Hi folks,
Following is my e-mail to Prof. Ali Mazrui, who will be giving the lecture that
President Jammeh will probably be attending at Chicago State Univ. I called his
office to follow-up, and was told by his secretary that she received it, and
will print it out for him to read.
Also, I contacted the Chicago Tribune newspaper, and spoke with their Deputy
Foreign Editor. He told me that they are aware of the upcoming lecture, and
will be covering it. He also provided me the phone and fax numbers, and e-mail
address of their reporter on that story. I will be preparing a press release
over the weekend, and send it out to him and other parties in time them to
consider it in their coverage of the lecture and dinner.
Also, you can get information about the lecture and dinner at the Chicago State
Univ. Web site http://www.csu.edu/SpEvents/ or call their Office of
International Programs (OIP) at (773) 995-2582 and their e-mail address is
[log in to unmask] In addition, the President's Office is at (773) 995-2400, and
their e-mail address is [log in to unmask]
I guess that's about it for now. Have a great weekend, and best wishes.
Katim
--------------- Start of excerpt of e-mail to Prof.
azrui -----------------------
Dear Professor Mazrui,
I am writing in regards your upcoming lecture at Chicago State University. I
would first like to congratulate you on your selection as the first person to be
honored to deliver the Adulsalami A. Abubakar Distinguished Lecture on an
all-important topic, and before such an august gathering. I believe this honor
bestowed on you as a tribute to your tireless and noble efforts at bringing an
educated and sensitive African perspective to Americans, and indeed the entire
world. I hope and pray that God gives you long life and good health to enable
you continue to provide your invaluable service to humanity.
I am also writing to bring your attention to the record of President Yahya
Jammeh of The Gambia. It is my understanding that he was invited to attend the
lecture and dinner, and for this reason, I thought I should write to provide you
details about the record of his administration since he came to power via a
military coup d'etat in 1994. As a Gambian, it is my duty to contribute to
efforts to educating the world about how President Jammeh has ravaged democracy
and the rule of law in The Gambia. I believe it is especially important that
his record be considered because it will show that he does not belong in
gatherings aimed at furthering democracy and good governance in Africa.
What the record shows is that President Jammeh has been the stereotypical case
of the African dream shattered; a young leader that starts off full of promises,
and ends up the nightmare no one imagined possible. I sincerely hope that as
you prepare and deliver your lecture, you think of the many Gambians that have
fallen victim to the excesses of the Jammeh government. Like those Gambian
families that to this day don't know how their loved ones died, or those that
know that their children were shot while demonstrating, but are yet to get
justice, or those that are still waiting for the day when their loved ones will
be released from illegal detention.
The tragedy of President Jammeh's rule is best depicted by pictures of Gambian
students still recuperating from injuries sustained in the student
demonstrations last April in which up to 12 people died. You can find these
pictures on the Web at http://www.mygambia.org
Appended below are highlights of many examples of abuse of human rights,
corruption, and assaults on the Gambian press perpetrated by the Jammeh
government since coming to power. I have also included a list of additional
references you might want to consult for more information about the situation in
The Gambia.
Please do not hesitate to contact me either by e-mail or phone if you need
additional information from me. Thank you very much for your consideration, and
I wish you all the best in your endeavors.
Sincerely,
Katim S. Touray
------------------ Start of Info about President Jammeh's
ecord ----------------------
by Katim S. Touray ([log in to unmask])
Madison, WI.
February 16, 2001
ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The Jammeh governments have also had a remarkable record of abusing human and
democratic rights and press freedoms. For example:
1. The 1999 Amnesty International Annual Report on The Gambia stated that the
government detained at least 20 prisoners of conscience, and at least three
prisoners were reported to have been tortured.
2. Decree 89, which banned politicians active before the 1994 coup is still in
effect. The Decree was introduced by the military before the transfer of power
to civilian rule, and has been used by the APRC government to prevent their
opponents from contesting elections in the Gambia.
3. In April 2000, demonstrating Gambian students were shot at by Jammeh's
security forces, resulting in the death of about 12 people, including a
journalist who was also a Red Cross/Red Crescent volunteer helping the injured.
