Ebrima Ceesay,
To say that there is mutual hatred between Walfajri and President Yahya
Jammeh is an understatement. As a seasoned journalist yourself, you will
agree with me that articles, like the one you culled from the Point, can at
best only increase the suspicion on the part of some that Peace can be
forcibly achieved in Casamance through the barrel of the gun. The article
also tries to give the impression that (1) Gambia is assisting the MFDC
rebels and (2) that peace in Casamance can be achieved without The Gambia.
The above notions are not only foolish but very dangerous. As the paper
points out: "Jammeh is attempting to do something that the Senegalese
government failed to achieve for the past 20 years". By admiting that, for
20 years the Senegalese forces, despite their numerical strength, superior
arms, abundant logistical support and training have failed to end this war.
There is no doubt that there the war is devasting the Casamance and is
wrecking havoc on the inocent population. People are dying. People are being
displaced and left destitute for no good reason. People continue to be
maimed. Are you, for one moment, suggesting that we take a back seat and
watch our own brothers and sisters being slaughtered, raped and made
destitute? Are you also suggesting that having tried for 20 years to end
this insurgence without success, we should not try another formula. Do you
consider the above article a responsible one? Would the above article in any
way help the peace process? I am putting it to you that this is a very
irresponsible article that should have been thrown into the trash can it
belongs.
Have a good day and bye 4Now, KB Jobe.
PS: I await your source's rejoinders.
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Senegal growing impatience with Gambia
>Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 16:13:32 -0000
>
>Kebba Jobe:
>
>My source is a very competent individual, and I have no doubt in mind,
> >that
>if need be, he'll send a rejoinder to your last e-mail about him. >However,
>for the sake of fair play and balanced reporting, I have decided to
>re->post
>the e-mail in question that my source sent to the L, on/about the
> >relations
>between Senegal and The Gambia.
>
>I am also sending an eye-opening commentary I just saw in The Point
>newspaper on the Net, and which gives an interesting perspective to the
>issue raised. The commentary in the Point newspaper, captioned "Good
>Morning, Mr President", makes interesting reading, and it is therefore
>reproduced below.
>
>So do enjoying reading it! Do not also forget to re-read my source's
>e->mail,
>which is reprinted further below.
>
>Ebrima
>
>_______________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>The Senegalese Media Attack (Reprinted/culled from The Point newspaper)
>
>Good Morning, Mr. President
>
>Today we intend to familiarise you with what a section of the >Senegalese
>media say about your recent proposals on the Casamance issue.
>
>We concentrate on Wal Fadjri's comments titled "Jammeh propose
>l'innacceptable" (Jammeh's unacceptable proposal) and "L'hypocrisie >des
>faux
>freres" (The hypocrisy of the fake brothers)written by two leading
>journalists of that paper. Walf attacked your proposal for Wade to
> >withdraw
>his troops from their present operational positions.
>
>They recalled that the proposal is not new in that it had been a
>precondition of the MFDC for peace, and had always been rejected by >Dakar.
>"In actual fact, both the former regime and that of Wade held on to the
>sovereignty of the army which could be deployed anywhere and around the
>different barracks in the region", Walf added. The paper went on to >add
>that
>Gambia's demand for Wade to withdraw the troops tantamounts to asking >for
>the closure of barracks in Elinkine, Youtou, Effock, Djinack and
> >Toubacouta
>as well as the withdrawal of the special forces.
>
>Such a suggestion had always been rebuked by the Dakar, the paper
> >contended.
>"It would seem", Walf opined, "that The Gambia is heading towards an
> >impasse
>in its mediation role after having banged the door on its way out of >the
>mediation some time ago. Why then is Jammeh re-echoing these demands >which
>are unacceptable? Before making the proposal, the Gambian President was
>aware of Wade's position on the issue. During the debate on the new
>constitution, Wade rejected the notion of a "Corsica status" for >Casamance
>as per French Prime Mninister Jospin's formular and called the >journalist
>who suggested it, a traitor".
>
>The paper also implied that you failed to explain how you intend to
> >finance
>the cantonment of the MFDC forces, adding "Jammeh is attempting to do
>something that the Senegalese government failed to achieve for the >past 20
>years". To buttress this point, the paper cited the current situation >in
>the
>northern front where, it claimed, the metamorphosis of former >combatants
>into civilians had failed. The paper also highlighted what it called " >the
>rivalry plaguing Sidy Badjie's northern front where the confrontation
>between Kamougue Diatta and his former deputy Ousman Goudiaby had been
>deadly of late."
>
>.The paper also claimed that father Diamacoune Senghor has lost grip >over
>Salif Sadio, whom it claimed, was flushed out of the southern front by
>Bissau Guinean troops aided by Senegalese forces. It further argued >that
>idea of a "further meeting in a month's time in Banjul is meant to >give
>time
>to a weakened MFDC with the hope that rains would cripple the >Senegalese
>forces and allow the MFDC to reorganise itself".
>
>"If Wade had had from Jammeh the same cooperation he receives from >Guinea
>Bissau, it would have been another story altogether", Walf opined.And >went
>on to ask: "Shall we give a respite to a weakened and >divided .combattant
>wing that has now been pushed to its last retrenchment?" And the >enigmatic
>words came: "With the geographical situation, to be an adept of the
> >politics
>of the ostrich is the best way to compromise the future." The above, we
>believe, is food for thought for not only you Mr.President, but all
>Gambians.
>
>Good Day, Mr. President (This article is culled from The Point)
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>
>
>From: Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Senegal growing impatience with Gambia
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 18:55:10 -0000
>
>Gambia-L:
>
>The e-mail below came from a source in The Gambia.
>
>Regards,
>Ebrima
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Senegal growing impatience with Gambia
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001
>
>Ebrima:
The Senegalese Government and its people are getting increasing
impatient with the erratic behaviour of Yahya Jammeh. The Senegalese press,
including the official papers, are hitting the Jammeh regime
extremely hard. They consider him a hypocrite and playing double games with
the Cassamance rebels. Their undercover agents are now everywhere collecting
intelligence on this rogue Government in Banjul.
Our so-called "Doctor" M.L.S.Jobe is also under attack from the
Cassamance rebels for his statements, calling for the rebels to forget about
seeking independence from Senegal. It is now clearly evident even from the
die-hard supporters of the APRC who refuse to see the harm being done to the
Gambia by Yahya Jammeh that his foreign policy, if you can call it that, is
in tatters. They are considered inept by the Senegalese and do not enjoy
their respect. YAHYA JAMMEH, WATCH OUT. YOUR DAYS AT STATE HOUSE ARE
NUMBERED.
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