THE GAMBIA: MEDIA ATTACK ON SENEGAL, CONVICTION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000257

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PLS PASS ODC, DAO, AND RAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS SG GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: MEDIA ATTACK ON SENEGAL, CONVICTION OF
GOS OFFICIALS

REF: A. BANJUL 250 AND PREVIOUS


B. DAKAR 250 (ALL NOTAL)

BANJUL 00000257 001.2 OF 002


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

SUMMARY
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1. (C) A pro-GOTG daily led May 17 with report of recent
meeting of Gambian dissidents and GOS Interior Ministry
officials in Dakar as part of anti-GOTG plotting; a reported
participant denied the report. On the previous day, May 16,
the trial of five Senegalese customs officials ended with
their conviction and sentencing to prison for 18 months.
Ambassador flagged concern over the reports of escalating
tensions with Senegal in meeting with Foreign Affairs
Permanent Secretary, who declined to discuss specific
irritants, beyond alleging GOS delay in responding to GOTG's
request for concurrence in proposed tariff hikes for Gambia
River ferries. Rumors persist of a possibly imminent
Senegalese move to close the border with The Gambia. END
SUMMARY.

MEDIA ATTACK ON SENEGAL
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2. (C) Indicative of mounting strains in the
Senegalese/Gambian relationship, a pro-government journal,
Daily Observer, led May 17 with the story that Gambian
dissidents in Senegal had recently held a secret meeting in
Dakar with GOS Interior Ministry officials. Portraying the
meeting as reflecting "the ugly face of Senegalese jealousy"
toward The Gambia, the paper indicated that the meeting was
devoted to plotting against the GOTG. Among the Gambian
attendees, it named former Chief of Defense Staff and
presumed mastermind of the March 2006 abortive coup, Ndure
Cham, former head of the State Guard (Presidential security
force),Kalifa Bajinka, and Sana Sabally, who was a senior
member of the junta established following President Jammeh's
1994 coup, but subsequently fell out with Jammeh and served a
prison sentence for treason before taking up residence in
Senegal. The paper asserted that Senegalese officials at the
meeting gave assurances that the Gambian dissidents "will be
protected and cared for as long as they wish to remain in
Senegal." (NOTE: On May 17, Bajinka phoned a FSN employee
at the Embassy and denied that any such meeting had occurred.
END NOTE)

SENEGALESE CUSTOMS OFFICIALS CONVICTED
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3. (SBU) Meanwhile, the trial of five Senegalese customs
officials (ref a) concluded May 16 with the conviction of all
and sentencing to 18 months' imprisonment at hard labor,
with no option of payment of a fine in lieu of incarceration.
According to media reports, the five officials, allegedly
manning a boat in pursuit of smugglers when picked up by
Gambian authorities, were convicted of unlawful entry into
Gambian waters and illegal possession of firearms (i.e.
service weapons on board their craft). (COMMENT: The
defendants were represented by a prominent Gambian attorney,
Antouman Gaye, who previously told us that he saw no genuine
grounds for prosecution. He maintained that both
international law and relevant Senegalese/Gambian agreements
sanctioned the officials' entry into Gambian waters in
pursuit of smugglers. END COMMENT)

MEETING WITH GOTG OFFICIAL
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4. (C) In May 16 meeting with senior Foreign Affairs
Permanent Secretary Bai Ousman Secka, Ambassador registered
concern over reports of growing strains with Senegal and
urged the GOTG to do its part to ease tensions through dialog
and avoid any precipitous action that could further inflame
matters. Secka declined to discuss the tensions with
Senegal, beyond complaining that some months ago the GOTG, as
required by the relevant bilateral agreement, had sought --
but still awaited -- GOS concurrence in raising tariffs for
the Gambia River ferries heavily used by Senegalese
transporters in travelling between northern Senegal and the
Casamance region to the south. Secka did give assurances of
the GOTG's commitment to resolving "all issues with
Senegal" through peaceful, diplomatic means.

COMMENT

BANJUL 00000257 002.2 OF 002


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5. (C) Permanent Secretary Secka professed ignorance of
persistent rumors that a Senegalese move to close the border
with The Gambia could be imminent. The Daily Observer article
is a replay of long-standing Gambian allegations of
Senegalese harboring of dissidents and support for their
efforts to destabilize The GOTG. The article's mention of
presumed coup plot mastermind Ndure Cham among dissidents in
the alleged meeting with Senegalese officials underscores the
GOTG's conviction -- despite past GOS denials -- that Cham
remains in Senegal and under GOS protection. On the GOTG's
unhelpful posture, we note Embassy Dakar's assessment, per
ref b, of around 28 MFDC leaders and other rebels in
detention here; we share speculation in Senegal that they
were picked up as part of GOTG's support for a rival MFDC
figure opposed to peace efforts, Salif Sadio. END COMMENT

STAFFORD