Reading this article from the obsever,I am with the feelings that this
reporter is not interesting in telling the truth of what happened during Mr
jammehs visist in NY.What pro Jammeh demonstartion tok place and report from
the meeting between Jammeh and the selected Gambians was very different in
contents with that we read from the source of Ebrima Ceesay in NY.What can
we do to let Gambians back home to know whjat actuyally happened,they should
know that Mr Jammeh did not have an easy ride in NY as this reporter will to
some extend want to believe.
For Freedom
Saiks
Demos and counter-demos
greet Jammeh's speech
Following his address at the UN Millennium Summit, New
York,
Friday, the Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, held meetings
with
political leaders and business investors. Among them were,
Joseph Gath, president of Intercel Holdings ltd,
Congresswoman
Cynthia A Mackinney (Georgia), Congressman Donald Payne
(Democrat), Peter Takurambudde, executive director of Human
Rights Watch, Ralph Moss of the Seaboard and Toam Gibian of
Emerging Markets Partnership. He is also scheduled to meet
Ms
Condolezza Rice and Dr Henry Kissinger and also held
bilateral
meetings with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, emir of
the
state of Qatar and Commonwealth secretary general, Don
McKinnon. President Jammeh also attended the welcoming
reception and luncheon hosted by UN secretary general, Kofi
Annan, and reception hosted by US government. He also
participated in the second interactive roundtable session
of UN.
President Jammeh also gave an interview to The Boston Globe
and
attended a dinner hosted in his honour by the ROC
ambassador to
the UN, Charles Teng.
Demos
While delivering his Millennium Summit speech, Gambian
placard-bearing demonstrators converged outside the UN
building
calling on the president to improve his human rights record
and
allow greater democracy. At about the same time, other
Gambians
in the US led by Boto Sanneh also converged outside the UN
building carrying placards and slogans in support of Jammeh
and
the APRC government.
The Gambian demonstrators were said to be among 91 other
disgruntled groups who picketed other world leaders who
attended the summit. Meanwhile, it was reported that on
Saturday,
September 9, some Gambians met with President Jammeh at his
Park Lane Hotel for about one hour. The president was
reported to
have told the group, "I am happy to meet you people. One
thing I
cannot understand is (why) Gambians in US can't help each
other
like the Senegalese people.
Look at them in New York, the Senegalese have a radio
station and
have good business but you cannot find any Gambian who has
established a good business here. Why? The president was
reported to have told them never to forget home. In
response, the
Gambians were said to have assured him that they have not
forgotten home. Among the issues they discussed were peace
in
the country and the events of April 10 and 11. The
president and
his party are expected back in Banjul today.
S/Leonean killed over D2
Reports reaching Daily Observer have indicated that Abu
Ishmael
Kamara, former teacher at Ndow's Junior Secondary School,
was
stabbed to death Saturday, September 9 in Banjul. Amadou
Fofanah, an eye-witness, explained that he went out with
Abu,
Mustapha Coker and another man to buy dressing materials
for
the corpse of Alhaji Bun Kamara, father-in-law to Abu who
just
died and is to be repatriated to Sierra Leone.
After buying the shroud, Fofanah said they went to buy
'Bismillahi Perfume' on Independence Drive, and on the way,
Coker
picked up a bottle and asked him whether it was good for
their
work. Fofanah said he recommended the bottle but Abu
suggested buying two bottles of the perfume. Fofanah said
the
perfume seller, seeing the second bottle, accused Coker of
stealing
a bottle of perfume from his stock. "No amount of
explanation
could pacify the trader and furiously attacked Coker," Abu
explained.
Fofanah said as tension was rising, Abu offered to pay for
the
said stolen perfume costing D2 as they were in a hurry to
prepare
his dead father-in-laws body. Fofanah said Abu took out a
D10
note from his pocket to pay but the raving trader grabbed a
knife
and stabbed Abu on the right side of his chest between the
shoulder and the breast.
