Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has announced a ban on child marriage in the predominantly Muslim West African nation, threatening heavy jail terms for those who break the new rules. 
 
Speaking to a group of Muslim elders in Banjul on Wednesday, Jammeh said: &quot;As from today, July 6, child marriage is illegal and is banned in The Gambia&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Anyone who marries a girl under 18 years will spend 20 years in jail. The girls&#39; parents would spend 21 years in jail and anyone who knows about it and fails to report the matter to the authorities would spend 10 years in jail,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Imam and those that preside over the marriage ceremony would also be sent to jail. If you want to know whether what I am saying is true or not, try it tomorrow and see.&quot; 
 
Jammeh instructed lawmakers to pass legislation reflecting the new ban before July 21. 
 
In December, legislators passed a bill criminalising female circumcision and introducing prison terms of up to three years for anyone flouting the ban, a month after Jammeh branded the practice outdated and ordered its immediate cessation. 
 
Jammeh declared in November that the practice was not required by Islam, the religion of around 95 per cent of the country&#39;s 1.8 million population, and that it should be consigned to history, according to a government spokesman. 
 
(AFP)

This is yet another milestone for The Gambia that had also criminalised female circumcision in December

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has announced a ban on child marriage in the predominantly Muslim West African nation, threatening heavy jail terms for those who break the new rules. Speaking to a group of Muslim elders in Banjul on Wednesday, Jammeh said: "As from today, July 6, child marriage is illegal and is banned in The Gambia". "Anyone who marries a girl under 18 years will spend 20 years in jail. The girls' parents would spend 21 years in jail and anyone who knows about it and fails to report the matter to the authorities would spend 10 years in jail," he added. "The Imam and those that preside over the marriage ceremony would also be sent to jail. If you want to know whether what I am saying is true or not, try it tomorrow and see." Jammeh instructed lawmakers to pass legislation reflecting the new ban before July 21. In December, legislators passed a bill criminalising female circumcision and introducing prison terms of up to three years for anyone flouting the ban, a month after Jammeh branded the practice outdated and ordered its immediate cessation. Jammeh declared in November that the practice was not required by Islam, the religion of around 95 per cent of the country's 1.8 million population, and that it should be consigned to history, according to a government spokesman. (AFP)

Gambia bans child marriage

Authorities in Gambia have sacked 27 government officials including ten permanent secretaries on suspicion of having fraudulently acquired official cars and other items, state television said on Tuesday. 
 
The officials are being investigated by the National Intelligence Agency, a government source said. 
 
President Yahya Jammeh has ruled Gambia, a small country almost encircled by Senegal, for two decades since seizing power in a bloodless coup. 
 
Gambia is due to hold elections in December, when Jammeh will run for a fifth term. 
 
(Reuters)

They were suspected of having fraudulently acquired official cars and other items. Ten permanent secretaries have also been suspended

Authorities in Gambia have sacked 27 government officials including ten permanent secretaries on suspicion of having fraudulently acquired official cars and other items, state television said on Tuesday. The officials are being investigated by the National Intelligence Agency, a government source said. President Yahya Jammeh has ruled Gambia, a small country almost encircled by Senegal, for two decades since seizing power in a bloodless coup. Gambia is due to hold elections in December, when Jammeh will run for a fifth term. (Reuters)

Gambia sacks 27 government officials accused of corruption

Gambia has banned music, dancing and drumming during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on pain of being arrested,&nbsp;and people are complying, police said Monday. 
 
Ordinary citizens in the small west African country,&nbsp;whose president declared it an Islamic state in December,&nbsp;are being urged to report anyone seen engaging in the activities to authorities, said a spokesman. 
 
&quot;People are complying with the police order banning drumming and dancing during the month of Ramadan and so far no one has been arrested by the police for violating it,&quot; police spokesperson Lamin Njie told AFP. 
 
A police statement published last week warned that &quot;all ceremonies, festivities and programs that involve drumming, music and dance during the day or at night are prohibited&quot;. 
 
&quot;All those engaged in the practice are therefore warned to desist from such acts otherwise they will be eventually apprehended and face the full force of the law without compromise,&quot; the statement&nbsp;said. 
 
President Yahya Jammeh announced in December that Gambia had become an Islamic state, but stressed that the rights of the Christian minority would be respected and that women would not be held to a dress code. 
 
A few weeks later it emerged that female civil servants had been ordered to cover their hair at work, according a leaked government memo, although the presidency subsequently announced the measure had been dropped. 
 
An impoverished former British colony, famed for its white-sand beaches,&nbsp;Gambia has a population of nearly two million, 90 per cent of whom are Muslim. Of the remainder, eight per cent are Christian and two per cent are defined as having indigenous beliefs. 
 
Jammeh, 50, a military officer and former wrestler, has ruled the country with an iron fist since he seized power in a coup in 1994. 
 
Critics regularly accuse him of making unilateral decisions and controversial statements, notably about other countries, migrants and homosexuality. 
 
The next presidential election in Gambia, for which Jammeh is a candidate, is scheduled in December. 
 
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation announced in April that its next summit will be held in the Gambia, although a date has not yet been fixed. 
 
During the holy month of Ramadan, observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. 
(AFP)

President Jammeh made Islam the official state religion only this past December, but those who don't comply face 'full force of the law'

Gambia has banned music, dancing and drumming during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on pain of being arrested, and people are complying, police said Monday. Ordinary citizens in the small west African country, whose president declared it an Islamic state in December, are being urged to report anyone seen engaging in the activities to authorities, said a spokesman. "People are complying with the police order banning drumming and dancing during the month of Ramadan and so far no one has been arrested by the police for violating it," police spokesperson Lamin Njie told AFP. A police statement published last week warned that "all ceremonies, festivities and programs that involve drumming, music and dance during the day or at night are prohibited". "All those engaged in the practice are therefore warned to desist from such acts otherwise they will be eventually apprehended and face the full force of the law without compromise," the statement said. President Yahya Jammeh announced in December that Gambia had become an Islamic state, but stressed that the rights of the Christian minority would be respected and that women would not be held to a dress code. A few weeks later it emerged that female civil servants had been ordered to cover their hair at work, according a leaked government memo, although the presidency subsequently announced the measure had been dropped. An impoverished former British colony, famed for its white-sand beaches, Gambia has a population of nearly two million, 90 per cent of whom are Muslim. Of the remainder, eight per cent are Christian and two per cent are defined as having indigenous beliefs. Jammeh, 50, a military officer and former wrestler, has ruled the country with an iron fist since he seized power in a coup in 1994. Critics regularly accuse him of making unilateral decisions and controversial statements, notably about other countries, migrants and homosexuality. The next presidential election in Gambia, for which Jammeh is a candidate, is scheduled in December. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation announced in April that its next summit will be held in the Gambia, although a date has not yet been fixed. During the holy month of Ramadan, observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. (AFP)

Gambia bans music and dancing during Ramadan

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