The Gambia is one of the few final strong-holds for dictatorship in Africa. It is the only country in West Africa where the rule of law, good governance and the sanctity of human life are alien concepts. It is the only country in West Africa where torture, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial executions, detention without trial, statutory murder and extra-judicial convictions have become officially entrenched as normal governance practices. It is the only country in Africa where the President publicly proclaimed and adopted the official policy of assassination against human rights defenders, and declared journalists the illegitimate sons of Africa who should "rot in hell." It is the country whose President shoots school children in cold-blood, fire-bomb press houses and murder journalists, lawyers and religious leaders, and institutionalized impunity as the sole governance trait.

It is the worst dictatorship, the worst kept secret killing field and the most politically intolerant regime in West Africa. It is impossible to change it electorally because the electoral system is fundamentally flawed and indomitably skewed in favour of the regime. The President declared that he "shall rule for a thousand years", asserting that elections SHALL NOT remove his government. The opposition and civil societies have been rendered severely impotent, as any form of dissent attracts the ultimate penalty.

The regime intensifies its containment of democracy each day, and rules strictly through the instrument of paralyzing fear and the practice of brutality against ordinary citizens.

The EU as the largest development partner is principally responsible for financing the regime's development programmes. Without the support of the EU, major pillars of the regime would have collapsed. The EU has the capacity to disrupt the economic might of the regime without negatively impacting ordinary citizens, and its failure to do so is directly responsible for the loss of many innocent lives, the torture of many and other grievous human rights abuses. The EU must be made to comply with its obligations under international Instruments in it's dealings with The Gambia. The United States and the rest of the international community has the obligation to protect our shared values and require definite consequences against the regime without delay.