Saikss analysis of the Jammeh's behaviour, attitude in comparism with
Mabutu Just took me back to Fanon's decription of the national bourgeoisie
of the colonial countries in his book, The ABC of Colonial Manners or
Western Decorum Made Easy. Wrote Fanon:
"In its beginnings, the national bourgeoisie of the colonial countries
identifies itself with the decadence of the bourgeoisie of the West....(and
it) will be greatly helped on its way towards decadence by the Western
bourgeoisies, who come to it as tourists avid for the exotic, for big-game
hunting and for casinos. The national bourgeoisie organizes centres of rest
and relaxation and pleasure resorts to meet the wishes of the Western
bourgeoisie. Such activity is given the name of tourism and for the occasion
will be built up as a national industry."
This is accurately describes the infantile imitative mentality, the crass
world outlook which like borrowed robes sits uneasily on them, and the total
lack of any originality in the Gambian neo-colonial ruling class. Their
vision of society be it economic, political or cultural is derived from the
only experience they know and care to know, the colonial authority,
management is derived from colonialism. They have no policy directions of
their own and confine themselves to carefully following the well trodden
colonial paths.
Hence in industry and finance say economically they see themselves no more
than as an attachment of the Western bourgeoisie, their mission, to quote
Fanon "the transmission line" between the nation and imperialism. they are
happy, content really, to be only the agents for international tractors,
motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, boots tinned foods and fruits,
videos, TV sets bottled water, every little thing manufactured abroad. Their
dormant or hidden genius glows momentarily only when devising ways of
crushing any competing national initiative in all areas for which they have
been paid a commission to administer.
Another important point I really find interesting again going back to Fanon
is
the religious hypocrisy in Jammeh and co. " the colonialist bourgeoisie,
"wrote Fanon in The Wretched of the Earth, is helped in its work of calming
down natives by the inevitable religion. All those saints who have turned
the other cheek, who have forgiven trespasses against them, and who have
been spat on and insulted without shrinking are studied and held as
examples."
Like their colonial counterparts they have learnt the value of religion in
its call for love, peace, unity and non-violence between the oppressor and
the oppressed. The Gambian ruling class is a classic case of what Fanon
describes. Their leisure time when they are not attending mosque prayers to
count their blessings one by one is divided between collecting money from
the
poor at State house zoo, the Jammeh Foundation, Kanilai, Morroco etc.
Going back to the issue of Jammeh personification of the state. Again I
will
quote Fanon were he said: 'In a certain number of underdeveloped countries
the parliamentary game is faked from the beginning. Powerless economically,
unable to bring about the existence of coherent social relations, and
standing on the principle of its domination as a class, the bourgeoisie
chooses the solution that seems to it easiest, that of the single party. It
does not yet have the quite conscience and the calm that economic power and
the control of the state machine alone can give. It does not create a state
that reassures the ordinary citizen, but rather one that rouses his anxiety.
The state, which by its strength and discretion ought to inspire confidence
and disarm and lull everybody to sleep, on the contrary jostles people and
bullies them, thus intimating to the citizen that he is a continual danger.
the single party is the modern form of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie,
unmasked, unpainted, unscrupulous and cynical."
This again give us the description of the state we have under multi-party
system. Even though Fanon was describing a single state but today this
applies to mult-party state and Gambia under the present state of affair is
a classic case. Infact to go further, the regime is even sacred of it's own
party skeleton and increasingly we are observing it is relaying more and
more on the army and the July 22nd movement, thus fulfilling another of
Fanon's prophecies:
"in this poor, under-developed countries, where the rule is that the
greatest wealth is surrounded by the greatest poverty,the army and the
police constitute the pillars of the regime; an army and a police
force(another rule which must not be forgotten) which are advised for
foreign
experts. THe strength of the police force and the power of the army are
proportionate to the stagnation in which the rest of the nation sunk. By
dint of yearly loans, concessions are snatched up by foreigners; scandals
are numerous, ministers grow rich, their wives doll themselves up, the
members of parliament feather their nests and there is not a soul down to
the simple policeman or the customs officer who does not join the great
procession of corruption."
You rule by fear and you are also ruled by fear. The Jammeh regime is afraid
of their own army and police force. They relied on secret military and
defence pacts with foreign powers. The influence of Libya in the Jammeh's
regime is nothing but a mare security. The growing wings of the July 22nd
movement is nothing but a mare fear and the strengthening of the NIA like
wise.
Finally I will conclude by quoting Fanon again for his words:' independence
is not a word which can be used as an exorcism, but an indispensable
condition for the existence of women and men who are truly liberated, in
other words who are truly masters of the material means which make possible
the radical transformation of society'
The Struggle Continues!!!!!
Ndey Jobarteh
-----Original Message-----
From: saiks samateh <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 13 August 1999 15:23
Subject: Dr Jammeh AND MOBUTU WHAT IS THE DIFFRENCE /
MOBUTUISM RESURFACES IN THE GAMBIA
Mobutuism is perhaps yet to be given a bitter political definition,but what
ever the case the appropriation of the state by the head of State,the
routine
abused of political responsibility and the continuous degeneration of the
State into a state of insecurity and brutality as a method for political
control will be very central in such a definition.
The resurfacing of Mobutuism in the Gambia is a sad story,given the fact
that we have a young president who have been very indignant to the state of
affairs not only in his own country the Gambia but throughout the
continent,a
president who would have jubilated like any other ordinary Gambian,soldier,
at
the overthrow of the decadent PPP regime.Coming from a poor rural area and
family,no one should have been in the position of understanding poverty with
all that it contains than this young man.The Independent editorial of july
22-23, concluded that we have something to jubilate after five years under
the regime of the Junta because we have new
hospitals and roads.When national development is been reduced to building
hospitals without medication and roads,it shows a picture of how
technological
backwardness weigh down so much on our consciousness ,to the extend that
national development becomes no more equated with human development.For
without clean waters you can never have enough hospitals beds,without clean
environment you will always have mosquito colonies like Banjul,thus more
malaria,without enough food you will malnutrition and hunger,without jobs
you
will have more crimes and social disorder,thus more soldiers,more police
brutality etc,etc what then becomes the essence of hospital and roads.What
happen when Taiwan can no more pay for the salaries of Cuban doctors ?We
know
that our new hospitals have been lacking incubators,and political clans were
on the scene to make their presence felt,they when on collecting money to
buy
incubators without questioning how is it possible that the president of the
republic of the Gambia Dr Yaya Ajj Jammeh is able to have a zoo,with
animals
from all over Africa feeding them every day,and that Gambian hospitals are
lacking incubators, basic medications ?In an interview with the BBC Dr
Jammeh
said among other things,
QUESTION :I want you to tell me about your animals because like
we
are in an animal farm.I was really surprise when I I came here
?
ANSWER: You see,the animals are a source of inspiration for me.You
see..watching these animals..I have always love through out my life...I have
seen them behave better that human beings.
.....But what I want to tell you, among the animals there are no
lesbians
,no guys or what ever.I have animals from different countries-some from
Mali,some from Niger,some from Mauritania and The Gambia.They have leave
here
without discrimination.But we human beings,we are always at each other.
Well people this is Dr Jammeh speaking.It seems this was really George Owels
animal farm.Dr Jammeh blamed human beings for "been after each other" and
just
some sentences after he was again lunching attacks against Lesbians and
guys,not only saying that his animals are better than these people(guys and
Lesbians) but that they behave better than other human begins.
In this same issue of the Independent Eagles EYE wrote :
"....Some of the money could have been so well spent on our deteriorating
roads in the sprawling greater Banjul area.At least,in the name of the
revolution,our leaders should have thought of doing something about the
wretched conditions of our roads,which have now been transformed into pools
of
dirty water,and impassable for both human beings and vehicles.......of
course,Eagles Eye thought,the owners of the revolution would not know about
the terrible condition of our roads,driving in air-conditioned 4 wheel
drives
"
If roads are no longer passable for Human beings as Eagles Eyes said,then if
people must pass that road,Dr Jammeh should not be surprise to see that
Gambians turned to animals by his regime should behave better than his
animals
when crossing these pools,they dont have the qualities.His animals will not
swear at crossing these pools,Gambians might do it not only because it is
frustrating but that it is degrading.
I am as concerned as Eagles Eye,do they need all these comfort,4 wheel air
conditioned vehicles, if they are committed to national development,how
would
they be able to feel the conditions,the realities on the ground even though
most of them are from poor families,5 years is too long a time.Does
president
Dr Jammeh really need Caravans to leave in Kanilia ?How is he expecting to
have contacts with the mosquitos,what about the leaking roofs,how much does
it
cost the nation to have those Caravans at Kanilia ?
