Dawda Fadera
{{Short description|Gambian civil servant (died 2022)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dawda Fadera
| image = Dawda Fadera.jpg
| caption = Fadera in 2019
| office = Gambian Ambassador to the United States
| predecessor = Sheikh Omar Faye
| president = Adama Barrow
| successor =
| term_start = 24 January 2018
| term_end = 20 February 2022
| office1 = Secretary General
Head of the Civil Service
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 = Habib Drammeh
| president1 = Adama Barrow
| term_start1 = 9 February 2017
| term_end1 = 8 January 2018
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Kiang Nema, Lower River Division, Gambia
| death_date = 20 February 2022
| death_place = Banjul, Gambia
| citizenship =
| nationality =
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| relatives =
| education =
}}
Dawda Docka Fadera (died 20 February 2022) was a Gambian diplomat who served as ambassador to the United States from 2018 until his death. Prior to his appointment, he was Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary at the Personnel Management Office (PMO).
Early life
Civil service career
Fadera worked in the Personnel Management Office (PMO), part of the Office of the President, for the bulk of his civil service career, rising to become Permanent Secretary. He joined the PMO during Dawda Jawara's time as President. As Permanent Secretary at the PMO, he chaired the National Records Services and the Management Development Institute and was also the Gambia-based contact for the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC).{{Cite news|url=https://gambia.smbcgo.com/2017/02/13/president-barrow-nominates-dawda-fadera-secretary-general/|title=President Barrow nominates Dawda Fadera as Secretary General|date=13 February 2017|work=SMBC News|access-date=15 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225051925/https://gambia.smbcgo.com/2017/02/13/president-barrow-nominates-dawda-fadera-secretary-general/|archive-date=25 February 2017|url-status=dead}} Fadera was dismissed from the role in July 2011 by Yahya Jammeh but was reinstated in June 2012 after Jammeh found that the PMO began undergoing major difficulties without Fadera's leadership.{{Cite news|url=http://kibaaro.com/the-sacked-pmo-ps-bounces-back/|title=Sacked PMO PS Bounces Back|date=25 June 2012|work=Kibaaro|access-date=15 June 2017}}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
In August 2014, Fadera testified in the trial of former Secretary General Njogou Bah.{{Cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201408211434.html|title=Permanent Secretary PMO Testifies in Ex SG Bah's Trial|date=21 August 2014|work=Daily Observer|access-date=15 June 2017|via=AllAfrica}} Fadera was detailed in July 2016 alongside several other senior officials, having been accused of corruption in the awarding of a contract to Dubai-based oil company March Petroleum.
He was appointed by President Adama Barrow as Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service on 9 February 2017. He replaced Musa Jallow, whom Yahya Jammeh had appointed to the position on 10 January 2017. Shortly after his appointment, Fadera announced that he would be undertaking reforms to eliminate political interference in the Gambia's civil service.{{Cite news|url=http://www.sbngambia.com/reforms-end-political-interference-gambias-civil-service/|title=Reforms to end 'political interference' in Gambia's Civil Service|date=27 February 2017|work=SBN Gambia|access-date=15 June 2017|archive-date=27 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627002014/http://www.sbngambia.com/reforms-end-political-interference-gambias-civil-service|url-status=dead}}
Fadera presented his credentials as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to President Donald Trump at the White House on January 24, 2018.{{Cite news|url=http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/ambassador-fadera-meets-president-trump|title=Ambassador Fadera meets President Trump - The Point Newspaper, Banjul, The Gambia|date=January 29, 2018|work=The Point Newspaper|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709155324/http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/ambassador-fadera-meets-president-trump|url-status=dead}}
He died in Banjul on 20 February 2022.{{cite news |title=Gambian ambassador in US passes away |url=https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/national-news/gambian-ambassador-in-us-passes-away |access-date=21 February 2022 |publisher=The Point |date=21 February 2022}}