The president of the republic of The Gambia, Dr. Yahya Jammeh, has added his voice to the calls for continuous dialogue between The Gambia and its immediate neighbour, Senegal, adding that the two countries were once a single polity. He maintained that as far back as 300 years ago, the two countries were one state, noting that it was the colonial masters that effected the division, adding that this fact is exemplified by the fact that the two countries share the same languages, tribes and culture.

President Jammeh made these remarks on Monday when he received the organizers of “Goudi Ndanaan,” an event that brought together 17 groups from both The Gambia and Senegal to support his HIV/AIDS Trust Fund.

“There were lots of falsehoods, accusations from all corners. But I am a Pan-Africanist, and there is nobody on earth that I will be afraid to tell the truth. I have always been telling President Wade that we should always try to live in peace and harmony. I have been telling him that I don’t want any discord between the two countries,” he said.

In what looks like an effort to allay concerns about his treatment of HIV/AIDS, the president asserted that he knows what he is doing. “Even whereas I am not a president, I will never belittle myself. I will also never put Africa into shame. I know what I am saying and doing. I have the medication to remove the HIV/AIDS virus in people’s systems, and I am doing it free of charge. The knowledge is from God,” he emphasized.

President Jammeh thanked the organizers of the event for raising funds towards his HIV/AIDS treatment programme, adding that it will no doubt complement his efforts.

For his part, Mr. Baboucarr Jatta, Executive Producer of City Sounds Production company, the organizers of the event, maintained that their determination to go ahead with the event is based on their trust in President Jammeh’s ability to accomplish the feat he has set out to do. "We deem it necessary to contribute to the development of the country”, he said.