The Gambia and Senegal governments have reached agreement following a week of cross-border row between the transport unions of the two nations. 

The row was triggered by the newly initiated Gambia Revenue Authority E-tracking system that imposed a D1,600 tax levy on each truck crossing the Gambian borders.

The transport ministers of the two countries and some diplomats met in Mansakonko, Gambia to pave a diplomatic solution to the problem.

After hours in a closed door meeting, the two countries agreed on a five-point resolution that included maintaining the tracker fees that were disputed by Senegalese drivers.

Gambian Minister of Transport Ebrima Sillah expressed hope that a lot of the challenging issues would be settled before the end of the meeting. He added that both countries are “one” and nothing should come between them.

He further marked the day as a historic one between the two countries which would lead to real integration as the Gambia is fully committed to settling this border crisis with Senegal. 

For his part, Senegalese Minister of Infrastructure, Land, Transport and Aerial, El Malick Ndiaye, highlighted that delegates were sent from the Gambia to Senegal to discuss this crisis for the first time in which a lot of things were discovered which led to this second meeting which he hoped would end well.

He expressed hope that the dispute would be resolved and that normal relations between the two countries would resume soon. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba