The bilateral ties that exist between Banjul and Bujumbura have been further strengthened after the two leaders, their Excellencies President Pierre Nkurunziza and President Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, signed a joint communiqué at the latter part of the visit of the Burundian leader.

This historic development was reached after a tete-a-tete by the two heads of state at State House. According to the communiqué, read on behalf of the two leaders by the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, Dr Omar Touray, and the minister of Energy and Minerals of Burundi, Dr Samuel Njagirajeh, the two presidents agreed to the need for self-reliance, maintaining that it is the responsibility of African governments to develop their countries. In this regard, they vowed to promote South–South co-operation and joint actions within the framework of the African Union and other sub-regional organisations. They dilated on the importance of justice, tolerance, and respect for the rule of law as the pillars for global peace and security.

In reviewing the political and economic situation in the African continent, the two heads of state discussed the issue of stability and peace in the Great Lakes Region. To this end, they stressed their strong conviction that there can be no internal stability without regional peace, and again vowed to cooperate in the fight against all forms of threat to peace, security, and progress on the African continent.

Speaking at a press briefing shortly after the tete-a-tete, President Jammeh commended his counterpart for accepting the invitation to come to The Gambia; a move, he said, that does not only serve as an avenue for strengthening of bilateral ties, but one that also boosts the prospect of regional integration in Africa. The Gambian leader noted that The Gambia and Burundi are two countries that share many things in common. He pointed out that many programmes in The Gambia are also in Burundi.

"It is much better for Africans to work together, and share experiences since the situations are the same. The only difference lies in the fact that some African countries are endowed with more mineral resources. But what is more important is the fact that our social problems are the same," he posited, calling on all and sundry to come together and work in the quest to develop Africa.

The Gambian leader underscored the need for Africans to build the concept that the continent can only be developed by its sons and daughters and not by relying on foreigners. During the tete-a-tete, President Jammeh revealed, they had discussions on agriculture, education, and other key sectors relevant to the development of both countries. On agriculture, he noted, The Gambia can count on Burundi in the area of sugar cane production. He also said that The Gambia can also learn from Burundi’s wealth of experience in agriculture.

On education, President Jammeh stated that the two countries can gain a lot in that sector, especially at this time when The Gambia has already reached the Millennium Development Goal of access to basic education. He added that The Gambia is one of the best countries in terms of basic education, and pointed to UNESCO using the country as a model in Africa in terms of basic education.

Professor Jammeh further stressed that there is no limit to what the two countries can share for their mutual benefit and that of the entire African continent. For his part, Pierre Nkurunziza, president of the Republic of Burundi, hailed the Gambian leader, his government, and the Gambian people for making their trip a memorable one. He described his stay in The Gambia as very important, saying that they have seen significant developments that can be borrowed for implementation back in Burundi.

He said in the briefing that his is a young government that took office 3 years ago, shortly after a period of political turmoil, and as such are working hard to eradicate poverty. Agreeing that The Gambia and Burundi stand to benefit a lot from the partnership, President Nkurunziza reiterated that they have learnt a lot from the four-day state visit. While expressing admiration for the level of development in the tourism sector of The Gambia, he noted that Burundi has a lot to learn from that sector.

According to him, his country serves as a good destination for tourists, which he said can go a long way in boosting its socio-economic development process. The solar energy revolution in The Gambia also featured in the observations of the Burundian leader. "Solar energy is very important. What we have seen in The Gambia is very impressive. Energy is very important in the overall development process,” he said, and added "The cost of electricity in Africa is high, therefore such projects can also be implemented in Burundi”.

Describing state visits as another tool useful in promoting the most critical issues of regional integration, the Burundian leader emphasised that it is high time that African leaders embarked on such visits. President Nkurunziza noted that consultations among Africans will go a long way in enabling the different peoples to know each other and exchange experiences. The Burundian leader used the opportunity to express his government’s untiring resolve to partake in international peacekeeping missions in war torn regions, emphasising that Africans should always stand by each other.

President Nkurunziza then hailed The Gambia’s giant development strives, and the hospitable nature of the people. At the end of the historic engagement, The Gambian leader presented some gifts to the visiting Burundian leader who, in reciprocating that friendly gesture, handed out a gift from Burundi. Present at the occasion were the secretary general and head of the civil service, Teneng Bah-Jaiteh, and secretaries of state and ministers of the two countries.

President Jammeh bids farewell to Burundian president
A few hours after the end of the tete-a-tete between the two leaders at State House, President Nkurunziza was seen off at the Banjul International Airport. President Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh was at hand to bid farewell to his guest of the weekend.

