Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL9
2006-01-05 16:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:  

THE GAMBIA: BRITISH CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM KMCA GA UK 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3614
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0009 0051642
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 051642Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6288
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0083
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUFGNOA/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000009 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KMCA GA UK
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: BRITISH CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS
SITUATION

REF: A. BANJUL 4 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL)


B. 05 BANJUL 798 (NOTAL)

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

BRITISH CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION
-------------------------------------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000009

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KMCA GA UK
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: BRITISH CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS
SITUATION

REF: A. BANJUL 4 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL)


B. 05 BANJUL 798 (NOTAL)

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

BRITISH CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION
--------------


1. (C) In January 4 conversation with Ambassador, UK High
Commissioner Eric Jenkinson stated that HMG fully shared our
concern over the negative trend of late in the GOTG's human
rights record, as highlighted by the detention and
prosecution of three leading opposition politicians (ref a).
He said this negative trend provided a less than favorable
backdrop for HMG's review in coming weeks of its assistance
program for The Gambia. Estimating current annual British
assistance at about four million pounds sterling, Jenkinson
noted that most of the aid went for governance-related
projects (e.g., upgrading The Gambia's judicial system,
expanding its public financial management system),and said
he would recommend against any reduction in aid. However,
he went on, HMG had been considering an increase in aid
levels, but any increase now seemed unlikely in the current
human rights climate here. In terms of U.S. assistance,
Ambassador noted the negative repercussions for The Gambia's
MCA eligibility if the GOTG's backsliding on human rights
continued.

BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS IN WASHINGTON
--------------


2. (C) Jenkinson said that, according to a report from
London, a first secretary at the UK Embassy in Washington had
recently met with Department officers to compare notes on The
Gambia and that both sides had agreed on the need to keep up
the pressure on the GOTG to reverse the negative trend on
human rights. Jenkinson expressed the desire to stay in close
touch on the situation here and on the results of our
approaches to the GOTG.

COMMENT
--------------


3. (C) As previously reported (ref b),Jenkinson, in his EU
capacity, recently demarched the GOTG over the mid-November
detention of the three opposition politicians. According to
Jenkinson, he continues to await the response promised by the
Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary who received his
demarche. Jenkinson portrayed HMG as increasingly concerned
over the human rights situation here, but gave no sense of
readiness in London to draw on its status as a major
bilateral donor to ratchet up the pressure on the GOTG in a
major way for reversal of the negative trend. We believe
that The Gambia's MCA eligibility remains a key source of
leverage with the GOTG and will continue to use it as such in
our approaches to the GOTG leadership on the human rights
dossier. END COMMENT.
STAFFORD