Hi folks,

Despite the fact that I REALLY should be going to bed, I decided to send in
a comment or two about this e-mail I'm replying to, and also others that
preceeded it.

First, I'm alarmed by the following, and previous e-mail messages from
Landing Jatta, as well as Mr. Ebou Colly.  While I whole-heartedly endorse
their calls for President Jammeh to go, I am firmly opposed to the idea that
once again, we have to force to efffect change in our country.  We should
have known that almost all benefits that came our way by virtue of Jammeh
overthrowing Jawara (not by force, but by the threat of it) would be wiped
away by the constant possibility that many other soldiers would take their
cueue from him, and do like him, whenever they got dissatisfied.  It seems
that postings from these two are tell-tale signs of rumblings that cannot be
encouraged.

Without a doubt, the military and their sister agencies can have a role in
ending the Jammeh government.  However, the best service they can render our
country would not be to cause more bloodshed (no matter whose blood) but to
make sure that President Jammeh would NEVER be able to use them to terrorize
our citizenry, and even kill them.  I think if we ever get to the stage
where Jammeh knows that he cannot count on his troops to execute his
inhumane orders (whether they are issue directly or indirectly) we then
would be at the dawn of a new era in The Gambia.

Given the above, I think efforts at involving Gambian security forces in
working toward the end of the Jammeh government should be along more
creative and less traditional lines.  First, they have families, and as such
we can work toward reaching out to the general population to constantly work
on convincing their relatives in the Army and Security forces that they
should never again be used by Jammeh to kill people, improperly imprison
them, or harass them.  Such a campaign can be one-on-one, private (between
relatives), and certainly beyond the reach of Jammeh and his people.

Second, I am very interested in the idea of making the security forces
realize that their long-term interests cannot be met by Jammeh.  For
example, when a global lobbying campaign against Jammeh is launched, it
should also include a component that targets the perks and previlidges of
the security forces.  This way, they will be made to realize that they
cannot enjoy the good life (at least not for long) as long as they deny
other Gambians their basic rights.  Efforts to make Gambian security forces
feel the pinch include denying them scholarships for training programs,
working to cut-off their equipment supplies, and excluding them for
participation in cooperation programs that would have offered them
opportunities to get their per diems.

Furthermore, these tactics must also be combined with carrots that will be
dangled before the security forces, and have it made clear to them that they
will be able to take on bit on the carrots if and only if they stop letting
President Jammeh use them to oppress Gambians. Such carrots would be the
exact reverse of the penalties they suffer; namely offer them scholarships
and advanced training, participation in international programs, etc. It is
my firm belief that such a carrot and stick approach to the Gambian security
forces, done in concert with a propaganda campaign aimed not directly at
them, but at the relatives and loved ones of these soldiers, will gradually
erode President Jammeh's base, and might well result in a peaceful transfer
of power.  Afterall, those shots will be fired only if they soldiers let
them off.

Let me wrap this up with short references to a number of issues raised by
others in previous postings:

1.  Saiks Samateh mentioned the importance of making sure that efforts at
building our Web site, and indeed working on an umbrella organization should
not be concentrated in the US.  This is a valid point, and one that's being
taken into serious consideration.  If Saiks wrote his e-mail in response to
my mention of people I've contacted about building the site, I would like to
re-assure him that those people (few as they are) were contacted because of
work they'd already done (e.g. George Sarr), because he donated a domain
name and Web site (Dr. Amadou Janneh), etc.  Rest assured that we will be
expanding not only the scope of the site, but also opportunities for people
to have a say in what's on it.

2.  I'm still planning to contact different groups, and people in various
parts of the world about both the Web site, and also developing the position
paper we will be presenting Sen. Feingold.  May I also mention that I also
received the article on Africa Debt Cancellation forwarded by Ylva Hernlund,
and I've already followed some of the Web resources the article mentions.  I
think the various organizations metioned will be invaluable allies in
building a case for recovering monies alledged to have been embezzled by
President Jammeh (or at least ascertaining whether or not the accusations
are indeed true).

That's about it.  I'll probably think of other issues when I'm less sleepy.
For now, I'd like to wish you all the best, and good night (or morning, or
day, or evening ...)

