KB:

You have vividly pinpointed what should be done in this instance in order to
give the benefit of doubt to all those folks who had attended the MRDG(UK)
meeting. As you have said, for now let's lay down low and allow situations
to run its course before lamenting on what each and every attendee had said
at the meeting. I think the central purpose of the meeting in the short run
is two fold: (1) To sent a strong message to the British Government that
they being our colonial master should have been in the forefront to take
Moron Jammeh to task in making sure that Laws of the Land will continue to
prevail. And in addition, to make sure that the well orchestrated state
terrorism against our own people does not happen; but instead, the British
Government, for some reason better know to themselves alone has decided to
restore Military Aid to such a moron administration. This is enormously
disappointing, and disheartening to every Gambian. To the embarassement of
the British Government, the United States which had never colonized The
Gambia, is sticking to its guns in isolating the morons administration. I
think this point was vividly made at the meeting. (2) The meeting also
highlighted the significance of TOGETHERNESS of all Gambians, whether
present at the meeting or not, all Gambians around the world have now
realized that there is no place like home, sweet home. Despite, so many
Gambians living in the United states, Europe, Asia and Scandinavia who are
immensely enjoying good standards of living, they all have a common purpose:
Yayaless Gambia.

Having said all these, I must however, warn Gambians to be cautious when
selecting a Leader, for we have suffered a lot in just six years to have
learned that EFFECTIVE and EFFICIENT LEADERSHIP is more than just a name in
our country; therefore, all those people complaining about Jawara being
there or OJ and HAMAT BAH, and also PETERS's favorable comments about Jawara
does not really matter at the moment. For now, all that we need is self
restraint and dedication.

Furthermore, I am not intrigued by PDOIS' invitation in London either.
Though, PDOIS must also be given the opportunity to appear before the BAHOUM
COMMITTEE to make its case as well. This is what DEMOCRACY, FAIRNESS,
INTEGRITY and RESPONSIBLE debate is all about. Then, later on, we could
commence serious discussion about Leadership in our country. On that note, I
applaud MRDG(UK).


