Commonwealth to discuss Gambia rights issue next week

Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon has said Trinidad and Tobago has no official position on calls for the suspension of Gambia from the Commonwealth because of the controversial statements made by its President, Dr Yahya Jammeh.

Jammeh is not attending next week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The nine-meber Gambian delegation will be led by Foreign Affairs Minster, Ousman Jammeh.

Human rights groups had been clamouring for the Gambian leader to be banned from CHOGM for statements that he would kill anyone who seeks to destabilise his government.

Read the story: Rights groups want Gambian leader banned from CHOGM

Gopee-Scoon told reporters Thursday the Manning government is "not going to make a pronouncement on it."

She said, "If it comes up at all, it will be a matter for the Heads and by consensus it will then be referred to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), whose responsibility and task it is to assess matters of violation of the fundamental principles of the Commonwealth."

The CMAG holds its meeting in Port of Spain next Wednesday and the minister said she would be participating in those discussions in her capacity as Trinidad and Tobago's foreign minister.

She explained that the Government has a "position with regard to matters of democracy and how we present ourselves and our commitment to the international community and so on".

She added that the commitment includes "the rule of law, human rights and all other matters, the non-use of force, the dignities and fundamental human rights of peoples...all humanities and responsibilities in the global context and that kind of thing."