He said the trader quickly removed the knife and raised it
to strike
his victim a second time but Abu managed to run a short
distance,
shouting, "Amadou, Amadou, help me!" Amadou Fofanah said
Abu was bleeding profusely and almost collapsed in the taxi
on
the way to the Royal Victoria Hospital. He died after three
hours in
intensive care unit. Meanwhile the alleged killer of Abu is
helping
the police in their investigations. The body of Abu Ismael
Kamara
will be interred today.
Jammeh's UN Millennium Summit
Speech
Mr President and Co-Chair Excellencies
We have gathered here once more to not only take stock of
the
achievements and shortcomings of the United Nations at this
end
of an era but also to chart a new agenda of participation
and
collective commitment by evolving a better and more
responsive
role for our organisation in the new millennium. As we
speak,
despite the fifty years of existence of the United Nations,
the
international community still remains preoccupied with the
same
chronic concerns of survival and advancement objectives
that
have always been the subjects of recommendations,
resolutions
and decisions of virtually all international meetings. Time
and time
again, the adoption of resolutions and the successful
attainment
of the objectives set continue to either elude us or yield
only
meagre reward for our efforts. Why is this so? Why have we
been
missing golden opportunities in the past to deal decisively
with
major problems of common concern? Is it due to lack of
appropriate political will, follow up mechanisms or mere
indifference?
Mr President
The convening of this Summit challenges us to take
far-reaching
decisions relating specifically to the right to
development, the fair
and equitable participation of developing countries in
globalisation and liberalisation, practical commitment to p
overty
eradication, north-south technical and economic
cooperation, and
last but not the least, the promotion and preservation of
international peace and security. All these are desirable
and
achievable objectives, provided we are prepared to agree
unreservedly to commit ourselves, our Governments and the
required resources to their attainment. Our organisation,
Mr
President, enjoins us world leaders and citizens to combine
forces
to bring about a brighter future for humankind by ushering
in a
more balanced and equitable world devoid of social
injustice,
economic deprivation, hunger and diseases as well as
senseless
wars. This dream can only be realised through the
establishment
of permanent peace and security across the globe. It is a
fact that
no democracy, social development and justice can take place
in
the absence of peace. International peace and security can
bring
about economic wonders around the world especially in
Africa.
But how do we bring about permanent global peace and
security?
This can be achieved only through tolerance, love and
caring for
each other. We must ensure an equitable and a just
distribution of
the world's resources and wealth and inculcate the spirit
of caring
and sharing to replace the present world economic order. We
must
replace the rationale of "super profit making" with the
rationale of
'super welfare' or 'super humanity' to bring about the
narrowing of
the gap between the rich and poor nations of our Global
Village.
Mr President
Compounded by the scourges of social and political
upheavals,
epidemics, under-development, the excruciating debt burden,
Africa's economic recovery and social development continue
to be
seriously compromised. My delegation therefore fully
endorses
the proposal for the Millennium Summit to adopt the target
of
halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty
by 2015.
It is disheartening to observe the proliferation of
conflict
situations in different regions of the world. To make
Africa's
determined effort at conflict prevention, resolution,
management
and peacekeeping successful and sustainable, I call on the
international community to provide greater moral and
institutional
support for the attainment of these noble objectives. The
present
imbalances and lack of fair adjustments in our
participation in the
process of globalisation should also be addressed so as to
enable
developing countries take advantage of world economic
growth
by mobilising both domestic and external resources for
sustained
economic growth and development The environmental threats
faced by the international community as clearly indicated
in the
Global Environment Outlook 2000 of UNEP concludes that
special
attention should be paid to the unsustainable patterns of
production and consumption within the richer segments of
all
countries. I would like to reiterate my Government's
commitment to
the Malmo Declaration and emphasise the need for
development
assistance far beyond current levels if we are to register
any
success in meeting the goals and targets we have set
ourselves .
Mr President
The promotion of peace and democratic values and principles
is
linked to the development of good relations between
Governments
It is for these reasons that my Government considers the
failure of
the United Nations to respect the dignity and rights of
twenty
three million Taiwanese to membership of our esteemed
organisation as a serious setback to the professed
universality of
the United Nations and a gross contradiction to the
Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. In like manner, the economic
embargo on Cuba has proven to be very counterproductive and
it
is my Government's hope that the international community's
recent
change of attitude would usher in renewed cooperation and
reconciliation with that great Country.
