THE STRUGGLE IS FAR FROM OVER

We want to take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude to all the
freedom-loving Gambians, the courageous and undaunted media (The Independent
and The Point), the Alternative, friends of the Gambia and our comrades who
expressed their outrage on the arrest and illegal detention of the Secretary
General of the National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM), Lamin Waa Juwara.
  The support against his arrest and solidarity came in many forms.  Some
forces signed the petition; others launched a fund-raising effort collecting
funds to support Waa’s family as well as for his defense; and others wrote
pungent articles in the electronic media calling for his release.

Clearly, the massive support against Waa’s arrest is a good sign that we are
cultivating a culture of zero tolerance for despots, gangsters and pirates
against the democratic rights of African people.

On Thursday, November 20, 2003, Waa will appear in court where the case will
come for mention, which entails charges being read, by the prosecution and
the defense taking pleas.  The trumped-up charges against Waa entail
seditious intentions by Waa calling on the Gambian masses to march to the
state house to protest their misery.

Oddly enough, a bizarre episode took place on Friday, November 15, 2003, at
Waa’s compound, a few days before his court date.  Following their evening
prayers, the comrades and family members’ relaxation was interrupted by a
group of unidentified goons from an unmarked green pick-up truck.  They
demanded that Waa go with them to the NIA headquarters for questioning.
Waa, in return, demanded for identification but the goons retorted that they
have no time for conversation.  Waa suggested that since the Brikama police
station is a walking distance from his compound, they should walk to the
station and have the police identify them as employees of the “secret
service.”  After a brief exchange of words, the goons threatened to return
with full force for his arrest - they never returned.

Our investigation of this bizarre episode brought us to the conclusion that
these goons are not “NIA” officials but  instead the “hidden thugs” of the
AfPRC under the command of the July 22 movement; Baba Jobe’s special “secret
service.”  In earnest, there has been no state security service in the
Gambia ever since these “tin soldiers” were lifted onto the saddles of
“power”, instead, there exists two camps of rag-tag criminal soldiers and
“psychopathic civilians” with gun-in-hand, answerable to Jammeh and Baba
Jobe respectively.

Following the fall-out between Jammeh and Baba Jobe, all game is fair.  We
strongly believe that those goons were sent by Baba Jobe to provoke an
incident and blame it on  the NIA and the state to make Jammeh look uglier.
We are not ruling out assassination attempts on Waa and other “Alternative”
members by either the NIA or the July 22 movement.  The collaboration that
existed between the NIA and the July 22nd Movement has degenerated into
bitter rivalry and infighting and they are hell-bent on destabilizing our
country for their narrow selfish gains.

We are aware of their game and of their history.  The AfPRC is on its
deathbed, which is aggravated by the recent crisis between Jammeh and Baba
Jobe.  We welcome this conflict to the point of jubilation.  This is one of
the rare situations in which we take no sides, because their actions for the
last miserable nine years represent the first line of resistance to our
happiness and freedom.

During these crises, we must poise ourselves for the final offensive and
rescue our beloved country from the doom these gangsters wish upon us.  We
should not allow them to recover from this catastrophe; neither Jammeh nor
Baba Jobe should survive this catastrophe.

Finally, we are confident that the sensible judge that heard the case
against Waa and granted him bail will dismiss the trumped-up charges of
sedition simply because they have no merit.  It is quite obvious that the
Jammeh regime wants to silence Waa, pure and simple. But they should be rest
assured that there are thousands upon thousands of Gambian nationalists,
willing to bear the mantle for liberation and justice in our beloved
country.

We also want to commend brother Borie Touray, the legal counsel for Waa and
all the Gambian lawyers who denounced this injustice.  Defending the
democratic rights of Waa, is defending the democratic rights of the Gambian
people to protest.

In the past, we have lodged complaints of harassment, notwithstanding the
horrific torture Waa has been subjected to, to the police and “security”
officials to no avail.  Let it be known that we will no longer allow anyone
without a valid identification, vouched for by a police official to enter
Waa’s compound to “invite” him to security headquarters.  We are ready to
defend our democratic rights at all cost.  Thanks to Gambia-L and
Gambia-post and their members, the Norway and European compatriots.

DARE TO INVENT THE FUTURE!
‘Til Victory Always

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