Katim



----- Original Message -----
From: Landing Jatta <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2000 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: SOLDIERS OF THE GAMBIA ARMY


> Dear Sir,
>
> Thank you for your call. Your call to liberate
> ourselves and our beautiful country is a genuine one
> which will be answered pretty soon. A majority of us
> are absolutely ready to take the risk and put our
> lives on the line for peace and tranquility to come
> back. I could not imagine that this stupid president
> of Kaninlai, as we in the army now refers to him
> because he is now afraid to settle at State House, is
> the one dictating what happens in the country. He
> should be crucified and his remains nailed on the
> fence in Mccarthy Square for the general public to
> see. Now every officer in the Paramilitary Police have
> regretted their action. Some of my friends keep crying
> and asking Almighty Allah for repent; as you have
> alluded and clearly stated in your resurrective
> message to us all in the GNA, the only genuine
> repentive process must be to crucify the Kaninlai
> Mansa.
>
> In conclusion, sir, we would like your leadership in
> this to get rid of this stupid Mansa of Kaninlai; I
> can assure you and each and every noble Gambian that
> we will act sooner than later. Time will tell. Right
> now he is only embarking on the protection of Capt
> Jammeh and his Sate guards, but we are ready to
> proceed.
>
> Landing Jatta.
>
> --- ebou colly <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > SOLDIERS OF THE GAMBIA ARMY
> >
> >
> > Soldiers of the Gambia Army it is indeed a
> > reassuring
> > feeling to learn that there are some of you who have
> > totally regretted the killing of the innocent
> > children
> > you were forced to shoot by Yaya. And most of you
> > have
> > also realized that the despot is making all efforts
> > to
> > shift the blame on you.  Anyway after clearing his
> > image, he would then as usual send few bulls with a
> > couple of thousand Dalasis to each of your camps for
> > f
> > you to feast on and praise him as the good leader.
> > You
> > will understand what I am exactly telling you.
> > Anyway
> > just remember that your hands have been soiled by
> > children's blood.
> >
> >  It is however understandable that you were
> > inadequately equipped, under prepared, misled and
> > misinformed that sad day. In the first place you all
> > know how Yaya has been systematically undermining
> > the
> > efficiency of the GNA through a deliberate
> > conspiracy
> > of robbing you of the right equipment, the right
> > talents and the proper training. And those elite
> > vampires, freeloaders, and patronage junkies lying
> > all
> > over to protect their perks and benefits have only
> > made things look uglier.  The bottom line up front
> > was
> > that you were sent out that day to control a riot
> > situation which none of you were ever trained or
> > prepared to handle in your military careers. In the
> > first place Ak47 assault rifles should not have been
> > issued for that civil disturbance operation at all,
> > let alone arming the security forces with them. On
> > the
> > other hand I can understand why they were issued,
> > because there are nothing in your armories to equip
> > yourselves with for the assignment. That was the
> > first
> > step to the disaster that later unfolded in the
> > operation.
> >
> > Lets be frank to each other, the GNA does not in
> > anyway understand the proper method of
> > riot-controlling, neither does it have the means to
> > do
> > so. If we are to reflect back to the only
> > consignment
> > of good riot -controlling gears that the GNA ever
> > had,
> > I could remember in 1998, there were only about 200
> > gas masks donated by Libya. But like the ten T-54
> > tanks and the ninety-two 35mm artillery pieces from
> > Egypt, the APCS, plus all your other good equipment
> > meant to improve your competence technically and
> > tactically, Yaya simply took all of them from the
> > camps and hid them at the State House. The typical
> > Mobutu Style of securing himself at the expense of
> > his
> > nation. As ignorant as Yaya is about the dynamics of
> > heavy weapons however, he does not know that after
> > keeping those arsenals without firing or properly
> > aligning them for even six months they permanently
> > lose their technical configurations, hence rendering
> > them useless. I may as well advise him to find a
> > junkyard and dump those tanks and artillery pieces
> > that have never worked and would never do again.
> >
> > However the issue here is about you the soldiers.
> > Yaya is indirectly pointing his fingers to you as
> > the
> > child killers when he was the very one who
> > manipulated
> > you into the operations. And unfortunately, your
> > leaders who should have guided you on the
> > operational