Mr President
The United Nations has immense potential in serving
humanity
well within the framework of multilateralism. Its
effectiveness or
otherwise depends entirely on the Member States and what we
make of it. Indeed, against the backdrop of fundamental
changes
at the international scene, the reforms of the United
Nations
system, especially reform of the Security Council, require
urgent
attention to ensure transparency and fairness, based on
proportionate representation and sharing of
responsibilities. The
United Nations should be the moral standard bearer of
humankind
ensuring justice, equality, peace and stability around the
world
and among nations irrespective of size, geographical
location or
economic status in the 21st" Century and beyond. It should
be a
source of hope for the desperate, solace and succour for
the
afflicted and inspire confidence in the down trodden and
destitute
the world over. In this way the notion of "We the Peoples"
will
have relevance to our profession of faith in our common
humanity.
Then, and only then, can we claim the 21 st century,
strengthened
in our resolve to make this planet a better and more
productive
one where humankind can live in dignity and peace! I thank
you
for your attention.
----- Original Message -----
From: Saikou Samateh <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 7:59 PM
Subject: Re: Congratulations!
> Katim,
> I also saw the pictures from the NY Demo ,beautiful and inspiring,bravo to
> all of you down there,keep on the good work.Secondly are you serious in
> claiming that mr Jammeh paid so much money just to be recognised and
> respected,this is a serious crime,having in mind the fact that for two
years
> our hard working farmers have been having problems of marketing their
> groundnuts.Mandela did not pay so much,neither Sankara,this will be a joke
> for such type of leaders,a leader who is not recognised and respected by
> his/her people will never be able to win the hearts of others.God save the
> Gambia,amen!
>
> For Freedom
> Saiks
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Katim S. Touray <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 6:18 AM
> Subject: Congratulations!
>
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I would like to say congratulations (!), and say a big THANK YOU! to all
who
> came out in force to demonstrate their opposition to President Jammeh
during
> his recent US visit. I have been following, as much as I can, postings on
> the list regarding the demonstrations, and phone calls that people held or
> placed to show Jammeh that there are many of us out there that will not
roll
> over and play dead.
>
> The whole affair reminds me of a slogan I saw in a picture on a T-shirt
worn
> by a Zimbabwean demonstrating against President Mugabe. It simply said:
> "You can kill me, but you can't kill us." President Jammeh needs to
realize
> that a lot of us have some serious problems with the way he has been
> mishandling the affairs of state in The Gambia, and will tell him so.
> Further, we'll make sure that we do all we can to let the rest of the
world,
> too, know.
>
> I would like to take this opportunity to express my special "Thanks" to
Saul
> Mbenga, Jamila Allston and the all those who worked with the Movement for
> the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia. Your efforts clearly
> demonstrated to the rest of the world, if not President Jammeh, that
people
> are willing to stand up and be counted in the fight for justice, the rule
of
> law, and peace in The Gambia. Nothing less will do.
>
> Along these lines, I would also like to say "Thanks" to Saul Khan for
being
> our point man in working with ADNA. Keep up the great work. The fact of
> the matter is that the Jammeh government can only be defeated at a game it
> is distinctly ill-equipped to play: diplomacy and decency. It is the
> one-on-one conversations, an e-mail here, a letter there, and this and
that
> phone call that will, over time, prove Jammeh's undoing.
>
> Already, someone has sent us a posting to the effect that the Imam of
> Kanifing East mosque has spoken out against the excesses of the
government.
> Let's hope that the Imam's call will be heeded by many other Gambians,
just
> as many people took note when the likes of Pa Da Costa (?) publicly
> expressed their alarm at disturbing trends that were taking hold in The
> Gambia. In the end, we have to trust that there are enough well-meaning,
> honest, and God-fearing Gambians who are willing to, and will stand up
> against President Jammeh.
