12 GAF Personal On Free Cyber Security Training

Twelve personnel of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) today Thursday 11 January 2024, commenced a 5 – month long training on Cyber Security at The Gambia Cyber Security Alliance Training School (GCSA) in Brusubi. The course, which is offered to GAF on gratis basis by GCSA will expose participants (3 Officers and 9 soldiers) to the latest technology and skills in the Cyber security domain. The training course modules will include, amongst others, Basic defense against cyber attacks, monitoring and filtering suspect packets, and penetration testing vulnerabilities.

It might be instructive to state that the training is part of the reform and expansion initiatives of the GAF. It is aimed at enhancing the capability of personnel of the Armed Forces to detect, defend and deter potential threats of cyber attacks if and when they occur.

The Armed Forces wishes to thank and appreciate the management of GCSA for extending such a gesture which will go a long way in building the capacity of GAF personnel.

GAMTEL STAFF OUT TO RESTORE SERVICES

From left PRO Therese M Gomez, core Network Director Ebrima Jammehand Director od planning Kebba Ndow at Bundung Nusrat Junction where the cable carrying over 800 costomers was cut.

Transmission Fiber team inspecting damaged cables and getting ready to splice to restore service for customers.

From right - DMD of NRA Saul Sumareh, NAM Sulayman Jammeh of Bundung, MD of Gamtel at the site of the scene where the cables were cut.

MD and Deputy MD Abdoulie Bass joined by the media teams to share quick updates on the service disruptions, the cause, and the impact.

GAMTETEL management and team of technicians out in field to restore fibre cables vandalised along Bundung

GAMTEL FIBRE CABLE VANDALISED IN BUNDUNG

Gambia Telecommunication Company GAMTEL has been suffering from persistent fiber cable cuts over the past months. The vandalism has now cost the country's main telecommunication company millions of dalasi.

Recently there has been another case of fibre cable vandalism in Bundung. The scene was visited by GAMTEL's Managing Director and senior management staff and technicians to gauge the effects of damage, technical evaluations, and how to quickly restore services to their esteemed customers. Speaking to reporters the managing director Lamin A. Tunkara begins by apologizing to the affected customers for the interruptions of services they paid for describing it as an unfortunate scenario. He renewed his resolve to providing better and eeficient services to the costomers and promised that the cables cutswill be restored within a short time.

PRO Theresa Gomez, Core Network Director Ebrima Jammeh, and Director of Planning Kebba Ndow were all at the Bundung Nusrat Junction where the cable carrying over 800 customers was cut. Kebba Ndow call on the general public to be observent and report cases of cable vandalism when they see it. He said GAMTEL is not about Lamin Tunkara or any personality but the Gambia. He said it not in the interess of GAMTEL to see their services down. He said GAMTEL management is estrimely sorry for the breakdown in service delivery. Mr Ndow pointed out that there was in fact another fiber cable cuts on Wednesday morning which is affecting their major costomers like AFRICEL,GAMCE,COMIUM AND others.He said they have another team of technicians on their coming to see to it that those services are restore and functional.

Col. Darboe And Binta Jamba Testified Against Sonko In Swiss

source malagen news

First witness testifies against Gambia’s former interior minister Ousman Sonko in crimes against humanity trial in Switzerland Bellinzona, Switzerland–The first witness in the crimes against humanity trial of 55-year-old Ousman Sonko—Gambia’s former interior minister—told a Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona that Sonko treated her like a sex slave. Binta Jamba is the widow of Almamo Manneh—a former soldier in Gambia’s State Guards—an elite military unit guarding the Gambian presidency. In 2000, Manneh was accused of a coup and was killed under mysterious circumstances. Sonko is currently on trial in Switzerland for crimes against humanity for his alleged role in a series of crimes perpetrated against Gambians under the 22-year rule of former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh. Jammeh ruled Gambia with an iron fist and was accused of numerous human rights violations, including murder and severe torture. Sonko first served in the military, rising through the ranks to command the State Guards in 2003.

