> Bakary & Joe Sambou
> 
> Thanks for putting this burning issue for the records,Jammeh and his thugs are ruling 
> Gambia with the gun i wonder if anyone dares to confront these criminals the atrocities
> they are commiting on the loving people of Gambia.How can the security forces put the
> law into their own hands maltreating the citizens they surpose to defend? Why should
> the independent reporter suffer the beatings while serving the Gambian people with his
> journalistic proffession?Where is the LAW when Jammeh and his meniaks are oppressing
> our people for the rights they suppose to enjoy?Where is justice in Gambia when Dumo et al
> are still in jail for the crimes they have never been guilty of?How long shall we wait for the
> Gambian masses to revolt against this dictatorship?Why can't the oppositions call for a
> nation wide strike for justice before elections?I wonder where i can get my answers.
> Have a nice weekend folks.
> 
> Fye  Samateh.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joe Sambou 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 10:58 PM
  Subject: Re: Brutality of our security forces


  Bakary, I agree with your summation, that we are taking notes and all wrong doers shall be accounted for.  As long as Jammeh and Co are at the helm, this thuggry is bound to continue.  Now is the time for folks to be more vigilant, because with the presidential elections approaching, these thugs are going to use everything at their disposal.  Sidat Jobe's bait to the media is just one of their many contemplated options.  The citizens need to be ready for an all out resistance.  They can only steal the elections if we allow them.  If the elections are not going to be free and fair, then we have to force them out by any means necessary.  An assault to the opposition is an assault to all Gambians and we should rise up and run them out like the Ivorians and Peruvians did to their dictators.  Folks, they are not going to go down without a massive assault on us but that should not deter us.  We must put a stop to their savagery.

  Chi Jaama

  Joe Sambou



  >From: Bakary Kanteh 
  >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list 
  >To: [log in to unmask] 
  >Subject: Brutality of our security forces 
  >Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 19:53:03 +0100 
  > 
  >The current rising trend of unabated brutality by members of the 
  >Gambia's security forces against innocent and well meaning citizens 
  >and 
  >other residents in the Gambia is indeed very worrying and a cause 
  >for concern for the long-term stability and prosperity of our 
  >beloved 
  >country.Such unjustifiable occurences are becoming a common feature 
  >of 
  >conduct by some members of our security forces be it be from the 
  >Gambia 
  >National Army, the Paramilitary Forces, the Gambia National Guard, 
  >the 
  >Gambia Police Force and the Gambia Fire Service, not to mention the 
  >Notorious Intelligence Agency (NIA); the most brutal of them 
  >all,whose 
  >members even seem to thrive on their atrocities by gaining 
  >promotions and 
  >greater recognition from none other than Yaya Jammeh.I don't need to 
  >catalogue on a case-by-case basis such atrocities committed against 
  >unsuspecting members of the public by those who were supposed to 
  >protect,safeguard and enhance their security and integrity as human 
  >beings.However recent headlines in the Gambian press such as the 
  >brutalisation of Mansaray by some members of the Bundung Police; the 
  >unlawful detention and brutal torture of Kassa:(Bakau UDP 
  >militant)by the 
  >NIA;the harassment and torture by members of the Gambia National 
  >Army at the 
  >Yundum Barracks of the 'Independent' reporter are among a number of 
  >such 
  >crimes reported recently.Any truly well-meaning Gambian and others 
  >who wish 
  >the Gambia well cannot help but be saddened by these retrogressive 
  >and 
  >worrying cowardly actions.What is even more worrying is that the 
  >perpetrators of such crimes and atrocities are evetually rewarded by 
  >their 
  >superiors instead of being accordingly disciplined,prosected and 
  >eventually 
  >dismissed.This culture of impunity and immunity which is being 
  >nurtured and 
  >promoted by the APRC regime,if unchecked and eliminated from our 
  >justice and 
  >peace-loving society would eventually result in to a severe backlash 
  >from 
  >the majority populace with a 'God-forbid' possibility of civil 
  >strife.The 
  >recent decision of the Government to indeminify themselves from any 
  >accountabilty for the April 10 and 11 massacre of peaceful student 
  >demonstrators is not only a gross injustice and insult to Gambians 
  >but has 
  >also conveyed the message to our security forces that they can get 
  >away even 
  >with murder as long as the targets or victims are not known 
  >sypathisers or 
  >thugs of the regime. 
  >My message to our security forces is that they should remember that 
  >we are 
  >one with them and that they "thus consitute" as the late Captain 
  >Thomas said 
  >of the Burkinabe(Upper Volta) Armed Forces,"simply a detachment that 
  >is more 
  >specialised than the rest of the population with regard to the 
  >defense of 
  >....internal and external security.Similarly even though the health 
  >of the 
  >voltaic people is the business of the people as a whole and of each 
  >Voltaic 
  >individually,there exists and will continue to exist a more 
  >specialised 
  >medical corps that will devote more time to the question of public 
  >health".In essence,Sankarah is alluding to the fact that security 
  >like 
  >health is a collective reponsibility of all and that without the 
  >co-operation and support from the public,the security forces by 
  >themselves 
  >cannot bring about genuine national security.Therefore,national 
  >security 
  >will never be enhanced through brutal and inhumane tactics from the 
  >security 
  >forces.Members of our security forces should always in their 
  >interaction 
  >with members of the public be guided by the fact that they are 
  >employed to 
  >serve for the public good in accordance with the principles of 
  >justice and 
  >respect for fundamental human rights.After all,they are paid from 
  >taxpayers 
  >funds and not from the wealth of any individual,entity or interest 
  >group and 
  >are therefore obliged to serve the collective 
  >public interest.As Sankarah said,"gone are" (should be,mine)" the 
  >days when 
  >our national army acted like a corps of foreign mercenaries in 
  >conquered 
  >territory".Our security forces should " have no place for any 
  >person who 
  >looks down on,and brutalises the people"(Sankarah,Oct. 2,1983). 
  >My final message is to those guilty of perpetrating and condoning 
  >crimes 
  >against their civilian folk, that we are taking notes of their 
  >atrocities 
  >and will bring them to account at the most opportune time which is 
  >nigh.They 
  >will be accorded a fair trial very soon and sentenced for their 
  >inexcusable 
  >crimes against humanity. 
  > 
  >We must shatter the yoke of oppression! 
  > 
  >BMK 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  >_________________________________________________________________ 
  >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at 
  >http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp 
  > 
  >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
  > 
  >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the 
  >Gambia-L 
  >Web interface at: 
  >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html 
  >You may also send subscription requests to 
  >[log in to unmask] 
  >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to 
  >write your full name and e-mail address. 
  >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------