The president of Gambia Transport Union (GTU) has threatened to enforce border closure if talks between the Gambia and Senegalese governments fail.

GTU on Monday threatened to close the Gambia-Senegal northern border as dispute between the transport unions escalates. 

But on Wednesday, the Union announced that it wouldn’t go ahead with the border closure as yet after the intervention of the Gambia government to settle the dispute amicably. A government delegation is now in Dakar to meet their Senegalese counterparts in resolving the border impasse. 

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, the Union boss Omar Ceesay said: “we are not going to relent until we protect the interest of our members as a union and country in particular.

“Our plan (blockades) to stop all Senegalese commercial vehicles from entering the Gambia was cancelled because of late intervention of government to dialogue with its Senegalese counterpart but despite that we are not going to relent on our decision to stop all Senegalese commercial vehicles from entering the Gambia.”

Mr Ceesay added: “And if the ongoing dialogue between two governments fails to solve the transport borders problem between two unions, we will close all border entries from Senegal to deny their commercial vehicles entry to the Gambia to also protect our interest.” 

The GTU boss said union official would be meeting all their members nationwide this week “to make sure they are prepared to retaliate on any denial of our vehicles to enter Senegal”.

Mr Ceesay however hoped the high level intergovernmental mediation would be successful in resolving the border disputes adding “but if not we will stop all commercial vehicles from Senegal to enter the Gambia.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba