Kebba Jobe:

My source is a very competent individual, and I have no doubt in mind, that
if need be, he'll send a rejoinder to your last e-mail about him. However,
for the sake of fair play and balanced reporting, I have decided to re-post
the e-mail in question that my source sent to the L, on/about the relations
between Senegal and The Gambia.

I am also sending an eye-opening commentary I just saw in The Point
newspaper on the Net, and which gives an interesting perspective to the
issue raised. The commentary in the Point newspaper, captioned "Good
Morning, Mr President", makes interesting reading, and it is therefore
reproduced below.

So do enjoying reading it! Do not also forget to re-read my source's e-mail,
which is reprinted further below.

Ebrima

_______________________________________________________________________



The Senegalese Media Attack (Reprinted/culled from The Point newspaper)

Good Morning, Mr. President

Today we intend to familiarise you with what a section of the Senegalese
media say about your recent proposals on the Casamance issue.

We concentrate on Wal Fadjri's comments titled "Jammeh propose
l'innacceptable" (Jammeh's unacceptable proposal) and "L'hypocrisie des faux
freres" (The hypocrisy of the fake brothers)written by two leading
journalists of that paper. Walf attacked your proposal for Wade to withdraw
his troops from their present operational positions.

They recalled that the proposal is not new in that it had been a
precondition of the MFDC for peace, and had always been rejected by Dakar.
"In actual fact, both the former regime and that of Wade held on to the
sovereignty of the army which could be deployed anywhere and around the
different barracks in the region", Walf added. The paper went on to add that
Gambia's demand for Wade to withdraw the troops tantamounts to asking for
the closure of barracks in Elinkine, Youtou, Effock, Djinack and Toubacouta
as well as the withdrawal of the special forces.

Such a suggestion had always been rebuked by the Dakar, the paper contended.
"It would seem", Walf opined, "that The Gambia is heading towards an impasse
in its mediation role after having banged the door on its way out of the
mediation some time ago. Why then is Jammeh re-echoing these demands which
are unacceptable? Before making the proposal, the Gambian President was
aware of Wade's position on the issue. During the debate on the new
constitution, Wade rejected the notion of a "Corsica status" for Casamance
as per French Prime Mninister Jospin's formular and called the journalist
who suggested it, a traitor".

The paper also implied that you failed to explain how you intend to finance
the cantonment of the MFDC forces, adding "Jammeh is attempting to do
something that the Senegalese government failed to achieve for the past 20
years". To buttress this point, the paper cited the current situation in the
northern front where, it claimed, the metamorphosis of former combatants
into civilians had failed. The paper also highlighted what it called " the
rivalry plaguing Sidy Badjie's northern front where the confrontation
between Kamougue Diatta and his former deputy Ousman Goudiaby had been
deadly of late."

The paper also claimed that father Diamacoune Senghor has lost grip over
Salif Sadio, whom it claimed, was flushed out of the southern front by
Bissau Guinean troops aided by Senegalese forces. It further argued that
idea of a "further meeting in a month's time in Banjul is meant to give time
to a weakened MFDC with the hope that rains would cripple the Senegalese
forces and allow the MFDC to reorganise itself".

"If Wade had had from Jammeh the same cooperation he receives from Guinea
Bissau, it would have been another story altogether", Walf opined.And went
on to ask: "Shall we give a respite to a weakened and divided combattant
wing that has now been pushed to its last retrenchment?" And the enigmatic
words came: "With the geographical situation, to be an adept of the politics
of the ostrich is the best way to compromise the future." The above, we
believe, is food for thought for not only you Mr.President, but all
Gambians.

Good Day, Mr. President (This article is culled from The Point)

_________________________________________________________________


>From: Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Senegal growing impatience with Gambia
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 18:55:10 -0000
>
>Gambia-L:
>
>The e-mail below came from a source in The Gambia.
>
>Regards,
>Ebrima
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Senegal growing impatience with Gambia
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001
>
>Ebrima:
The Senegalese Government and its people are getting increasing
impatient with the erratic behaviour of Yahya Jammeh.  The Senegalese press,
including the official papers, are hitting the Jammeh regime
extremely hard. They consider him a hypocrite and playing double games with
the Cassamance rebels. Their undercover agents are now everywhere collecting
intelligence on this rogue Government in Banjul.

Our so-called "Doctor" M.L.S.Jobe is also under attack from the
Cassamance rebels for his statements, calling for the rebels to forget about
seeking independence from Senegal. It is now clearly evident even from the
die-hard supporters of the APRC who refuse to see the harm being done to the
Gambia by Yahya Jammeh that his foreign policy, if you can call it that, is
in tatters. They are considered inept by the Senegalese and do not enjoy
their respect. YAHYA JAMMEH, WATCH OUT. YOUR DAYS AT STATE HOUSE ARE
NUMBERED.

_________________________________________________________________________
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