Jamba, who first testified before Gambia’s Truth Commission in October 2019, said she was raped multiple times by the former interior minister at various locations in The Gambia, events she said left lasting physical and emotional scars. Between January to December 2000, Jamba told the court Wednesday, “I was just like a sex slave to him.” Jamba said she was impregnated by Sonko twice between 2000 to 2002 and was forced to abort both pregnancies, which, she said, were arranged by Sonko. (Abortion is illegal in the Gambia.) “I was very sick after the abortions… I was constantly bleeding,” said Jamba, as she broke down in tears. Sonko’s lawyer, Philippe Currat, had no question for Jamba on the substance of her testimony. Currat later explained that Jamba’s statement was contradictory, and his questions would have added little value. Manneh’s murder From 1994 until early 2000, Manneh, Jamba’s husband, was close to Jammeh and implicated in the torture of several high-profile political detainees, including former ministers of Gambia’s first president, Dawda Kairaba Jawara, in 1995, an investigation by Gambia’s Truth Commission found. Some detainees were “beaten and kicked by the soldiers, who subjected many of them to mock executions. They were threatened frequently by Almamo Manneh and [his colleague] Bubacarr Bah, who would tell them that they were waiting for the order of the (Capt. Yahya Jammeh) to kill them and cut them into pieces and throw them to the dogs. This caused the detainees great fear and anguish as they genuinely believed that they would be killed,” the Commission found. It is unclear why Manneh fell out with Jammeh. However, Jamba, who described her husband's relationship with Jammeh as a “good” one, said Manneh’s murder was orchestrated by Sonko. “Yahya Jammeh, Ousman Sonko, and Ismaila Jammeh [Sonko’s orderly] planned and organized the killing of Almamo Manneh, which was carried out by the group sent out to lure him to Bund Road,” where Manneh was killed, said the Commission. But at the hearing on Wednesday, Sonko declined to speak on the specifics of Manneh’s killing. “I cannot comment as far as the case of Almamo Manneh is concerned,” said Sonko. “In my statement, I did not refer to anything [that reveals] operational [details]…I am still bound by the official secrecy act.” Horrific torture of Lt. Col. Bunja Darboe The second witness to take the stand on Wednesday was Lt. Col. Bunja Darboe, a serving Gambian soldier, arrested on allegation of his involvement in a 2006 coup. Darboe was allegedly tortured and forced to write a statement implicating himself, a document used as prima facie evidence against him at the court-martial in Banjul. “All they said was that a speech was found on me. But that was not true. They forced me to write it,” said Lt. Col. Darboe. “Sonko is here, and I challenge him to tell the truth.” Sonko was then chief of Gambia’s police who allegedly sat on a panel of security officer that oversaw the torture and interrogation of detainees including Darboe. The investigation by the Truth Commission found that such panels were accompanied by brutal torture of Junglers— members of a hit squad who operated under Jammeh’s orders. Darboe said his torturers placed a plastic bag over his head, and he was subjected to horrific torture. He then broke down in tears. “My hand was hurting me. Everywhere was paining me. When they were beating me, my hand was fractured and also dislocated. One of them cocked a pistol and asked me to say my last prayers. I could not say anything,” said Darboe. “At that moment, I just wanted to die. I did not want to live. I was fed up with the humiliation. The pain was so extreme that I could not bear it. I was helpless.” *Editor’s note: Bunja Darboe is not related to the author. This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project.

police Arrested 11Persons With Stolen Items During Fest

The Anti-Crime Unit (ACU) has arrested eleven individuals suspected of theft across various locations and seizing items, including mobile phones, cash, passports, and other documents. These individuals will be processed to court accordingly.

Among the recovered items is a Swiss passport and associated documents. If you have lost a Swiss passport or any belongings, please contact or visit the Anti-Crime Unit situated in Banjulunding for assistance.

Your cooperation is crucial in aiding the ongoing investigations. Contact: 9968885/3915507

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL ON A FACT FINDING MISSION IN FONI

The National Security Council (NSC) on Monday 1 January 2024 was in the Fonis on a fact finding mission. It could be recalled that the Senegalese Armed Forces clashed with elements of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Cassamance (MFDC) sometime in 2021 and 2023 along our Southern border with the Republic of Senegal. The spillover effect of the conflict had affected Gambians living in the border villages of Jiffanga, Kusamai, Siwol, Tamba Kunda, Jillanfari, Karunorr, Balenh, Gikesh, Kantimba and Kappa.

The intermittent fighting, according to reports, caused disruption of economic activities such as farming due to heavy bombardment and exchange of fire, including mortar shells and other projectiles. It was also reported that, these shells, which sometimes land on the Gambian side of the border do not explode on impact. The fighting had eventually led to an influx and displacement of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as closure of schools. It had left a lot of Gambians in the area traumatized and in fear causing villagers to evacuate the most vulnerable ones, such as the elderly, women and children to safer zones.

It is against this backdrop that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Adama Barrow dispatched members of the NSC to visit the affected communities in Foni.

The aim of the visit was to commiserate with them as well as gather firsthand information on the situation in these Villages. The delegation comprised of the Honourable Ministers of Defence and the Interior, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff of the y Armed Forces, the Inspector General of Police, the Deputy Director General of State Intelligence Services, NAMs and Chiefs of Foni, the Director General of the National Disaster Management Agency and other stakeholders. Details of the engagements by the delegation will be provided in subsequent releases.