THE GAMBIA: RECENT GOTG PERSONNEL CHANGES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000103

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: RECENT GOTG PERSONNEL CHANGES

REF: A. 06 BANJUL 712


B. BANJUL 95 AND PREVIOUS

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

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Indicative of President Jammeh's penchant for abrupt
cabinet changes, a long-serving member was recently sacked,
along with her protege, the number-two at the Foreign
Affairs Department. The GOTG's veteran UN Permrep in New
York was appointed to the newly established cabinet
portfolio for Higher Education, Research, Science, and
Technology. Amidst the ongoing controversy over Jammeh's
HIV/AIDS treatment program, Jammeh's Press Office Director
was removed, and two senior officials of the National Aids
Secretariat's resigned. END

SIPDIS
SUMMARY.


DEPARTURE OF VETERAN CABINET MEMBER, PERMANENT SECRETARY
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2. (C) Recent days have witnessed several high-level GOTG
personnel changes, most notably the February 20 dismissal
of a veteran cabinet member, Secretary of State (minister)
for Trade, Industry, and Employment, Susan Waffa-Ogoo. One
of only two persons to have served continuously in the
cabinet since the 1994 coup that brought President Yahya
Jammeh to power, Waffa-Ogoo was considered personally close
to Jammeh as the two had grown up in the same household. In
the GOTG's announcement, no reason was given for Jammeh's
decision to remove her, although a knowledgeable contact
claimed that Jammeh had acted because of complaints that
she had ignored foreign businesspeople interested in
pursuing trade opportunities here. The GOTG has yet to
name a successor, and we are told that so far at least one
businessman approached by Jammeh has declined to accept the
position.


3. (C) Also recently sacked was Foreign Affairs Permanent
William Joof (deputy formin equivalent). Our sources
indicate that, although Joof was considered a protege of
Waffa-Ogoo, their dismissals were not linked. We are told
that Joof, only recently reinstated following an earlier
sacking (ref a),was dismissed on this second occasion for
embezzlement of official funds. His successor is Bai
Ousman Secka, uncle of Foreign Affairs Secretary of State
Bala Garba Jahumpa and a veteran civil servant and diplomat
who previously served as Permanent Secretary in several
ministries as well as Ambassador to the U.S. and elsewhere.
We had occasional dealings with Secka during his previous
stint as Permanent Secretary of Defense and found him to be
among the stronger performers in senior GOTG ranks.

CREATION OF NEW CABINET POSITION
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4. (C) On February 23, the GOTG announced the appointment
of a senior diplomat, Crispin Grey-Johnson, as Secretary of
State for the newly established portfolio of Higher
Education, Research, Science and Technology. Grey-Johnson
was previously the GOTG's long-serving UN Permrep in New
York. Contacts agree that his major task will be to
accelerate the development of The Gambia's sole, fledgling
university. In our meetings with Grey-Johnson during his
visits to The Gambia, we found him to be a diehard
supporter of Jammeh and his ruling APRC party.

DISMISSAL OF JAMMEH'S PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR, RESIGNATIONS
FROM PRESIDENTIAL NATIONAL AIDS SECRETARIAT
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5. (C) Amidst the ongoing controversy over Jammeh's claim
of a cure for HIV/AIDS and associated treatment program
(ref b),our sources confirm the dismissal of Presidential
Press Office Director Mamsit Ceesay due to Jammeh's
dissatisfaction over local media coverage of that program.
We are told that Ceesay was also removed as Chief Editor of
the "Daily Observer," the GOTG's mouthpiece. The
institution heretofore spearheading the GOTG's
anti-HIV/AIDS effort, National Aids Secretatiat (NAS) has
lost two senior officials through resignation. According
to foreign wire service reports, NAS Director Saihou Ceesay
and Administrator Aisha Baldeh felt compelled to step down
as they were unwilling to endorse Jammeh's treatment
program.

COMMENT
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BANJUL 00000103 002 OF 002



6. (C) Waffa-Ogoo's departure is the latest evidence of
Jammeh's penchant for making abrupt changes in his cabinet,
usually without explanation, as in this case. The
appointment of Secka as the number-two at Foreign Affairs
may well prove to be positive, as he replaces an
increasingly lackluster Joof, while Secretary of State
Jahumpa is among the cabinet's weaker members. END
COMMENT




STAFFORD