Also at the airport to see the Burundian leader off were Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, vice president and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs, secretaries of state, National Assembly members, security chiefs, dignitaries, foreign diplomats, chiefs, students, cultural troupes and a cross section of the Gambian community. The mood was no different from that which prevailed on the day the visiting president arrived in Banjul. President Nkurunziza arrived in The Gambia on Friday evening, with a high powered delegation, on a four-day state visit.

During his stay in The Gambia, he visited a lot of development sites in The Gambia, including Kanilai, the home village of President Jammeh.

Nkurunziza gets tumultuous welcome in Kanilai.

On the third day of his working visit to The Gambia, the Burundian leader, Pierre Nkurunziza, received a tumultuous welcome in Kanilai, President Jammeh’s native village.

Right at the entrance of the village, thousands of people, including school children, lined-up to once again demonstrate the peacefulness and hospitality that Little Gambia is endowed with. The visiting Burundian leader was received by his host, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh.

The two leaders boarded one vehicle, from the rooftop of which they waved to the crowd. Later the two leaders and their respective delegations visited the Nori Plantation, where President Jammeh informed his counterpart of the potency of the Nori plant in curing over a hundred different kinds of diseases.

Apart from the Nori plant, the Gambian leader also cultivates cassava and vegetables, amongst other crops. The proceeds of this venture, President Jammeh told President Nkurunziza, are given to his Foundation (Jammeh Foundation for Peace) to help in the implementation of projects geared towards helping the needy, particularly students. The entourage later proceeded to one of the cattle ranches of the Gambian leader, where he told his guest about ongoing programmes such as cross-breeding.

President Nkurunziza and the entourage also visited a ranch housing wild cattle. Situated around Allah Kunda Pond, the ranch belongs to the Gambian leader. They also visited Kaur farm which accommodates both cattle and camels, before proceeding to the magnificent artificial crocodile pool. There President Jammeh disclosed that the pool used to accommodate over 300 crocodiles but currently contains 165 Nile crocodiles. He said that the pool is three meters deep.

Another artificial site that was visited by the entourage later in the day, was the fish pond of the Gambian leader, measuring four meters deep and 17 meters wide. That pond does not only accommodate fish, but is also said to harbour unwanted crocodiles. But President Jammeh told President Nkurunziza that tremendous efforts have been made to dislodge the crocodiles.

Another agricultural and income generating venture that was visited by the Burundian head of state and the entourage was the honey processing unit at President Jammeh’s Kanilai farm. President Nkurunziza was shown the different samples of processed honey. Among them were the Bush Grass honey, Cut Comb honey, Silk Cotton honey, Gamin honey, and Mangrove honey. President Nkurunziza later visited the Snake House in Kanilai, where he was shown a big phyton, measuring four and a half meters.

The visiting president and entourage were later hosted to a lunch at the Sindola Hotel in Kanilai by the Gambian leader.

Visit to Kafuta
Earlier on in the day, on his way to Kanilai, President Mkurunziza had a stop at the Kafuta Agricultural Project in Kombo East, Western Region, where he was led on a conducted tour of the 218 hectare farm by the area manager, M Magatry. An investment by MA Kharafi and Sons, the farm is currently on widescale cultivation of Irish potatoes and onions. The programme, according to officials, has employed a substantial number of Gambians, thereby reducing unemployment and hence helping the fight against poverty. President Nkurunziza toured a number of other facilities at the farm before proceeding to the Sulayman Junkung Jammeh General Hospital in Bwiam.

After being received by Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, vice president and secretary of State for Women’s Affairs, President Nkurunziza was then led on a conducted tour of the facility by the chief executive officer of the hospital, Kebba S Bojang. In some of the wards, the visiting president took time to shake hands with the patients. One of the facilities that attracted the attention of the Burundian leader was the solar energy and tracking system of the hospital.

The system which cost about 350, 0000 dollars, according to officials, has the capacity to supply the entire hospital with electricity, depending on the weather conditions. The officials of the hospital also told the Burundian leader that each of the solar panels lasts for 23 years, whilst the battery cells, weighing 216 kilos each, can last for about 15 to 20 years.

Speaking in an interview with reporters at the hospital, President Nkurunziza hailed the Gambia government for building such a magnificent hospital in the rural area. Describing health as very important, President Nkurunziza empahsied the fact that efforts at developing the country will be hard to achieve in the absence of health.

He expressed admiration for the level of private sector involvement in agriculture, describing the Kafuta Agricultural Project as a positive move. While noting that food is a major problem for Africans, President Pierre Nkurunziza maintained that with such investment in agriculture, the seemingly chronic issue of food scarcity will be addressed.