Lamin Kaba Bajo | |
---|---|
President of the Gambia Football Federation | |
Assumed office September 2014 | |
Preceded by | Mustapha Kebbeh |
Minister of the Interior | |
In office 16 April 2012 –7 May 2012 | |
President | Yahya Jammeh |
Preceded by | Ousman Sonko |
Succeeded by | Ousman Sonko |
In office 27 January 1995 –8 March 1997 | |
Preceded by | Sadibou Hydara |
Succeeded by | Momodou Bojang |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office October 2005 –18 October 2006 | |
President | Yahya Jammeh |
Preceded by | Musa Gibril Bala Gaye |
Succeeded by | Maba Jobe |
Personal details | |
Born | Brikama,British Gambia | 10 November 1964
Political party | APRC |
Lamin Kaba Bajo (born 10 November 1964) is a former Gambian politician and diplomat who is the current president of the Gambia Football Federation,having been elected in September 2014.
A military officer who commanded the presidential guard of Dawda Jawara,Bajo was not involved in the 1994 coup that brought Yahya Jammeh to power,but subsequently joined his government. He first served in cabinet from 1995 to 2000,and was then Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2002 to 2005. From 2005 to 2006,Bajo was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (the equivalent of foreign minister). He was also a government minister from 2010 to 2012 and for a brief spell in 2014,and in between stints in cabinet held ambassadorships to Iran (2007–2009),Qatar (2009–2010),and Morocco (2012–2014).
Bajo was born in Brikama,and received his secondary schooling at the Muslim High School in Banjul. He joined the Gambia National Gendarmerie (later called the Gambia National Army) in April 1984,and by January 1993 had been promoted to captain. He was made commander of the presidential guard in January 1994,under President Dawda Jawara,however left the country following the bloodless coup d'état a few months later (which saw Yahya Jammeh become the new head of state). Bajo was reconciled to the new leadership within a short period of time,and in August 1994 was made Commissioner of the Western Division by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). [1] He and another officer,Edward Singhateh,became members of the AFPRC in January 1995,following the arrest of two others for an alleged coup attempt. [2]
In January 1995,at the same time as he was added to the AFPRC,Bajo was also appointed Minister of the Interior in Jammeh's new cabinet. He served in that position until 1997 (and relinquished his army commission in September 1996),but remained in Jammeh's ministry until being dismissed in May 2000,at various times being responsible for youth,sports,religious affairs,local government,and lands. Bajo returned to favour in October 2002 and was appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, [1] a country with which the Gambia had had strong ties since independence. [3] He was recalled to the Gambia in October 2005,in order to replace Musa Gibril Bala Gaye as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. [1] Bajo held that position until October 2006,when Jammeh dissolved his entire cabinet. He was initially replaced by Maba Jobe,but Jobe's appointment was revoked after a week in favour of Bala Garba Jahumpa. [4]
In February 2007,Bajo was appointed Ambassador to Iran,a new position. [1] Gambian relations with Iran had been "cordial but not particularly close" in the past,but by the late 2000s Iran had become a "relatively important source of imports". [5] Bajo's next appointment was as Ambassador to Qatar,which he took up in July 2009. He returned to cabinet in February 2010 with responsibility for fisheries,water resources,and National Assembly matters,but left in February 2012 in order to take up the position of Ambassador to Morocco. Bajo briefly returned to cabinet in April 2014,replacing Ousman Sonko as Minister of the Interior,but served for only a short period before Sonko was recalled. [1] He returned to Morocco,but was replaced as ambassador a short time later,in June 2014. [6]
In September 2014,Bajo was elected president of the Gambia Football Federation (GFF),the governing body of association football in the country. [7] Questions were raised about the fairness of the result,with allegations made that the vote had been rigged to ensure the success of the government's preferred candidate. The GFF board had been dissolved by FIFA earlier that year due to government interference. [8]
The Gambia,officially the Republic of The Gambia,is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland Africa and is surrounded by Senegal,except for its western coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia is situated on both sides of the lower reaches of the Gambia River,the nation's namesake,which flows through the centre of the Gambia and empties into the Atlantic Ocean,thus the long shape of the country. It has an area of 10,689 square kilometres (4,127 sq mi) with a population of 1,857,181 as of the April 2013 census. Banjul is the Gambian capital and the country's largest metropolitan area,while the largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama.
