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By Tabora Bojang
Vice President Muhammed Jallow has said the United States government is not under any obligation to explain to The Gambia why it refused to grant visas to some officials to attend the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
More than 25 Gambian government officials were reportedly refused entry visas to attend UNGA in New York in September of this year. Those said to be rejected included senior civil servants, ambassadors and presidential advisers.
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While a number of Gambians hailed the rejection as a means to save the country from “wasting millions”, others said it exposed deterioration in the bilateral ties between Banjul and Washington. The move also came after the US State Department added The Gambia to its list of countries subjected to visa bond requirements of up to US$15,000.
The government has not commented on the visa denials.
But during his appearance at the National Assembly yesterday, Vice president Jallow was asked to explain to lawmakers the reasons responsible for the refusal of visa to Gambian officials. In his response, the vice president stated that “foreign embassies are not obliged to advance reasons” for visa refusals.
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Asked if this exposed weak bilateral ties between the US and The Gambia and whether the government had reached out to the US Embassy in Banjul for explanation, VP Jallow responded: “I can confirm to you that the Government of The Gambia and the Government of the United States of America continues to enjoy very strong bilateral relations. But if visas are rejected [for officials] they [US] are not obliged to give us reasons on why a visa is rejected.”
