An apparent fistfight between the Gambian ambassador to Cuba and his deputy last month has prompted their recall from Havana, according to a statement by the foreign affairs ministry in Banjul on Thursday.
It said their behaviours were in breach of the diplomatic code of conduct, prompting disciplinary action by the state.
Ambassador Sheikh Tijan Hydara and the Deputy Head of Mission Vincent Mendy were involved in a tiff which later went physical during a staff meeting at the Gambian embassy in Cuba in January.
Both men traded accusations against each other in separate dispatches to Banjul.
Hydara, who was appointed ambassador to Cuba in 2022 alleged that Mendy had assaulted him and caused grievous bodily harm without being physically provoked.
Mendy claimed the ambassador had humiliated him and other embassy workers, and accused Hydara of treating him in contempt and attacking his Christian faith.
The ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad said their recall takes immediate effect, given that ”initial findings and available evidence confirmed that their actions are inconsistent with diplomatic norms consequently they have both lost the integrity and privilege to continue representing The Gambia as diplomats”.
The ministry has sent a fact-finding mission to Havana not only to probe the incident but to also review the overall operations of the embassy in Cuba.
”The aim of this mission is to ensure that measures are put in place to prevent future occurrences of this nature and also ensure the irregularities of the operations of the embassy in Cuba are normalised and in line with the diplomatic code of conduct” its statement said.
WN/as/APA