Politics of The Gambia takes place within the framework of a presidential republic,whereby the President of The Gambia is both head of state and head of government,and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliaments.
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh is a Gambian politician and former military officer who was the leader of The Gambia from 1994 to 2017,firstly as chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 to 1996 and then as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017.
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara was a Gambian politician who served as Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970,and then as the first President of the Gambia from 1970 to 1994.
The People's Progressive Party is a political party in the Gambia. It was the dominant ruling party of the House of Representatives and the presidency from 1962 to 1994. The president throughout this time period was Dawda Jawara. The People's Progressive Party lost power after the 1994 Gambian coup d'état,a military coup led by young,junior military officers. The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) then became the dominant party of the Gambia. The People's Progressive Party remains active,but lacking the same level of support it garnered in the 20th century.
Sheriff Mustapha Dibba was a veteran Gambian politician who was the 1st Vice-President of the Gambia (1970–1972) and also served as the country's National Assembly speaker from 2002 to 2006. He was also leader of the National Convention Party (NCP).
Ousainou Darboe is a Gambian politician and lawyer who serves as the National Assembly Minority Leader since April 2022. He previously served as Vice-President of the Gambia and Minister of Women's Affairs from June 2018 to March 2019,under President Adama Barrow. He also served as Barrow's Minister of Foreign Affairs from February 2017 to June 2018.
Kukoi Samba Sanyang was a Gambian politician and leader of the unsuccessful 1981 coup d'état against the government of Dawda Jawara.
The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) gained control of Gambia in July 1994,in a military coup d'état. The AFPRC deposed the Dawda Jawara government and banned opposition political activity. Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh,chairman of the AFPRC,became head of state. A few months later,Captain Sadibou Hydara,who was the spokesperson of the AFPRC,and Captain Sabali,deputy leader of the AFPRC,were accused by Jammeh of plotting a coup. Both men were arrested and detained at the maximum prison. Captain Hydara was tortured and killed in prison. It was believed that Captain Hydara who was the most educated among the original members of the AFPRC was in favor of returning the country to civilian rule,and strongly objected to Jammeh's candidacy.
Bala Garba Jahumpa is a Gambian politician and diplomat.
Maba Jahou Jobe is a Gambian politician. Born and raised in Bakau,he once served as an officer major and commander of the Gambian National Army until his appointment as assistant high commissioner to The Gambian embassy in the UK. Jobe was high commissioner to Nigeria from 1996 to 2001.
Lang Tombong Tamba was the Chief of the Defense Staff of the Gambian Armed Forces until his arrest,detention and trial in an attempted coup.
Gambia–Iran relations are the bilateral relations between The Gambia and Iran. Neither country has a resident ambassador.
In the 1994 Gambian coup d'état,a group of soldiers led by 29-year-old Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh seized power in a bloodless coup d'état on the morning of 22 July,ousting Dawda Jawara,who had been President of The Gambia since its independence in 1970.
The 2014 Gambian coup d'état attempt broke out during the night of 30 December 2014,when gunfire erupted in the Gambian capital of Banjul.
Sadibou Hydara was an important Gambian military and political leader who served in various international peacekeeping operations. He later served as the Gambia's Minister of Interior and government spokesman.
The State Intelligence Services (SIS),formerly the National Intelligence Agency (NIA),is the intelligence agency of the Gambia. It was founded following the 1994 military coup d'état by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (APRFC),which was led by Yahya Jammeh. Its current head is Ousman Sowe.
Aja Fatoumata C.M. Jallow-Tambajang is a Gambian politician and activist who served as Vice-President of the Gambia and Minister of Women's Affairs from February 2017 to June 2018,under President Adama Barrow.
Capital punishment remains a legal penalty for multiple crimes in The Gambia. However,the country has taken recent steps towards abolishing the death penalty.