President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, has described the age-long dependence of African nations on foreign communications operating companies for secondary and alternative routes for their international communications as unfortunate.
Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy was speaking on behalf of Jammeh at the launch of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable system in Sukuta and said the introduction of the cable will empower and liberate the continent from the decades long dependency.
She said: “By linking them directly to the global telecommunications infrastructure, African countries now have the opportunity to connect directly and exchange traffic in a fair, smooth, efficient and effective manner.”
Describing the event as an honor for Gambia, since the project represents a major milestone and major event in the advancement of telecommunications in Africa, the VP said the official launching is a welcomed development for Gambians.
“Therefore, I convey profound gratitude and appreciation to ACE parties for choosing The Gambia as the venue for the launch of the historic submarine cable system. We are told that there are four segments, and three of them are being launched here in The Gambia.
“It is in this regard, therefore, that we applaud the initiative, as well as resourcefulness of France TELECOM and the consortium of sixteen operators from 23 countries that have undertaken to administer this timely project,” Mrs. Njie-Saidy said.
The ACE spans a total length of 17,000 kilometers. It is a long submarine cable system that was meant to connect regions in France to South Africa, she added that the ACE will closely and positively impact several hundreds of millions of lives across the world.
“It is fascinating to observe that ACE will crucially facilitate communications within our sub-region and, by extension, contribute to realization of the African Union Programme on infrastructure development in Africa as agreed by AU heads of state and governments in Addis Ababa in January 2012,” she said.
