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T O P I C R E V I E W |
Momodou |
Posted - 23 Feb 2016 : 12:11:11 Kerr Ayip Border closed to vehicles from Gambia By Mustapha Jallow Foroyaa: EditorċFebruary 21, 2016
Barely two days after the closure of the Gambia ¡V Senegal border at Amdalaye ¡V Karang for all vehicles from either side by the Kerr Ayip Border closed to vehicles from GambiaSenegalese road transport union officials, the crossing at Farafenni ¡V Kerr Ayip was also closed to all Senegal bound vehicles yesterday, 18 February, 2016, again in reaction to the reported introduction of a new tariff imposed by the Gambia on all Senegalese registered trucks entering the country.
Visiting the Farafenni ¡V Kerr Ayip border yesterday, this reporter noticed that vehicles from The Gambia were not allowed to enter the Senegalese side, while the Gambian side was allowing entry, especially of small private vehicles. Although, the Senegal bound commercial trucks which frequent this Trans-Gambia road were nowhere to be seen, as they have been diverted to the Tambacounda route, according to the Senegalese road transport union officials.
The blockade of trucks at this crossing started at 5pm on Wednesday, 17 February, while the small vehicles were allowed entry and exit. However, the closure of the border for the entry of all vehicular traffic into Senegal, including small vehicles, commenced yesterday morning.
While at the Gambian side of the border, the small commercial passenger vehicles with Gambian registration that were transporting goods owned by Senegalese traders were seen discharging passengers and unloading their wares on horse-carts to take to the other side in Senegal. As for the Gambian registered trucks with goods bound for Senegal, they are stranded at the border and not allowed to enter.
Ebrima Ceesay, one of the drivers of the Gambian registered trucks, who is transporting groundnuts into Senegal, said he was denied laissez passe by the Senegalese Customs and has been there for three days.
¡§This sort of problems at the borders should be resolved quickly and amicably by the concern authorities as they seriously affect businesses in the two countries,¡¨ he appealed.
The union representatives and transporters were busy holding a closed door meeting at Kerr Ayip from 3pm to 5pm.
Talking to Mr. Alasane Ndoye, the secretary general of one of the road transport unions, who was also at this meeting, he told this reporter that he was going back to Dakar for further consultations with the authorities to determine their subsequent actions.
The Senegalese transport owners and their representatives said they are protesting against the introduction of a new tariff by the Gambian authorities for their trucks to be paying FCFA 400, 000 (which is more than D26, 000) in addition to the FCFA 1000 per tonne which they have been paying at the ferry crossings. They claimed that it is the Gambia customs which is demanding this new charge which they described as ¡§exorbitant and unacceptable¡¨.
Foroyaa will contact the Customs on the issue of this ¡¥new tariff¡¦ being protested against by the road transport union leaders. The officials were indisposed due to their bereavement, following the death of one of the senior officers of the authority.
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3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
Momodou |
Posted - 25 Feb 2016 : 08:50:47 Farafeeni-Kerr Ayib Border still closed to Vehicles By Abdoulie G. Dibba Foroyaa: February 24, 2016
21 February 2015 – The closure of the Farafenni- Kerr Ayib border, as a result of the protest by the Senegalese road transport union officials against the introduction of a new tariff by The Gambia on all Senegal registered vehicles entering the Gambia, is still in place, as confirmed by this reporter who visited the area over the weekend.
When they were approached on the issue, the Senegalese transport owners and their representatives said they are still protesting against the introduction of a new tariff by the Gambian authorities for their trucks to be paying 400,000 francs CFA (which is more than D26,000) in addition to the 1000 francs CFA per tonne which they have been paying at the ferry crossings. According to them, this new tariff by the Gambian customs is exorbitant and unacceptable.
While at the border, this reporter observed that the Senegalese commercial passenger vehicles would come and stop at the car park on the Senegal side where they discharge their passengers and unload their wares which are then transported on horse-carts to the Gambian side of the border.
When these drivers were approached to find out their take on this border issue, one Mustapha Camara, the driver of a small commercial passenger vehicle with Gambian registration, said they were sharing the same car park in Kerr Ayib with their Senegalese colleagues before the border closure but that they are asked to leave.
“We are now using an area on the Gambian side of the border as a car park but the problem we are facing here is that the horse carts which are allowed entry into the car park on the Senegalese side carry both passengers and goods all the way to Farafenni and depriving us of a return trip,” he complained. Kebba Njie, the driver of a Gambian registered truck carrying goods bound for Senegal, told this reporter that he is not being allowed to enter because he was denied a ‘laissez passe’ by the Senegalese security at the border. While the reporter was still there, he witnessed two Gambian vehicles with registration numbers GFATM 99 and BJL 1084G being denied entry into Senegal by the Senegalese security at the border.
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toubab1020 |
Posted - 23 Feb 2016 : 18:21:47 Senegal has always had a problem with Gambia feeling very put out that the smallest country in Africa should exist in the centre of GIANT Senegal and to further agrivate matters have an official Language of ENGLISH and NOT FRENCH,Ahhh ........tres dificile mon ami !!!!   |
Momodou |
Posted - 23 Feb 2016 : 12:27:38 Senegalese commercial vehicles boycott Gambian routes
The Point: Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Following the new tariff of D28,000, the Senegalese transport union has urged all commercial vehicles from Senegal to boycott the Gambian routes. Since last week, The Gambia and Senegal have closed their borders to prevent commercials vehicles from entering each other’s territory.
On 11 February, a new tariff was imposed on all Senegalese commercial trucks entering in The Gambia.
According to the tariff, Senegalese registered trucks that want to enter the Gambia should pay D28,000 dalasi (equivalent to CFA400,000) before they could be allowed to cross into The Gambia.
In reaction to the new measure, the Senegalese transport union has also decided to boycott the Gambian routes; instead they are using the route through the eastern part of Senegal in Tambacounda.
This problem has been taking place at the two main border crossing points of both countries: in the northern part of The Gambia at the Farafenni-Kerr Ayip (of Senegal) border, and at the Amdallai (in The Gambia)-Karang in Senegal border crossing.
Stranded passengers, on both sides of the border crossing points, told this paper that this unfortunate situation had been going on for the past two weeks.
“We have not been able to enter each other’s territory as a result of the border closure by the two countries’ transport unions,” one passenger said.
According to some commercial drivers plying the routes, “the border closure has disrupted business in both countries, as goods could not be taken for sale into the two countries”.
Political and economic analysts who spoke to The Point said such a problem does not promote the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of people, goods and services.
However, according to reliable sources, authorities of both countries are trying to solve the problem amicably.
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