In a message dated 10/1/2002 11:53:37 AM , [log in to unmask] writes:
> Like I said before, this is a tragedy that could and should have been
> avoided and there is none to blame except Waade, his prime minister and
> transport minister.
>
> Have good day, Gassa
Gassa,
To their credit, this government did accept responsibility for this tragedy.
They have not engaged in picking up journalists and jailing them for
cririzing them and pointing the finger at them. This is also to their credit.
As they say, hind sight is always 20/20 and it took the disaster in The
Gambia to have the government there start separating passengers from cargo as
you pointed out. They had not done that before, and it took the disaster for
that to happen. Now, yes, Senegal should have learned a lesson from that, but
they are accepting the responsibility for this tragedy, and I am sure the
ywill do something in this regard now.
I think that one of the unfortunate realities we are facing here is that here
are two African states that have more in common than any other on the
continent, and yet, we have these border and customs problems that lead
people from both sides to find other ways to get from point A to point B,
sometimes resulting in these tragedies.
Again, I commend the Senegalese authorities for accepting the responsibility,
and did you also note in one of the stories regarding this tragedy that it
was said that the Joola had been used recently for an occasion where the
Senegalese authorities were hosting journalists? That's refreshing news as
opposed to hunting them down at every turn even for reporting the truth. Food
for thought.
Glad to see your sober analysis, and hope that you can apply the same to
other issues.
Jabou Joh
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