Political developments in The Gambia

That this House is concerned about political developments in The Gambia and calls on President Adama Barrow to revert to the original reason he was elected, which was to unite The Gambia and rid it of the human rights abuses of his predecessor, President Yahya Jammeh, leader of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC); recognises that there was initially some welcome progress under President Barrow’s stewardship with transitional justice initiatives like The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission; acknowledges progress slowed when President Barrow reneged on the agreement to stand down after three years; is deeply concerned about reports of arrests of people who have disagreed with the current administration including Mr Madi Jobarteh a journalist, human rights activist and the country representative of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; is alarmed that the President is now in coalition talks with the APRC whose preconditions include restoring so-called rights to the former President who presided over 22 years of brutal oppression of the Gambian people; and calls on the Government to make representations to the President of The Gambia to withdraw from those talks, revert to the original plans of the Gambia Coalition 2016 and in doing so, leave a ground breaking, world leading legacy of peace, harmony, human rights and stability to his fellow countrymen and women.