>From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE LONDON DEMOCRACY MEETING.
>Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 16:54:54 -0500
>
>For crying out loud, Bojang let us try and bask (for a few days) in the
>glory our brothers and sisters in Britain achieved the past few days. How
>can what these people are trying to do be wrong? So Jawara was there, does
>that erase the plight of our children? Does Jawara's presence at the
>meeting
>legitimize Britain's insensitive and wrong decision to restore military aid
>for the dictatorship? Does OJ's and Hamat Bah's words eradicate the
>injustice in the Ebrima Barry case and the tyranny meted on our people on a
>daily basis? What is your plan? Why do you always have to be negative and
>try to take us back to the Jawara era in order to try and rationalize
>Yaya's
>bizarre behavior? Let's move on and stop this nonsense about 'it happened
>during the Jawara era, so no one should criticize Yaya for what he is doing
>to us'. This is perverse logic. Even Jawara has a right to criticize Yaya,
>let alone people that are heading MRDG(UK). Because some people did not
>talk
>about injustice during the Jawara era does not mean that they forfeit their
>right to speak out now.
>
>How can attacking Jawara help us now to release the political prisoners we
>have back home, to stop the rampant corruption, to stop the torture and
>murders etc.? I have my own suspicions about PDOIS' reasons for not
>attending the meeting but I will keep that to myself until I hear their
>official version. However, if I were PDOIS, I will be uneasy if every time
>there is a controversy, APRC supporters will be on the same side with PDOIS
>against decent Gambian folks.
>
>Hamat Bah, OJ and Peters should be commended for their courage to stand up
>against the dictatorship. Talk about lies that they told (if any) and stop
>this nonsense about who was present and who was praised. These people put
>their lives and liberty on the line to go to Britain and speak out for the
>voiceless Gambians and all they got from you is reminder of what happened
>years ago. We all know what happened. Some of you talking about the former
>PPP era always bring the topic up to instill some negativity in our
>campaigns, but do not have the guts to state the conclusions you want to
>reach. I can understand your fear, because there is no right minded Gambian
>that would say that because of the Jawara presidency, it is justifiable for
>Yaya to murder innocent children in broad daylight. So if you do not want
>to
>reach that conclusion, then there is no point always bringing up Jawara.
>What is the point you are trying to make? I would have more respect for
>people if they state in clear language what they are thinking, rather than
>being wet blankets each time Yaya is dealt a devastating blow. My own blood
>brother was unjustifiably (in mind opinion) incarcerated at 'Depot' in the
>aftermath of the 1981 coup. Does that mean that I should now tolerate the
>injustice Yaya visits on people back home?
>
>Let us try as members of the Opposition to encourage and commend the
>participants at the Briefing, or lay low while they enjoy their glory. It
>is
>unfair to throw these low blows at these patriotic Gambians because people
>from the Jawara era showed up at the Briefing. OJ, Hamat Bah and Peters
>showed more courage on February 28, than most of us have shown in this
>struggle. Why knock them down if you cannot come up with better
>alternatives?
>
>It is disingenuous to pretend to be concerned about the plight of Gambians
>if sanctions are imposed on them while at the same time attacking people
>that want to lift Gambians up. I was not privy to the Briefing and cannot
>speak authoritatively about the sanctions that were called for. From what I
>could discern in Bahoum's official report, people at the Briefing were
>complaining about Britain's decision to restore military aid to the
>dictatorship back home. How can withdrawing that aid be bad for ordinary
>Gambians? Even if economic aid was what the participants wanted to stop,
>that is also a very legitimate tool to use against Yaya and his cohorts.
>Maybe if he does not have stolen money to dish around some gullible
>Gambians
>will not go around saying that Yaya is a magnanimous person. Before you go
>around accusing members of the Opposition of doing something that is meant
>to punish ordinary Gambians, you should study the situation closely. We are
>not the enemy of the Gambian people. Yaya who will order the massacre of
>our
>children is the enemy. Yaya who will not provide our farmers a conducive
>milieu to sell their groundnuts, is the enemy.
>
>Jawara might have been the enemy to some of you. I am not telling you to
>forgive and forget. But please do not use your hatred for Jawara to
>jeopardize the work some good people are trying to do for the country.
>Comparing Jawara's human rights record to that of Yaya, is a mockery and an
>insult to the families that lost their children on April 10 and 11, 2000. I
>hold no brief for the Jawara regime. People that know me know that I was
>also critical when I encountered injustice during the Jawara era. Let's
>move
>on. If your agenda is to fight past battles and not concentrate on our
>imminent plight, then come out clean and say that you can live with what
>Yaya is doing to us.
>
>Your observations would have had more credence had people like Bahoum
>called
>for the restoration of Jawara. Even Jawara himself was not calling for
>that.
>OJ was also not calling for that. Hamat Bah and Peters certainly were not
>calling for that. So what is up with all these nonsense about 'we do not
>want to go back to the Jawara era' or 'Jawara was worst than Yaya'? No one
>at the Briefing even remotely implied (to my knowledge) that we want Jawara
>or the Jawara era back. We want BETTER than both Jawara and Yaya. I wished
>you realize that get off people's back.
>
>To MRDG(UK), some of us sincerely appreciate your noble efforts. Some of us
>that are genuinely interested, had asked around and know the real people
>behind the movement. We know that you do not have hidden agendas and this
>is
>not a ploy to restore Jawara. PPP people were at the Briefing like any
>regular citizen concerned about the plight of Gambians. Because of your
>modesty I understand why people are not parading before the whole world
>claiming success. Keep up the good work and do not be discouraged by the
>doubting Thomases. I anxiously await PDOIS' official reason for not showing
>up at the meeting or sending a statement through some of their supporters
>in
>the UK.
>KB
>
>
>
>>From: Ousman Bojang <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE LONDON DEMOCRACY MEETING.
>>Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 15:27:52 EST
>>
>>Hamadi,
>>Well said. You certainly shares lot of my insights. I am very surprised
>>that
>>Jawara was at such a meeting. And to my dismay more, I heard that he was
>>very
>>well praised at this same gathering by Omar Jallow, Hon Amat Bah and most
>>of
>>those who talked. If this is true, I can understand why a party like PDOIS
>>was not there. Of course there must be more to their absence that just
>>that.
>>I have been very skeptical and continue to be in this struggle to bring
>>democracy to our motherland when I hear people in the former regime
>>struggling for the same thing. I find myself bewildered asking the same
>>question all the time; Why now, and not 30 years ago?
>>Anyway, I guess I might be too ignorant to realize why. I only hope and
>>pray
>>that we could bring a very positive change without calling for sanctions
>>on
>>our own people. History tells us that it is the people who suffer and not
>>the
>>leaders. Why not try to lay a simple foundation that will help us have a
>>true
>>ballot process? In this case we as Gambians should be able to support
>>anyone
>>who rightly and legally wins. be it Jammeh or any party. To accept and not
>>to
>>politically support I meant.
>>
>>Ousman Bojang.
>>
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