*Of  Tyrants and Freedom Fighters*

*
*

*‘There should be no human being on this earth without a voice, what other’s
can do is to amplify that voice’  *(words of Halifa Sallah-launching his
book in Stockholm/video courtesy of Raaki TV)

*
*

History is pregnant with men and women of valour, dignity, commitment,
determination to serve their fellow human human beings.  Men and women whose
sole existence and essence of trotting this earth is to make sure that their
fellow human beings live in dignity, freedom, and prosperity. Men and women
who will never bow to intimidation, treats or torture. They endure
harassment, incarceration and sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice and face
death if it means that others will live in freedom and prosperity.  These
men and women leave a legacy that no one can erase from human memory.  They
leave indelible marks in our collective memories and no attempt of
distortion or re-writing of history by the cynic will change the truth they
left us. Of these we pay tribute to the Lumumbas, Edward Smalls, Chris
Hanis, C. A. Diops, Halifa Sallahs, Sidia Jattas, Sam Sarrs, OJs and many
other Gambian men and women both at home and in the diaspora.



 History is also crowded with men and women whose sole existence is to wreck
havoc, bring misery, suffering and enslavement to their fellow human beings.
 They put all their energies, resources, time and devotion to making other
people’s lives hell on earth.  All peoples, ethnicities, creeds have their
good folks and their evil ones.



Tyrants, despots and manifold evil human beings exist among all races and
come from all regions of the globe.  Examples abound.  Don’t we remember the
brutal Najibulallah of Afghanistan whose life ended impaled on a pole on the
streets of Kabul.  Where is Pinochet of Chile who was disgraced and was
forced to stay in the UK against his will with the possibility of
extradition to Spain.  Did Saddam Hussein not end up in a rat infested hole?
Don’t we remember Franco of Spain, grand old Hitler who cowardly took his
life?  Where are the Salazars of Portugal who were disgraced and defeated
and booted out of Africa by the genius of Amilcar Cabral.  We do also know
about the final days of Idi Amin Dada, Ferdinand Marcos who had to abandon
his hearty dinner because of a determined housewife who would not tolerate
anymore humiliation of her people. How did ‘Baby Doc’ of Haiti day’s end.  Did
Louis of France (known to have proclaimed “l’etat ce moi’) got his head
chopped off.   Where are the Mengistus, the Mobutus?  The last days of Nino,
Doe and Conte are really pitiable.  Didn’t Ian Smith and the Bothas,
Voerwoerds, Smuts of the Apartheid era believed in the eternal triumph of
their systems.  All these evil despots believed in their invincibility, they
were absorbed in self –delusion and never envisioned they will be disgraced
in their final days.  They shall always be associated with evil and
despicability.



Within our own midst we are witnessed to the two disparate phenomenons of
tyrants and freedom fighters.   At this very moment we have a tyrant called
*Professor Alaji Yahya Jammeh *whose past fifteen years of existence *has
brought misery, poverty, fear, madness, sycophancy, corruption, and finally
wrecked complete and absolute havoc to the Gambian populace in the on-going
witch-hunt.*



In the Gambia of today elders, religious leaders, community leaders, youth
leaders, educated people have been emasculated by brute, raw and perverted
power wielded by one deranged and hallucinating person.  People who during
yesteryear were known to be intolerant to injustice and untruths have become
meek and praise singers to an uncouth buffoon who believes he is God sent to
develop Gambia by force.



However, before one can talk about development one has to be clear with what
is meant by development and how it should be carried out and done.  Having
few buildings here and there does not mean nothing if the basis of once
existence is being undermined by undemocratic and inept policies and
actions. Development cannot be forced and it is unsustainable if it does not
come from within.  People need to be aware and voluntarily partake in
change, and this only happens if they are given space and facilitated with
the appropriate tools/instruments to make the right decisions.



I do not intend to digress on the conversation of tyrants and freedom
fighters.  As it is very obvious where tyranny exists, freedom lovers and
fighters do spring up.  These great and noble human beings are always a
headache to tyrants.  They understand there worth and duties as human
beings.  An outstanding fighter is Halifa Sallah.  Sallah like his
forerunners  such as Lumumba  in the quest for a dignified existence for all
his fellow brothers and sisters understands that  brutally, intimidation,
bad treatment , torture, will not make or weaken him to asked Jammeh for
mercy.  As Lumumba reminded his wife in his famous letter written in
December 1960 and cited by Halifa in his book there is preference in death
and having his ‘head held high’, and being unflinching and unyieldingly
focused in making sure Gambia is free from tyranny and authoritarian
governance.

 Jammeh and his bunch of ventriloquist brutes should know that Halifa and
for that matter a significant number of Gambians will never live in
‘submission’ and be ‘scornful to sacred principles’ of freedom, dignity and
democratic governance.  As Lumumba reminded the Belgian cowards, ‘history
will one day have it say’ and certainly would not be according to their
wishes.  Mr Jammeh is obviously aware even though he will deny it that when
history has its say on him, by God it will be far from his wishes.

We are reminded by Halifa Sallah (launching his book in Stockholm last-video
courtesy of www.raaki.com/halifa) that we are living in world of crisis and
there should be no one speaking for anybody.  I for one, do speak for myself
and I am not *seeking anyone’s approval or  acceptance.*  I *am only
amplifying my* *voice *on issues of concern in Gambia where my family and
relatives live.  This position is not out of arrogance or anything but for
the cynics amongst us to get it in their craniums that I speak for myself
and for no one else.  Even though I hold Halifa  Sallah  and OJ as among
those I highly respect and wish to emulate their values and resolve,  I am
not seeking their approval or acknowledgement to be relevant.  I am relevant
regardless of who says so.

History is on the side of the freedom fighters.  Not on the side of tyrants.


Long live *Halifa Sallah all the ordinary Gambians suffering under the
clutches of the cowardice tyrant Yahya Jammeh.*

*I salute the resilience and dignity of the Gambian*

*Momodou Olly Mboge*

*Dublin, Republic of Ireland*

* *





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