PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF GAMBIA

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF GAMBIA

The border dispute between Senegal and Guinea-Bissau was complicating efforts to mediate between the Government of Senegal and separatist rebels in that country's southern Casamance Province, President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia said at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

Asked what stage the mediation efforts had reached, he said the Casamance problem could not be resolved as long as the border dispute persisted. It was a serious situation for the Gambia, a small country whose fragile economy was directly affected by whatever happened in the province.

[The Gambia is completely surrounded by southern Senegal, with only a small coastline on the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Guinea-Bissau borders Senegal to the south.]

President Jammeh said mediation efforts had been suspended due to presidential elections in Senegal last January. He was awaiting a fresh mandate from President Abdoulaye Wade, the country's new leader. The previous mandate had been agreed by former President Abdou Diouf and by the rebel movement. Mediation efforts had produced a ceasefire and demining monitoring committee.

He said the rebels had requested further mediation after the elections, but he could not involve himself in Senegal's internal affairs without its consent. He was still awaiting the consent promised at President Wade's inauguration. Meanwhile, tension was rising in Casamance.

The border dispute with Senegal had also aggravated tensions between the parties forming the Government of Guinea-Bissau, he went on. He had been asked to mediate there, and had sent his Foreign Minister to Bissau. Due to a mutual blockade of the border, trucks could neither enter nor leave Guinea-Bissau, a situation that violated the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Treaty on the free circulation of goods.

[Guinea-Bissau's Prime Minister was reportedly due to order an end to the blockade today, after meeting his Senegalese counterpart in Dakar. Senegal lifted the blockade on its own side earlier this week.]

In response to another question, President Jammeh said his country hosted about 250,000 refugees.

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