Liist members: Error. Wrong letter sent. Here is the right one. His Excellency Mr., Kofi Annan United Nations Secretary General United Nations Plaza, Room 3800 New York, New York 10017 Dear Sir: We heard with dismay, infact with alarm, of your impending trip to the Gambia ostensibly to inaugurate a new U.N.D.P. Office block. Ordinarily Gambians everywhere and of all political persuasions would have been honored, jubilant to receive the Secretary general of the United Nations, distinguished son of Africa in the Gambia. As things stand now in the Gambia, your visit will only give comfort, succor and legitimacy to the murderous, obnoxious, corrupt and morally bankrupt regime. You may by now know that this regime will not hesitate to murder its sons and daughters to hold on to power at any cost. We have learnt from very reliable sources that over twenty students were systematically mowed down and killed by the Gambia's intervention forces on April 10, 2000. The students were merely protesting the lack of action from the regime to deal with the culprits who killed a fellow student and subjected a female student to rape and torture. Instead of dealing with the students' grievances, the regime answered the only way they know: Killings murder, detention and torture. Apart from the large number of the students killed, a sizable number had received bullet wounds, and many are currently being held by the security forces, and without doubt, being tortured. This incident is the Gambia's Sharpville Massacre and should be condemned unequivocally and in the strongest terms by all, and United Nations taking the lead. Sir, you should underline your displeasure and every believer in human rights, justice and fundamental rights of assembly and free speech and cancel your trip to the Gambia. You may note that these murders followed not in the heels of daylight of two unarmed soldiers, one openly in Albert Market located in the capital, Banjul. The latter incident was meant to inject fear in the security forces, and a warning to all Gambians that the regime will use force to silence anyone even legitimate questions are being asked about the Head of State. It is inconceivable that the Secretary General of the United Nations, who recently launched his bold and farseeing millennial vision will visit a country being run like thugs. Sir, you may wish to note that the present regime in the Gambia has tainted their hands with Gambians' blood, and we would not want the illustrious office of the secretary-general used to cleanse those heinous crimes. This regime has killed over sixty soldiers on November 11, 1994. Some of these soldiers were buried alive. Since the world has been deafeningly silent about these murders, and other atrocities committed by the regime, the practice of silencing their opponents, real or imagined continued. The horrible murder of Korro Ceesay, the minister of Finance is a case in point. He was bludgeoned to death and his body burnt to ashes. A member of his junta, Mr. Sadebou Hydara was drowned in a barrel of water. The circumstances surrounding these two murders are yet to be satisfactorily explained. The Gambia as you are aware, was run on democratic lines since the country gained its independence. Although the country is poor, valiant efforts were made to develop the country. During this period, democracy and pluralistic politics, judicial independence and the rule of law, freedom of the press and freedom of speech and assembly was not sacrificed at the altar of development. These basic freedom were cherished and jealously guarded as most Gambians subscribe to the creed that the observance of these fundamental principles were critical building blocks to the nation's building efforts. Consequently, the beliefs which are nurtured and practiced in the was responsible for the peace and progress that Gambians enjoyed for a long time. The period of steady development politically and economically was shattered on July 22, 1994 when the military took over the government. The development of the country has suffered a severe reversal since then. The first principle they threw over board was the principle of free, fair and open elections. The junta organized an election that they made sure they would carry by banning all potential rivals through Decree 89 that essentially forbade the participation of all individuals who were active in politics between 1965 and 1994. To press their advantage they redrew the constituency boundaries, gerrymandering, and used all foul means including brutal force to win their way. The junta tried to win respectability and legitimacy by conducting elections that were deemed fraudulent by all interested observers. Decree 89 that essentially disenfranchise the totality of The Gambia's political leadership is still in force. The press of course suffers when the human rights of the people are trampled upon. Draconian decrees were passed to make it difficult for the press to operate normally. In situations where the press uses its genius to overcome barrier set in their way, the regime resort to crude methods: detention, beating, sabotage, deportation and closures to get their way. The regime that is fascist in every sense uses the fascist tactics of terror, economic deprivation, thugerry and commonly murder to silence its opponents. The leadership of the regime in The Gambia is fast becoming equated with the likes of Idi Amin and Bokassa. The country is deteriorating so fast that if nothing is done to arrest the rapid decline, The Gambia will join the rank of those failed states. The Gambians are trying to organize themselves to sort out this aberration in the development of the country. But we are always fighting against a subterfuge, perpetrated by the regime and those Donors who have to implement their programs at the back of Gambian misery, that the situation in The Gambia is normal because the country has a civilian government. It will be unacceptable if you subscribe to this insidious deception by visiting The Gambia as the regime is run by soldiers who have don their uniforms for civilian clothes. The regime is still militaristic and run the country in the crude and deadly style of Samuel Doe, Idi Amin, Bokassa etc. We will be disappointed if the Secretary General of the United Nations, Champion of human rights and the oppressed will unwittingly anoint the evil regime running The Gambia at present. Sincerely, Kebba Jallow Chairman ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------