On Thursday 16 March 2023, the VUB-Brussels School of Governance (BSoG) hosted H.E. Pa Musa Jobarteh, the newly appointed Gambian ambassador to Belgium and Mission to the EU Communities. The lecture of Mr Jobarteh focused on The Gambia’s Embassy Mission to Belgium and the EU and the Foreign Policy of The Gambia: Post Dictatorship. He outlined the fact that the Gambia’s foreign policy is based on non-alignment as a friendly nation to all peace-loving nations in the world. While focusing on the country’s post-dictatorship era, he was quick to point out the role and contributions of the EU in overseeing with resource support the transition period.
The Gambia was under autocratic rule from 1994 to 2016. However, through the coalition building of political parties and civil society, including the Gambian diaspora, the former president, Yahya Jammeh, lost the 2016 presidential elections to the coalition candidate, Adama Barrow. The Gambia’s political transition has since then attracted huge interest around the world. By having the country’s ambassador to Belgium and the EU give a lecture, it demonstrates the salient case of the smallest country in mainland Africa.
The session was moderated by Dr. Jimmy Hendry Nzally, whose PhD research was about the fall of Yahya Jammeh and the democratic transition. The event was attended by researchers, embassy staff, other affiliate scholars, and as well as the students of the History of International Relations of Africa course.
The Embassy’s mission covers EU countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. H.E. Pa Musa Jobarteh holds an MSc in International Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. He has over 25 years of professional experience in criminal justice and international relations. On 8 February 2023, he presented his letter of credence as new ambassador to the King of Belgium.
