The government of Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed that Gambian President Yahya Jammeh will not be attending next week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Port-of-Spain. The Gambian delegation will be led by Foreign Affairs Minister Ousman Jammeh. The Caribbean Center for Human Rights (CCHR) and the India-based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) had objected to Jammeh's attendance based on his threats against supporters of human rights groups.
Jammeh was reported to have said he would kill anyone "who wants to destabilise” his country.
Both rights groups appealed to Commonwealth leaders to withdraw the Gambian leader’s invitation after he made these comments.
Read the story: Rights groups want Gambian leader banned from CHOGM
Prime Minister Patrick Manning said Wednesday 40 of the 53 leaders of the Commonwealth nations confirmed they will attend the meeting.
In an address to the nation, Manning also announced that Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen of Denmark, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will attend as special guests.
They have a special interest in getting the thoughts of the Commonwealth on climate change ahead of a global conference scheduled for next month in the Danish capital.
Rasmussen, Sarkozy and Ban are expected to ask the leaders to declare a united on climate change.
CHOGM 2009 is the last international summit before the Copenhagen talks and Manning has said Commonwealth leader have an opportunity "to positively influence its outcome” of the conference.
He said Trinidad and Tobago is "doing its utmost" to advance the process that could result in a global agreement on this crucial matter affecting all of humanity.
“I should also advise you that our country has been at the centre of almost frenzied activity among leading nations from both the developed and developing world as we seek to ensure that we take the strongest possible position in preparation for the Copenhagen meeting," Manning said.
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