesian Government to support curriculum development for the establishment of the proposed Foreign Service Academy of The Gambia, the establishment of an MoU between the two foreign service academies and policy document development. The Consultative Meeting also discussed and exchanged views on revitalizing negotiations for the Indonesia–ECOWAS Preferential Trade Agreement and, the need for strengthening collaboration and coordination mechanisms to support mutual candidacies in international organizations and cooperation in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, African Union, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), etc. Importantly, the meeting agreed to pursue several additional avenues of cooperation in preparation for the 2nd JCBC in 2026 in Banjul, including, but not limited to, health, defense, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, women and youth empowerment, tourism and hospitality, skills development, e-governance, digital economy, migration/diaspora management, halal industry, energy, fisheries, and bilateral trade. The meeting reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to supporting The Gambia in capacity building and development cooperation, including through scholarships, training programs, and institutional partnerships. Both sides expressed readiness to work toward concrete outcomes ahead of the 2026 JCBC in Banjul. The Indonesian side appreciated The Gambia’s intention to establish a General Framework Agreement (GFA) and expressed readiness to commence discussions with the aim of finalizing the GFA at the 2nd Meeting