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Date:
Fri, 16 Jul 1999 21:54:29 EDT
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At a location in Libya

Interviewer: Being on location in Libya as an exile Ex-President was not
anticipated to be part of the Jammeh revolution ?

Jammeh: ....With a grin.... I am not sure I understand your comment, or
question, but yes, it is unfortunate that a legitimate government is ousted
from office by traitors.

Interviwer: It is rather ironical that Ex-President Jawara expressed the same
arguement, and went around the world seeking for help based on this arguement
you referred to, any comment?

Jammeh: Excuse me Excuse me (repeatedly with a forceful gesture)....I cannot
be compared with that corrupt Jawara and his government that never
represented what is in the interest of the Gambian people. It is evident that
everything I did was for the interest of the Gambian people and for the
country, and what I have achieved for the Gambia is evidendt for everybody to
see. High Schools were built in the entire country, healthcare facilities, TV
station, new roads and all sorts of infrastructural development. What I have
achieved in five years Jawara could'nt in thirty years.

Interviewer: You ousted the Jawara regime on a populist message: To get rid
of corruption, replace it with accountability, transparency, openness; To
adopt a politics of inclusiveness.....power in the hands of the people; To
get rid of the idea of having one leader to have all the powers, or stay in
office for so long. But after you got comfortable, corruption became the
order of the day, the political culture of inclusiveness and democracy became
worst, the country became a police state and people's rights are blatantly
violated. According to an observer, Jawara may have brought us
un-employmednt, poverty, inefficient health care system, bad roads and few
high schools; our rights were never blatantly violated and in the latter part
democracy was beginning to surface.

Jammeh: This is not the message coming from the Gambian people, I know my
people and I can relate to the pain they are going through right now. This is
the message of a disgruntled Jawara benefactors that never accepted the
change, and were commited to do anything to get back to their corrupt ways

Interviewer: The coup leader was someone you trusted, and using your own
characterization of him, who became a traitor. According to him, you betrayed
them and the Gambian people, power got into you and you lost it and you
became a despotic paronoia who would do anything to stay in power. The whole
reason for the coup got muddle up into political survival of Jammeh.

Jammeh: I am an African and a muslim and would not comment or respond to such
irresponsible comments from a traitor. Infact, this is not over and I would
continue to fight  all the way to my grave, if necessary, for the interest of
the Gambian people.

Interviewer: Are you expecting any help from Khaddaffi.

Jammeh: I am not going to comment, but I will stab anybody who stab me on my
back. I will also like to make it abundantly clear that i would never allow
the west to continue their exploitation of Africa, and the fact that I was
never a proxy to further their neo-colonilist agenda; they were commited for
my removal, but as a pan-africanist we will continue to fight for our people
and heritage.

Mr. Janneh: This is a contribution to the celebration of the APRC coming into
power. This interview can be avoided and our country save from such
predestination. The Jammeh government needs to re-examine the reasons given
for the ousting of the corrupt Jawara government. Let them go back and replay
the resaons and justification that gave them our support and act upon it. If
Mr. Jammeh concentrates all his energy and policy strictly for the survival
of Mr. Jammeh, he can bet this interview will take place. Yes, he would lose
and Gambia will lose again. That would definitely be a wrong start for the
new mellinium.

Musa Jeng

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