> > principles of using minimum force under such
> > circumstances lacked the proper education to do so.
> > It
> > is no secret that some of you, the ordinary soldiers
> > are far better educated than your Chief of Staff
> > Baboucarr Jatta and Yaya Jammeh himself.
> > Nonetheless,
> > they were the leaders you had depended on to guide
> > you
> > and of course protect your actions if they turned
> > unfavorable as in this regrettable case. But look at
> > them now. Yaya in particular who gave the orders by
> > referring to the school children as "the bastards
> > who
> > should be dealt with without mercy", is now giving
> > the
> > impression to the world that if he had been in the
> > country that day he would have prevented you, the
> > murderers, from killing the kids. Certainly, out
> > here,
> > most of us very well understand that Yaya led you
> > into
> > this unprecedented act, quite unbecoming of good
> > soldiers with the right leadership. For Yaya to
> > disassociate himself from this massacre should be
> > termed the betrayal of the millennium. In a war
> > situation, leaders like him and Baboucarr Jatta are
> > given hasty court martial hearings and shot like all
> > traitors deserved.
> >
> > But by our judgement here, we have already found him
> > guilty of two capital crimes. (1) He has ordered the
> > murder of our finest sons and daughters who could
> > have
> > been our leaders tomorrow; plus (2) he has betrayed
> > the security forces that acted exclusively on his
> > orders in the slaughter.
> >
> >   As a result, I urged you to act. This is the time
> > to
> > get rid of Yaya Jammeh by all the means you can
> > apply.
> > Of course, some of you have already registered your
> > commitment to do it, which if successfully done,
> > would
> > be the most progressive and noble thing you would
> > have
> > done for the peace-loving Gambian people. Gambia
> > does
> > not deserve a person like Yaya.  He has lied in your
> > names, killed in your names, cheated and stole in
> > your
> > names, humiliated you and then in this latest
> > incident, ordered the killing of our children,
> > brothers and sisters. Yet it is apparent that
> > dictators like him would foolishly refuse to accede
> > to
> > popular demand for them to step down and give chance
> > to genuine democracy to the point of their own
> > perils
> > and to the extent of even destroying the whole
> > country. Anyway before this retarded imbecile
> > destroys
> > the nation you the soldiers must take the
> > initiative.
> > The removal of Yaya from that seat would be the
> > greatest service you could do for The Gambian people
> > and mankind in general. Yaya's killing instinct is a
> > mental attitude. And The Gambia is a small family,
> > peopled by decent men and women who for generations
> > would not kill each other for any reason whatsoever.
> > The more time you give to this evil character the
> > greater risk the Gambian people stand to suffer in
> > the
> > future.
> >
> > Remember how it was done in 1994?  If the senior
> > ones
> > are too timid to do it, let the junior officers do
> > it.
> > But you must conduct the operation with the genuine
> > intention of calling the civilians to take over the
> > political platform in the shortest possible time.
> > Between us, we all know that Yaya is not a real
> > soldier. He only pretends to be one when in actual
> > fact he is the worst person in uniform who has ever
> > existed in your midst. How many of you have honestly
> > ever seen the fool firing a weapon, leading a
> > tactical
> > operation, conducting a land navigation exercise or
> > going through a BFT? The guy is false in that
> > uniform
> > but has been hiding behind it with the worst abuses
> > imaginable.  So GNA soldiers must realize that the
> > day
> > of reckoning is quite close now, when Yaya and his
> > cohorts would pay the price of their evil deeds.
> >
> > You must not allow the outside forces under
> > mobilization now to come and do it for you. History
> > would not forgive you for that in anyway. And most
> > important of all, there are far too many outstanding
> > intellectuals waiting to come and work for the
> > Gambia
> > after the removal of Yaya the moron. Some of the
> > best
> > and finest Gambian brains within or outside the
> > country cannot be utilized because they are humans
> > governed by conscience and integrity. Their positive
> > characters and codes of conduct made them true
> > persons
> > who would rather die than succumb to the terrorist
> > rule of a semi-educated tyrant. Helping the Gambian
> > people lose Yaya therefore is a historical
> > obligation
> > you must fulfil. That would not only mean rescuing
> > our
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
> __________________________________________________
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