And in this same Independent issue of july 22-23,UDP was questioning the
where
about of the 35 million dollar loan from China,this seems to be different
from
the Taiwan deal.The UDP claimed;
"Yahya Jammehs revolution has made him one of the richest men in the
West
African sub-region after the looting of 35 million dollars Chines aid to the
Gambia,and other shady deals that has earned him the reputation of being the
most corrupt head of state in Africa "
After five years in political power Dr Alhaji Abdul Aziz Yahya JJ jammeh
have
not only gain more names but also being referred to as one of the richest
men
in the sub-region.If he is manipulating state property and sending people to
mecca,the caravans,the zoo and still insisting that he has seen his animals
behave better than some human beings,then I have all rights to ask were is
my
country heading to !!
Among other things is the unemployment situation.The increasing unemployment
in the country is getting out of hand,a president who is committed to
national
development will not think of having a personal Zoo in these trying
times,the
resources that are being use to maintain the Zoo could have been used to
,among other things,built a Tomato paste factory,this will not only reduce
the
foreign exchange needs of the Nation but will also create jobs for the
youths.
Our People are hungry and are getting poorer,the social consequences are
many
and this is no good thing for a small nation like the Gambia.A sister in
this
forum was appealing that talks about war in the Gambia be stop because
Gambia
is a small nation and could afford war,that is true ,but such appeal should
not be directed to poor us,who are only concern with the state of affairs in
our country,we could turn blind eyes to reality,we all know the reasons
behind
the war in Liberia,in Congo,Sierra Leone ect.Any such appeal should be
directed to those who are using force to marginalise the people.People who
are
hungry and have no political and economic rights would not care if there is
war,for they would prefer to live than just to exist.The social consequences
are not only drug abuses,the rising crime rates but also the increase number
of young Gambinas who are not able to complete their schooling,this is
serious
as far as national development is concern.
There are political thinker who insisted that religion is a drug.It can be
used to arrest the development of the minds of the people.Dr Jammeh did try
this method.He built himself a Mosque at the State house,he brought the
arrogant Imam Fatty to be the face of State House,this did not work.With our
hot sun he dressed himself up as if snow balls are soon to fall down.He used
mosque to make national speeches.And at one time he lunch a serious attack
on
our women liberators,accusing them of being in the service of the West.Yes
here is a president trying to tell us that the idea of freedom is that of
the
western world,our sister are not capable of thinking freedom.But since these
sister do not entertain bullshitts,their response to Dr Jammeh did not only
proved to him that he could not threaten them to silence but that they have
human minds to think Freedom.Their letter to the president was one full of
dignity,maturity and responsibility.
We have now in the Gambia,the ministry of religious affairs,do we really
need
it and for what reason ?and this is even at a time when the Ahmadiyya
movement
was put under serious attacks because people like Imam Fatty did not like
them.These are people who have for ages been offering the Gambian People
educational institutions,hospitals without costing the State a single
penny.They have never recruited any Gambian by force.Did the religious
affairs
ministry defended their right to existed,their right to practice their
believes ?I am just wondering !
One day when the Gambian people could no longer be silence by the NIA and
the
July 22 movement,Dr Jammeh would have to answer many questions.We know he
has
only cosmetic infrastrucutures to show,a typical sign of the development of
the underdeveloped,but for how long can hear him telling them that he has
built hospitals for them,when they are dying like flies because of lack of
incubators and basic medical facilities.
The Gambian army is bigger than ever before,it has more military equipments
now than any time of our history.The spending on the military is diving into
the skies.What is all this for,are we in the state of paranoid,when
everything
becomes threatening or are we preparing for Kokoi Samba Sanyang ?What is all
these military thing for ?in a hungry country like the Gambia,I am still
just
wondering !!
If Mobutu had died for 40 years ago,those who believed in reincarnation
would
have swear that he is alive again,only this time in West Africa.But the
personification of the State by Dr Jammeh is no hidden fact.He needed this
in
the process of building his new personal image,which has also increased
demand
on our national TV and radio station.To head such departments will no longer
be a national issue but a personal issue ,he will fire and hire as he
wishes
as far this department is concern.Perhaps this is one of the most important
departments in his propaganda crusade,but this is not his personal
property,it
is that of the tax payers.Members of this forum have all rights to believe
that the Director of GRT will never jeopardise the interest of Dr Jammeh in
favor of national development,we have seen his naive defense of Dr Jammeh in
this forum,that made some of us to conclude that he can never be neutral and
loyal to our national interest.
When Syngle Njase was set free,we thought that unlawful arrest and detention
was in and out.The recent arrest and detention of the Independent
Journalists
was no comfortable news,whose turn it will be next has again ed returned
into
our minds,no matter how long it will be there,it was must never threaten us
to
silence !!!
For Freedom
Saiks
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