The National Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia (NMRDG)

The National Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia (NMRDG) is pleased to inform all Gambians and friends of The Gambia around the world that the civil and human rights organization has recently opened its new bank account. As a reminder, NMRDG is the brainchild of Gambians across the U.S and U.K, of respectable standing in society, who having watched our country descend into chaos over all these years, have decided to come together to try and find solutions to our country’s problems. NMRDG is not a political organization; rather it was founded as a civil society institution, which aims to contribute in any way it can, in order restore democracy in The Gambia.

Gambians at home and around the world need not be reminded of the brutality our fellow citizens and foreigners living in our country have bee subjected to the past fifteen years. Recently, the regime of Yahya Jammeh dispatched armed military and trained civilians terrorists under the employ of the military political party APRC, around select regions of our country to engage in what the regime has called “ridding The Gambia of witches”. In this exercise, which lasted several weeks and was concentrated in parts of the North Bank and Western Divisions, the regime exhibited callousness and perpetrated gross human rights violations against thousands of innocent Gambians. In this process, dozens of Gambians have lost their lives and many others have suffered serious medical ailments as a result of being forced to take potent and poisonous concoctions, which agents of the regime say will rid them of their witchcraft powers. In addition too, over one hundred Gambians and foreign civilians have been murdered in cold blood, as dozens of military and security personnel have been summarily executed by firing squad, scores more Gambians have disappeared from the face of the earth, hundreds more Gambians still languishing in prisons and jails throughout the country, and finally thousands of Gambians have fled the country in fear for their safety. The impetus and motivation to found NMRDG came out of the totality of all of these factors. The membership feels that it is no longer acceptable for Gambians to just sit there and take the heartache without doing anything. We Gambians must resolve to end this fifteen-year long complacency by increasing the engagement with our fellow citizens. In this light, The NMRDG has opened a bank account with the aim of soliciting funds to enable the organization begin broadcasting daily news to our fellow countrymen.

All funds collected will be used exclusively in the dissemination of news throughout the length and breadth of our country. NMRDG will, therefore, have a presence in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, where the organization will pay for airtime to use local television and radio outlets to speak directly to our fellow countrymen. In the long term, NMRDG plans to own its own mass broadcast services outlets operating from Dakar, Senegal, speaking directly to our fellow countrymen. Gambian dissidents and refugees residing in Senegal will be recruited to announce the daily hourly news to Gambians in English, Mandinka, Fula, Wollof, Jola, Serahule and Manjago. A weekly or biweekly-televised broadcast will be made depending on the availability of funds, for which Gambian dissidents can choose any topic of political interest and of social and economic implication, to speak directly to Gambians. NMRDG as human and civil rights organizations is here to serve all Gambian and Gambians without exception. The aims and objectives of NMRDG are as follows:

i.                     Use the proximity to The Gambia from Senegal to gather news in order to inform, educate and create awareness among Gambians, our sister neighbor Senegal and the international community.

ii.                   Broadcast real and unfiltered news to The Gambia from Dakar, Senegal, using radio and television with a view to inform and educate Gambians.

iii.                  Help Gambian exiles in Senegal transition into an organized group that helps and provides supports to all Gambians fleeing from our country.

iv.                 Monitor the wellbeing of Gambian dissidents in Senegal and the sub-region to ensure that relevant regional and international institutions provide the support necessary for Gambian exiles to thrive wherever they are in the sub-region.

v.                   To support the refugee and asylum applications of Gambians seeking to travel to safer overseas regions of the world where they choose to go.

vi.                 Where funding permits, to provide some assistance to Gambian dissidents in Senegal recruited to read news.

The National Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia (NMRD-G) will leave no stone unturned in the effort to secure funding from Gambians, friends of The Gambia around the world, friendly governments, U. N. agencies and regional and international institutions and organizations. Gambians willing to run fundraising chapters are urged to contact NMRDG at; coor.nmrdg@yahoo.com Social get together occasions such as dances will be organized in North Carolina, New York, Minnesota, Georgia and Wisconsin throughout the summer to raise funds. Members of the Executive have put substantial amounts of funds together in order to open the Bank Account. Gambians and friends of The Gambia around the world who wish to make contribute to support this noble endeavor are requested to send their contributions to the following Bank of America, Account Number: 237015302595. All funds raised will be used entirely to pay for the use of radio and television in Senegal and payment of stipends to Gambian exiles in Senegal recruited to broadcast the news.