Gambia-L:

The unedited e-mail below came from a source in The Gambia.

Ebrima

_______________________________________________________________


>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Cassamance Rebels seek refuge in Kanilai
>Date: Wed, 23 May 2001
>
>Ebrima,
>As Abdoulaye WADE takes the war with the Cassamance rebels with renewed
>intensification, the rebels are finding it hard to respond militarily
>because of their inferior arms.  They are thus left with little option but
>to retreat, and the only natural place for them to seek refuge are in the
>Fonis.  There are, at least 100 rebels, as at Sunday 20th, seeking refuge
>in Kanilai.  The Senegalese obviously are aware of the situation in Kanilai
>and are closely monitoring it from their forward base located at the
>Senegalese border with Kanilai. As a result of the Senegalese surveillance
>of the border, including Kanilai proper, Yahya Jammeh has in fact ordered
>that the "refugees"/rebels be moved to Sintet. These rebels will soon be
>transformed into Gambians, issued with Gambian identity cards and
>registered to vote in the October elections.  The Opposition is aware of
>the presence of these characters in Kanilai and around the Fonis and every
>effort is being made to ensure that they are not transformed into instant
>Gambians.  Already, the Opposition have challenged the registration of
>numerous characters who are definitely non-Gambians.
>
>Ebrima, on a slightly different note, I notice that there are some who are
>not happy that the UDP has decided to postpone (not cancelled) their trip
>to the US for the reason I cited.  There may be other reasons as well, but
>the over-riding one is the pressing voter registration process currently
>underway.  And as you can see from above, the Opposition is extremely
>vigilant and is determined to monitor and scrutinise the process every step
>of the way.  In my view, and in the view and those UDP party militants that
>I was able to talk to, the postponement was necessary to ensure that all
>hands are on deck for the exercise.  I am sorry that one or two of the
>Gambia-L membership do not share this view. To them, I wish to assure them
>that UDP will reschedule the trip at the earliest possible period so that
>they can meet with Gambians in the US who have been solidly behind the
>effort to return The Gambia to its democratic roots. The UDP attaches great
>importance to the efforts of Gambians in the diaspora in seeing that the
>dictatorial and corrupt regime we have in The Gambia is replaced
>democratically and peacefully as recently witnessed in Senegal and Ghana.
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------