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Gambia News: Gambia Honours Mwanawasa

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa was last night conferred with the Insignia of Grand Commander of the Republic of Gambia by his Gambian counterpart Yahya Jammeh.

The honour is in recognition of President Mwanawasa's contribution to peace and understanding among the people of Africa and his personal commitment to further strengthen the relations that exist between Gambia and Zambia.

President Mwanawasa received the medal of honour from Mr Jammeh during a State Banquet at Kairaba Beach Hotel in Serekunda, Gambia's second largest town.

President Jammeh in conferring the honour noted that the Zambian Head of State played a pivotal role in the re-introduction of multiparty politics in Zambia in the early 1990s culminating in his election as member of Parliament for Chifubu constituency in Ndola and subsequently appointed Republican Vice-President under Second Republican PresidentFrederick Chiluba.

The Gambian leader said President Mwanawasa displayed tremendous power in the application of the law during the struggle for the restoration of plural democracy in Zambia.

He also provided encouragement and confidence to the Zambian people in the struggle who as a result fondly referred to him as 'Mr Injunction' or 'Arrest them' because of the many legal battles he fought in dismantling the one party state structures.

President Jammeh also noted that Dr Mwanawasa had tenaciously championed the fight against corruption, HIV/AIDS and had demonstrated a strong commitment to the promotion of gender equality by appointing more women to positions of influence.

"In recognition of his contribution to peace and understanding among Africans and his personal commitment to further strengthen the excellent cordial relations that exist between the Republic of Gambia and the Republic of Zambia, the Insignia of Grand Commander of the Republic of Gambia is hereby conferred on President Mwanawasa," President Jammeh said.

Cape Verde President Pedro Verona Pires was also conferred with the same honour at the function.

Five other Heads of State, among them Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade and Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast, have previously been conferred the Insignia of the Grand Commander of the Republic of Gambia, which is the highest order of merit in Gambia exclusively awarded to heads of state.

Meanwhile, President Mwanawasa said Zambia and Gambia needed to deepen their cooperation in trade, culture and other sectors in advancing the economies of the two countries.

Dr Mwanawasa was speaking to journalists at Banjul International Airport in Gambia shortly before departure for home.

He was in Gambia as guest of honour at that country's 43rd independence anniversary at the invitation of President Jammeh. The anniversary was celebrated yesterday.

The President said the two countries were currently negotiating the establishment ofa Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) to serve as a platform for enhancing cooperation.

On Gambia's independence anniversary, President Mwanawasa said the people of Gambia should use the occasion to take stock of their achievements and challenges they had met during the past 43 years of independence and build on these in charting the future of the nation.

He said African countries faced a monumental challenge of poverty and could not afford the luxury of quarrelling and bickering at the expense of development.

The President was seen off at the airport by President Jammeh, diplomats accredited to Gambia and other senior government officials. -ZANIS