The U.K. Gov should review its policies on The Gambia  It is time for the UK Government to act in the struggle for restoration of democracy in our country.

By: - Abdoukarim Sanneh 
  Gambian Student
  University of Bolton
  33 Flog Lane Wigan
  E-MAIL:- [log in to unmask]
    
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  July 5, 2006
A Job well done to United States Government for the cancellation of the millennium development fund to the Gambia Government for its failure to observe the basic ethical issues attach to the condition for access to such funds. I hope United Kingdom Government will also review its refinancing policies to promote democracy and good governance. Tolerance to despotic regime like that of Yaya Jammeh and his APRC could undermine strategic goals to spread and practice democracy. 

The completion of the recent African Union Summit in Banjul and the invitation extended to hardliner leaders of Iran and Venezuela by the Gambian leader, Yaya Jammeh to promote their bankrupt and outdated ideology to African leaders against universal values for freedom and liberalism will be food for thought for United Kingdom Government, United States, and other western powers. The western democracies need to take a more responsible foreign policy towards notorious regimes like that of Yaya Jammeh. 

It is about time for western powers to act now and stop preferential treatment in foreign policy. Freedom and all the liberal values of democracy are universal for all the people of the planet. The struggle for the restoration of democracy in many small nations like Gambia has long been neglected by western democracies. It is time for these governments to realise that failed nations like Gambia, Zimbabwe and many more are the breeding ground for extremism which have no regard for civil liberty. Funding such regimes end up in private bank accounts or using such funds to undermine the spread of democracy and civil liberties and thus fostering human rights violations or crimes against humanity. 

For the Gambian situation, in many instances UK Government has neglected Gambian struggle for democracy while concentrating more efforts and resources on Zimbabwe as if it is the only country in the Common Wealth engulfed in a dictatorship. UK Government failed to realise that we in the Gambia have another Mugabe, brutal and have blood on his hands like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The only difference between the Gambia and Zimbabwe is that the former does not have white farmers and secondly it is not a strategic interest of the western powers like the latter. The similarity is that the modus operatus of the regimes in question are the same. There are extra judicial killings, detentions without trial, rigging of elections, creating support and financing of militia groups, demolition of human settlements, murder and torture of opponents, corruption, and other economic crimes etc. 

With both Governments signing the Harare Declaration as members of the Common Wealth, the basic fundamentals of which is observance of rule of law, democracy and good governance, I wander why our struggle is not given the same priority like that of Zimbabwe. Where is the ethical foreign policy which the new Labour government has been promoting to enhance the spread of democracy and development in Africa? Many Gambians feel let down by UK Government after restoring military and security aid to the APRC Government without proper assessment of the implications of such decision to the efforts for democratisation and human rights. 

I don't know whether the UK Government is aware that recently in the month of March, five individuals among whom includes the former Director General of National Intelligence Agency was extra judicially killed by security forces for involvement in a coup that never happened. Giving Yaya Jammeh military and security assistance indicated that UK Government is contributing indirectly to human rights crimes and dictatorship in our country. 

A small country like Gambia have well documented cases of erosion of human rights violations from 1994 to 2006 among which are the killings of former Finance Minister Ousman Koro Ceesay, Journalist Deyda Hydara, Former MP Foday Makalo, 12 students in April 2000, attempted murder of lawyer Ousman Sillah, the arrest and detention of opposition leaders, current detention of human rights lawyer Mariam Denton, MC Cham, and 33 military and civilians currently charged for treason, punishable by death for a coup that never happened and many more. 

Looking into recent crimes and the rigging of the election, which have already began before September presidential election with issuing of voters cards to non-Gambians, and also lack of level playing fields with the opposition parties denied access to National Radio and Television, it is about time for United Kingdom Government to review its foreign and aid policy for Gambia. How can UK Government that have been promoting ethical or responsible foreign policy use hard working British tax-payers money to refinance a regime that does not subscribe to the values of United Kingdom. It is a fact that it is only Gambian people who can effect a political change but it is also a moral and social responsibility for UK Government to act in a manner that will enhance peace and social justice. 
  
    
         


 		
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