Africa-Press – Gambia. Lamin Manneh, Deputy Foreign Affairs Secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has firmly rejected an apology issued by Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay (FJC) over her recent comments directed at the UDP, calling it “unacceptable” and demanding her immediate recall from her diplomatic post.
In an interview with West Coast Radio, Manneh expressed outrage over what he described as a pattern of disrespectful behavior by FJC toward the party and its supporters.
“I don’t accept that apology because it is not the first, second, or third time; even the first time is not acceptable, let alone more than three times.
“You sit there, and you insult a whole community; you don’t even insult a whole family, let alone a neighborhood or village or even a country. This is The Gambia you are insulting; we are hundreds of thousands of supporters; she should have been recalled forthwith,” he said.
Drawing historical parallels, Manneh referenced a similar incident during Yahya Jammeh’s presidency when FJC allegedly made inflammatory remarks about UDP leader Ousainu Darboe during a political tour. According to Manneh, even Jammeh, despite his authoritarian tendencies, had FJC removed from the stage and sent back to Banjul for her conduct.
“When she went with him on a tour, and she went on the podium and insulted Ousainu Darboe, Jammeh got her off the podium and sent her back to Banjul despite all of his flaws, and now she stands there on foreign land and insults Gambians in such a way, and she is still there,” he said.
He also dismissed FJC’s defense that her private audio recordings were leaked without consent.
“That is what is so unbelievable that she could even dare say that. I insulted them, and the insults would not have come out, so the insult came out, and now she is apologizing; this lady should be quiet,” he said.
According to Manneh, FJC’s behavior reflects a broader issue within public service.
“These are people who will not speak truth to power; those are people who will tell you exactly what you want to hear because they feel that they belong. We do not need that; we need people who can be independent and think very well,” he said.
Manneh revealed that he took formal steps by submitting a written complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding disciplinary action or a recall of FJC over what he described as “deeply offensive” remarks toward UDP supporters.
“I wrote to the foreign ministry and said this person should be recalled or subjected to disciplinary action; you cannot accept an ambassador sitting there and calling hundreds of thousands of Gambians the name she called us; that is unacceptable,” he said.
The controversy continues to stir political tensions, with the UDP urging the government to take swift action in upholding diplomatic integrity and accountability.
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