>
> I would like to take this opportunity to comment on President Jammeh's
> speech at the UN. The most glaring omission of that speech was the fact
> that not once, in the entire speech, was "Gambia" mentioned. This was
most
> unfortunate, and tragic, and representative of President Jammeh's
> incompetence, and the terrible advice and counsel he is getting. It is
> beyond me how come with all those learned people around him, no one
thought
> it important that a speech before the largest gathering ever of heads of
> State should at least have "The Gambia" mentioned once.
>
> Instead, President Jammeh talked about Taiwan and Cuba. The fact of the
> matter is that Taiwan can take care of itself, and I see no reason why
> President Jammeh should agree to be used to further their objectives at
the
> UN. But then again, I am imagining that President Jammeh puts The
Gambia's
> interests before Taiwan, and I guess his speech at the UN has proved me
> wrong.
>
> President Jammeh also called for the removal of the embargo against Cuba.
> Give me a break! Who in the world, besides the US, and perhaps one or two
> other countries is having an embargo against Cuba? Either President
Jammeh
> and his advisers have no idea what's going on in the world, or they were
so
> desperate to be heard and seen to speak on Cuba's behalf that he even
> venture to say nothing of substance, as long as he says "Cuba." Again,
this
> aspect of his speech was ample demonstration of the serious lack of a
sense
> of purpose in the formulation of foreign policy, and/or the way The Gambia
> is represented at international gatherings.
>
> Speaking of all those people around President Jammeh, and playing gate
> keepers, I would like to ask the President to consider this: is there any
> difference between the people around him, and those that were around
former
> President Jawara? And look at what happened to Jawara. The point I'm
> trying to make is that President Jammeh should realize that Jawara, toward
> the end of his rule, was also surrounded by "Yes-men", (and yes,
> "Yes-women"); people who told him nothing he did not want to hear. If
> Jawara's fate is any lesson, President Jammeh should think seriously about
> all those flattering statements he gets a daily dose of from all those
> hypocrites around him. But then again, there's the Wollof saying: "Kou
> repah dou moos."
>
> Lest we forget, President Jammeh paid half a million dollars to the EAW
> Group in Washington, DC to provide him with public relations services for
a
> US trip. If this was the trip for which the Gambian government paid PR
> services, I would like to know exactly what the money got us. For your
> information, I have not heard about the Eritreans paying anything for PR,
> but their President was on the nationally-distributed call-in radio
program
> "Talk of the Nation" (TOTN) on National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org)
> for one hour last week.
>
> Earlier this year, I contacted one of the people responsible for selling
> sponsorship on NPR programs, and was told that they charged something like
> $2,000 (two thousand dollars) per twenty SECOND message on their most
> popular shows, like TOTN. Given that the Eritrean President had one hour
on
> TOTN, and was able to engage their audience in a valuable dialog, you can
> say that he would have had to pay $300,000 (three hundred thousand
dollars)
> at the going rate for sponsoring the program. By the way, I used 50
minutes
> (instead of 60 minutes) in my above calculation to discount for news and
> other station breaks. But you get the idea. The financial value of what
> the Eritrean President got for free was over half of the half a million
> dollars we paid for PR we are yet to see. Maybe President Jammeh and/or
his
> handlers can explain what exactly happened.
>
> In closing, I would like to say that I found it rather interesting that
> President Jammeh and the demonstrators traded places while he was in the
US.
> While the President called for peace and such around the world, he was
> everyday denying those very rights to Gambians. So it was amusing that he
> himself briefly suffered a little of the imprisonment that many Gambians
> suffer back home from his rule. And I'm not talking about the
imprisonment
> of those convicted of crimes. I'm talking about the sense of a lack of
> freedom to speak one's mind, to go places, and things like that that
> President Jammeh has made a part of daily life for many people back home.
> And so he also tasted some of that on his visit to the US. And guess
what?
> He didn't like it. And who imposed the hotel-arrest on President Jammeh?
> The very people he would have thrown in jail were they in The Gambia. As
> they say in Wollof: "Aduna potti ndaala ..."
>
> Have a great week, and best wishes.
>
> Katim
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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