Gambia's President Yahya jammeh will soon address the nation
on our country's 41 independence anniversary. West African
leaders are gracing today's historic occasion.

    Jammeh took power through a military coup in July of 1994.
Since the advent of his government, the West African country,
had witnessed dramatic increase on human rights and rule of
law abuses. Government crticics usually suffered the brunt of
such rights abuses.

Observers say the President usually used such occasions to
lash out to his critics and to brag about his government's
so called developmental programs.
 
Our Banjul correspondent says there was high presence of armed
security men at the Independence Stadium in Bakau. Over the
years, Jammeh's government had not been observing the country's
National holiday in grand style. But for some reasons, he decided
to observe it this year, just like that of his so called July 22ND
Military revolution. Critics say more attention is given to
Jammeh's failed revolution than that of independence day.

School children, APRC Yai Compins, and service men are currently
lined up at the Stadium, waiting for The Gambian leader and his
guests. This report was compiled by Karafa Badjie our Banjul reporter.
For more on today's independence celebration, read this paper.