Mr. Idrissa Seck, former Prime Minister of Senegal arrived in Banjul on
Wednesday, 29 November under cover of darkness by crossing in a dug-out canoe from the Saloum Islands off the town of Foundiougne.
Idy as he is commonly known in Senegal arrived with an entourage of his closest aides including members of Parliament from his former party PDS - the political party he later abandoned to form '
Rewmi' (in wolof meaning 'the Nation') after he was granted provisional released from prison several months ago. Most of the members of his delegation joined him in Banjul by road from Saloum in convoy of eight 4x4 vehicles. They were lodged at the
Ocean Bay Hotel at the expense of the State despite attempts by the
Jammeh regime to distance itself from the Idy's visit.
The Point was the only paper to carry the story of Idy's visit which could cause the paper problems in days to come. The pro-government daily,
The Observer also had a story on the visit but dropped it from Thursday's edition at the instructions of President
Jammeh. 
President Wade in blue robes; Jammeh in white robes, rosaries, stick
Since his release and the formation of ' Rewmi', Seck's's political problems seem to have multiplied given his numerous encounters with the law Senegal's enforcement authorities. The ex-PM's latest problem is with the Immigration authorities who have refused to renew his diplomatic passport nor issue him with an ordinary passport. He traveled to Banjul on his Senegalese ID card allowed under ECOWAS protocols. He departs Banjul Saturday 2nd December for Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire and Niger.
Idrissa Seck, according to a press release from his Political Bureau, is in Banjul as part of a tour of ECOWAS member states and not to secure a Gambian diplomatic passport as widely reported in the Senegalese press. Indeed, there is proof that a Gambian authority promised the ex-PM a Gambian passport should he request one. It is common knowledge around the sub-region that Jammeh favours Idy to Wade and has intervened on his behalf when Idy was incarcerated. Jammeh would like to see Idy as President because according to the Gambian dictator they are "of the same generation."
Wade is very well aware of Jammeh's support of Seck in his quest to unseat the Senegalese President. This, coupled with Jammeh's overt interference in the Casamance conflict, have resulted in a heightened diplomatic activity never seen before. In less than two weeks, President Wade has sent no less than three special envoys to Banjul requesting Jammeh to lay-off Casamance by releasing the members of the military wing of the MFDC currently in custody in several locations in The Gambia, the infamous Mile II Prisons inclusive. The last envoy to visit Banjul was Cheikh Tidian SY, Senegal's Minister of Justice who refused to talk details to the press after his audience with Jammeh. This in itself is not a good sign. Therefore, Jammeh should be extremely careful not to commit the biggest mistake of his life by under-estimating the resolve of President Wade to 'see both issues through' i.e. Casamance conflict and Idrissa Seck.
It can be recalled that Seck was dismissed by President Wade on Wednesday April 21, 2004 and since then arrested, released and rearrested.