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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 22944, member: 2262"] Dr. Omar Touray gave a talk in Banjul over Christmas. He used to be The Gambia's foreign minister, and now he leads the Ecowas group. Dr. Touray talked about President Dawda Jawara. Jawara led The Gambia after it became independent in 1965 and served as president for 30 years. Jawara wanted The Gambia to stay its own country. But Senegal, The Gambia's neighbor, wanted the two countries to join together. The Gambia was very small. In 1965, it had only 11,000 people with jobs. That number grew over the next 10 years, but it remained a tiny country. Jawara had to be smart to keep The Gambia independent. He was a rational thinker who considered facts before making choices. When The Gambia became free, people had doubts. The UN wrote a report. It gave three options: [LIST] [*]The Gambia could become part of Senegal. [*]The Gambia and Senegal could form a partnership. But The Gambia would control most things on its own. [*]The two countries could work together. But they would stay separate. [/LIST] Jawara liked the third choice best. He did not want The Gambia to lose its independence. Senegal's president wanted the countries to become one someday. Jawara did not agree. Jawara felt The Gambia needed two things: safety within its borders and a strong economy. Having a good relationship with Senegal was important for safety. The Gambia also became involved in world affairs. Right after independence, it joined the United Nations, became part of the British Commonwealth, and joined the Organization of African Unity. Jawara had to be clever. He needed to keep Senegal happy, but he also needed to keep The Gambia free. Senegal's leaders wanted The Gambia to be part of their country, and Jawara stopped that from happening. [/QUOTE]

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