The Gambia-Senegal border will reopen today, Monday May 9th, 2011 at mid-night.

This was disclosed Sunday at a press briefing organised by the Gambia Transport Agriculture Food and Industrial Workers Union (GTAFIWU) in collaboration with the Gambia National Trade Union Congress (GNTUC) at GTAFIWU office in Kanifing. The decision to reopen the border came following substantial efforts by GTAFIWU together with Gambia Transport Control Association (GTCA) in ensuring that the unnecessary closure has to come to an end in the interest of both countries.

Ousman Drammeh, president of GTAFIWU disclosed that they came to terms with their Senegalese counterparts to reopen all borders between the two countries in a meeting held on Friday 6th May, 2011, in Kerr Aeab a Senegalese border village near Farrafenni in the North Bank Region. He explained that the meeting followed his fact finding mission to Senegal on the 24th of April, 2011, during which he found out the reasons for closing of the border. According to him, the authorities there complained about the unfair treatment meted to their workers particularly drivers at the numerous checkpoints and various ferry crossing points in The Gambia, something they described as unjustified.

He further explained that after the reasons that led to the closure of the boarder came to light, the two transport unions in The Gambia then began consultation with the transport union of Senegal to end the border closure. He said they finally came to an agreement at a meeting held in Kerr Aeab, Senegal. He further told journalists that the agreement to open the border also followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would enhance both countries circumventing such a closure in the near future.

Drammeh dilated on how the border closure impacted on the economy of both countries. According to him, during the closure, infrastructural advancement among a host of other development issues were affected. He added that the price of basalt also increased dramatically. He said that The Gambia and Senegal equally depend on import materials, and that the closure led to an increase in prices of many things. He finally gave assurances that such would not happen again.

Arrest of GTAFIWU officials

During the press briefing, Drammeh disclosed that eight GTAFIWU officials including himself were arrested by the police in Farrafenni acting on the orders of the Police Commissioner, Baboucarr Sowe. He said this happened shortly after the Kerr Aeab meeting which was attended by both GTAFIWU and GTCA. The GTAFIWU prezy said the police arrested them on the grounds that they were inciting violence in Senegal. He added that they were detained for 24 hours without charge and later released on bail.

Also speaking at the press briefing, Ebrima Garba Cham, secretary general of (GNTUC) said the GNTUC was greatly dismayed with the arrest of the GTAFIWU officials. He pointed out that they were not criminals, but went to Senegal in the interest of The Gambia for the sake of peace and security, something, he said, is in the forefront of the country's agenda. He added that GNTUC demanded the reasons for the arrest of the GTAFIWU officials from the Farrafenni police.

Cham described the bilateral relationship between the GTAFIWU and the Senegalese transport union as long and outstanding. He also stated that the border closure affected both countries economically, considering the level of export materials they depend on. According to him, the demands of the Senegalese have been met regarding the constraints they claimed to have been facing in The Gambia in accordance with the Ecowas protocol that seeks to transform the Ecowas of states to the Ecowas of people, which cannot be achieved without substantial regional integration.