You wrote:

"In my debate with you on the media and the mistreatment journalists went
through in this country, i have really discovered that the likes of you are
not indeed a good assest to Jammeh. I would have expected
a good ally of Jammeh to commend the good and condemn the bad especially
this latest confrontation with the EU. Now tell me what in this world will
the Gambia derive from ordering for the immediate replacement of the EU
country rep? where does this put our new found
foreign policy agenda? Am sure people like Famara Jatta will not surely
speak the way you did because as Kebbe put in the lion-dad/kid senario,
atleast Famara Jatta knows very well the amount of money UE commits
to the Gambia's support programmes ranging from poverty alluviation, to
micro and macro finance projects. Am sure you remember some weeks before the
elections how happy you were when you posted a dialy
observer story on the new EU funding programmes amounting to about five
humdred millions dalasis. Now do you think the EU is foolish enough to just
accept childist comments from the Gambia government like a
vail hidden agenda and a so called contemptious attitude of Marc to just
recall him."

Sillah, to the above that I have quoted from your post, my reply is
essentially thus:

1. The Gambia has no problem with the EU but its representative in The
country. For reasons best known to the government, they have come to the
conclusion that his representation of the EU in our country is not in the
best interest of the country.

2. As far as EU aid is concerned, this is aid from the EU and not aid from
Marc Andre. It is also important to remember that he was not imposed on us
but only a guest in our country. It is also said that "the manner in which
it is given is worth more than the gift" (Pierre Corneille).

3. Our relationship with the EU is and should always be based on mutual
respect for each other regardless of our size and economic might. Marc
Andre, regardless of his importance, does not run this country neither does
the EU. There is a legitimate government in place whose job it is to govern.
The government therefore has the responsibility and duty to decide what is
acceptable from any representative of any government and to decide what
actions to take in the event that a foreign representative's actions are
deemed not to be in our national interest. This reminds of the saying that
"Tact is the art of recognising when to be big and not when to be little".

4. Our souvereignty is not for sale or mortgage. As much as we need
Western/EU aid for development, without it we will survive. Let me also
re-iterate what I have said before; I never said we do not need Western/EU
aid. What I said is that Western/EU aid does not mean they can lord it over
us. This, I said is unacceptable. Our relationship must be based on mutual
respect.

You also wrote:

"I just cannot understand why some of you will always go at any lenght to
defend what is even detremental to the very socio-economic programmes that
you talk about here."

To the above, can I ask "why can you also not give the government the
benefit of the doubt since we all know very little or nothing about all that
has transpired? Do you know what actually prompted the government to request
for Marc to leave now rather than later considering the fact that there are
ONLY FOUR MORE MONTHS for him to leave? Don't you have any faith in our
cabinet to do the right thing? Do you think the government did not weight
the possible repercussions their request for his replacement, barely four
months to the end of his tenure, part of which he is spending on holidays?

Have a good day, Gassa.



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