To add salt to injury, the government last month rejected recommendations of the
Commission of Inquiry into the student demonstrations and findings of the
Coroner's Inquest into the fatal shootings. Furthermore, some students injured
in the shootings were sent back to The Gambia from Egypt, because the government
did not provide them adequate funding for their medical treatment.
4. There are a number of unresolved allegations or murders and illegal
detentions by the Jammeh government. To name a few: the Jammeh government is
yet to fully investigate the death of the former Secretary of State for Finance,
Ousman "Koro" Ceesay. In addition, Dumo Saho, Ebrima Yarbo, and others continue
to languish in jail on trumped-up charges of plotting to overthrow the Jammeh
government.
CORRUPTION
President Jammeh is yet to provide a satisfactory response to a number of
allegations of corruption and embezzlement on his part, or those of his
officials. Among these are:
1. Diverting a $35 million loan from The Republic of China (Taiwan) to The
Gambia to private accounts.
2. Diverting proceeds from the sale of Nigerian crude oil to a Swiss bank
account. In April, 1999, Chantrils SA, a subsidiary of Swiss-based oil traders
Glencore, successfully sued the Gambian government in London's High Court for
breaching a contract to sell crude oil on behalf of The Gambia. According to
documents made public in the trial, Chantrils SA contracted to sell 20,000
(twenty thousand) barrels of Nigerian crude oil a day on behalf of The Gambia,
and deposit the initial payment, and proceeds in an account at United Overseas
Bank, in Geneva, Switzerland. President Jammeh has steadfastly refused to
divulge information about the ownership of the Swiss bank account.
ASSUALT ON THE GAMBIAN PRESS
The Jammeh government has also sought to stifle press freedom in The Gambia.
Examples of such excesses by the Jammeh government include:
1. Using the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to harass and arrest Gambian
journalists, and deport non-Gambian journalists.
2. Promulgating Decrees 70 and 71, which increased one hundred-fold the cost of
the bond required for private newspapers, and another ploy by President Jammeh
to cripple them, and/or prevent the sprouting of new media outlets.
3. Closing Citizen FM, a private radio station deemed too critical of the
government was closed on the basis of a 1913 law that the government selectively
applied. Fortunately, the case against Citizen FM was recently thrown out of
court, but after it's proprietor had spent enormous effort, and lost income
because his radio station was closed for over 3 years while he awaited judgment
on the case.
4. Last August, Radio 1 FM, an independent radio station was firebombed in the
early hours of the morning by a gang of people who succeeded in inflicting
damage to part of the station. To this date, no one has been brought to justice
for this attack.
5. Last month, Peter Gomez, Editor-in-Chief of Radio Gambia was summarily
dissmissed, supposedly for refusing to publish a clarification provided by the
president's press director and director of public relations about the his
willlingness to institute Sharia (Islamic Law) in The Gambia.
REFRENCES
Amnesty International Publications and News Releases on The Gambia (1996 -
present)
(http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/countries/gambia?OpenView&Start=1&Count=30&Expand
all&ft=S127.htm)
Committee to Protect Journalists. The Gambia - Country Summary
(http://www.cpj.org/attacks96/countries/africa/gambialinks.html)
International Press Institute. 1999 World Press Freedom Review - Gambia.
(http://www.freemedia.at/archive97/gambia.htm)
mygambia.org - A Web site created to help victims of the April 2000 student
demonstrations
Reporters Without Borders. Gambia - State radio journalist dismissed
(http://www.rsf.fr/uk/html/afrique/cplp01/lp01/080101.html)
Saine, A. The military and "democratization" in The Gambia: 1994-2000 in
"Liberalization and Democracy in Africa." John Mbaku (Editor) (forthcoming)
U. S. Department of State. Human Rights Reports for 1999 - Gambia.
(http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1999_hrp_report/gambia.html)
------------------ End of Info about President Jammeh's
ecord ----------------------
--------------- End of excerpt of e-mail to Prof.
azrui -----------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2001 4:40 PM
Subject: Re: President Jammeh's trip to Chicago State Univ
> L-ers can anybody plz clue me in on the details of Yaya's visit to Chicago
> State U.Why is he visiting? Who invited him? For What putpose Etc. Plz plz
> cuz am clueless to who he paid to get this Honorable invitation.
>
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