Abdou, you are right when you said that the amnesty itself is illegitimate
because Yaya seize power from Jawara through force.  The Jawara
administration was corrupt but the people voted for them all 30 years, just
like Yaya is corrupt and a murderer but the majority voted for him in the
last elections.  However, the issue here is, now that Jawara accepted to
negotiate with the APRC for what he sees as an amnesty, he should have done
so in good faith for his comrades too, not just for himself now and others
later.  Not, negotiate for himself and then come and rest a while then
negotiate for the rights of others, if that would ever happen.  For folks
that want to sit and let the APRC do their magic on Jawara, I say more power
to you.  I stated that each of us has a right to write the script on Jawara
for he was entrusted with custody of our affairs for 30 years and has not
yet answered to Gambians.  This is the same hand that Sheriff Dibba dealt
the NCP when he struck a deal with Yaya to the detriment of his comrades.
It's been how many months now since Sheriff Dibba is speaker, what happened
to his comrades?  They are just somewhere grumbling to themselves.  I do not
view Jawara or Sheriff as leaders but as people who just look out for numero
uno to the detriment of those that justifiable relied on their camaraderie
and trust.  It is the treacherous act and the betrayal factor that I'm
addressing, from a human standpoint.  May be as a society we also erased the
word "Goree" from our vocabulary.  And, if some folks agree with Jawara's
move on this issue, they have a right to their assessment or how they view
the situation.  Some day, the days we're counting would turn into months and
perhaps years and like everything else in our lives we just move on and it
becomes the status quo.

Yaya's administration, like the Jawara administration, figured out that we
are a laid back people and are neither proactive nor reactive.  We just want
to be.  Thus, they can say and do whatever they feel and nothing will come
of it.  Case in point, because of national and international pressure, has
Yaya signed the "Media Bill"? Not yet, because of the national and
international pressure.  Further more, the Press Union is taking the matter
to the courts.  That is how people that control their destiny ought to act.
However, did anything happen to him and his murderous thugs for the student
massacre and countless killings and tortures?  No, because we just sat back
and rewarded him with another five years.  In order to tackle the future as
a nation, we need to seriously account for the past 37 years and all players
should be accountable.  If we just want to do it the Gambian style, ignore,
don't ask any questions, do nothing, with the hope to forget, we shall
forever be rubbed blind.  To the wait and see folks, I respect your
position, but I respectfully disagree.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou


>From: Wallymang Sanneh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Give Jawara A Break
>Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 16:23:12 -0700
>
>I do not think we should waste our time on why Jawara did not lobby for
>an amnesty for his colleagues.  The real issue is the legality of the
>amnesty itself.  How can some one who insults Gambians by telling them
>that he put his life on the line for them and runs Gambia as his
>personal property give an amnesty for alleged crimes he shamelessy and
>routinely commits.  It is a joke when Yahya Jammeh goes about dishing money
>that he cannot account for all over the place giving amnesty to someone
>for corruption.  All the crimes that Jawara and his team are alleged to
>have committed in thirty years Jammeh and his cronies have surpassed in
>eight years.  As far as I am concerned Yaya Jammeh is worse than
>Jawara.  If there is anybody who should face a commission into corrutption
>it
>is Yaya Jammeh.  After all some of the very people whose properties
>were seized had them not only returned but even promoted.  Jammeh has
>shown that he is not interested in justice for Gambians.  All you need to
>do inorder not to face the commission is to join the APRC and heap
>praises on Yaya Jammeh.
>
>The idea that that Yaya is doing those alleged to have committed
>economic crimes a favor is absurd.  Nobody should face a commission when
>Yaya
>will not.  I challenge the judiciary and the legislature to ask Yaya to
>face the same commission.  Otherwise we should forget about the amnesty
>crap.  Where I believe Jawara made a mistake is not the fact that he
>did not negotiate for the inclusion of others in the amnesty.  Rather it
>is the fact he took the amnesty itseff.  Just like the politicians who
>went into hibernation until Yaya lifted his ban, it wolud appear that
>Jawara is in The Gambia because of Yaya's benevolence.  It is a sad
>feeling that Jawara went to The Gambia at the pleasure of someone who took
>power by force and committed committed crimes worse than Jawara.
>Rather than accept the amnesty, Jawara and all the alledged criminals
>should
>if they choose go to The Gambia and agree to face the commision only if
>Yaya and his cronies will do the same.  I called on all those accused
>of crimes under Jawara not to accept any offer of amnesty from a
>government whose leader is the embodiment of corruption.  To accept an
>amnesty
>from Yaya Jammeh is an insult.
>
>Lamin Sanneh
>
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
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