Gambia-L: Those of us in the UK held a very successful demonstration this afternoon at the Gambia High Commission in London, and one thing was very clear to me: The events of 10 April as tragic and as unfortunate as they were, have in fact created a new unifying force in our community. Since I came to the UK - over 3 year now – this was the first time I saw Gambians of all denominations and viewpoints being so mobilised and this determined to end oppression in their country. May be, we should thank Jammeh and his forces of evil for having created this situation of unity for Gambians, especially those of us in the Diaspora. Jammeh did do his opponents one favour when he ordered the massacre of those students on the 10 April: He brought the truth to the fore – that the Gambia of today is one massive cauldron of injustice and tyranny. But Mr Jammeh should be reminded that history has taught us that no country – no matter how powerful – can thrive on a foundation of injustice and repression. Anyway, having said that, I have to say that this time around, I for one have never seen this determination and mobilisation on the part of the Gambians – both at home and abroad – to liberate themselves and their country from Mr Jammeh’s dictatorship. Despite our differences, Gambians are coming together more closely – especially following the events of 10 April – to find effective ways and means of unseating Mr Jammeh. And by the way, I have to commend the good spirit that has prevailed among Gambians, including Gambians on L, since the tragic events of 10 April. The signs are really encouraging. Yes, there is hope for the Gambia because Gambians have been in deprivation for a long time and they now see from their experience that their salvation actually lies in their determination to free themselves from Jammeh’s authoritarianism. Believe me, the days of dictatorship in Africa are numbered and it is encouraging to observe that all over the Continent people are becoming more determined than before to defeat tyrants. Some one once asked: “how can we liberate ourselves from the imperialists, only to fall into the clutches of greedy and unscrupulous autocrats?” Good question! Africans certainly deserve better. Anyway, coming closer home as they say I think we should try and maintain the momentum generated, regardless of our differences, so that we can succeed in uprooting Mr Jammeh and his despotic regime once and for all! Let us show Jammeh that no one can defy people power. It happened to Marcos. Caecescu too. You see, history continues to repeat itself because people refuse to learn. Interestingly, one of the major principles of Political Science is that although force is a central element in political systems, it cannot on its own sustain a polity. In fact, it was J.J Rousseau who wrote in 1966 that even the strongest is never strong enough to remain the master unless he is capable of transforming force into law and obedience into duty. Tyranny and authoritarianism therefore can never be forever. In fact, we are now at a turning point in world history when despots have clearly lost the plot. So, sooner or later, Jammeh will come knocking at the gate, demanding to be let in. We will catch him! Having suffered all sorts of atrocities for so long, the Gambian people are now more determined than before to free themselves from this daily repression. No wonder they say that in every bad thing/situation there is something good that normally comes out of it. The tragic events of 10 April were most unfortunate and regrettable, but the positive thing is that they have in fact created a new unifying force in our community – a force that could succeed in unseating Mr Jammeh at long last. Take Niger as an example: The “Black Friday” massacre of students on 9 February 1990, when at least 13 students were killed in a desperate attempt by the State to silence demands for popular participation, did in fact lead paradoxically to heightening of demands for a democratisation of the society. In other words, civil society was actually born in Niger after these killings! The State (in Niger) was forced to accept multi-partysm and the convocation of a National Conference which took place from July to October 1991, following the killings of the students on 9 February 1990. So, my bothers and sisters, let us keep the pressure on Mr Jammeh. He has to go because his rule has only constricted the democratic space, entrenched authoritarianism and nurtured militarism, period! And believe me, if this kind of despotic rule is allowed to continue, then take it from me that the continued existence of the Gambia as a country would be under serious threat. Our challenge therefore is to try and bring – as soon as possible – a permanent end to the undemocratic rule in the Gambia and replace it with positive and progressive change. I know I am repeating myself but we need to work out a realistic framework for action and pursue a concrete agenda for the restoration of genuine democratisation in the Gambia. When next time comes we need a positive change in our country; a change that can bring about a permanent end to tyranny; facilitate democratisation and demilitarisation of our society; and institutionalise credible and accountable civilian democratic modes of governance. However, in order to achieve this sort of positive change, it is imperative, in my view, that all the opponents of Mr Jammeh, especially the political forces, (try and) form a tactical alliance/coalition. In my view, it is only through such an alliance that we can succeed in defeating Jammeh quickly and decisively for that matter. Therefore, the task of building an effective alliance/coalition, especially as the election approaches, is an urgent one, and the sooner it is done, the better. There is urgent need to explore strategies and tactics of bringing this about. And before I forget, I have to concur with Ebou Colley when he said some time ago that Jammeh’s speech to the Gambian Nation after the events of 10 April, must have been written by one of his “intellectual prostitutes”, to borrow the phrase used by Dr George Ayittey to describe them in his book “Africa In Chaos.” Frankly, knowing the gross stupidity in Mr Jammeh’s head, I too can bet that that speech was authored by one of his “intellectual prostitutes”. But understandably, a monster like Jammeh would definitely need these “intellectual prostitutes” to provide him with the necessary explanation for the consolidation of his tyranny. He is simply following the footsteps of despots such as Idi Amin, Bokassa, Mobuto, Nguema, Samuel Doe and others who had also secured the backing of these “intellectual prostitutes” to consolidate their repressive regimes. Frankly, I have to say at this point that what is happening in most African countries – as unfortunate as it is – is in part our own doing. Monsters like Jammeh have been created by some of us, period. In Africa, we have this tendency of hailing whoever comes to us new. We are so fascinated with whatever is new. When we hear a name on the radio, without even knowing him and what he has come to do, we go out on the streets and jubilate. Anyway, I hope we have all learnt the lesson – in the wake of Jammeh’s five years misrule – that not any change is a change for good. Finally, I say it is about time we had a leader with integrity. We need a leader who would teach by example; a leader who respects those he leads and one who is ready to sacrifice for the people; a leader who is selfless, people oriented and who can instil ethical values moral in people. It is good to get power, but power is only good if it is used as a resource to change the lives of our people for better. Ebrima Ceesay PS: Gambia-L, I have to say that our demonstration was a success and the turnout was really good. We submitted our petitions (3 in all) to the Gambia High Commissioner in London; a representative of the Commonwealth Secretary General; and an official of the British Foreign Office’s Africa Department. At the British Foreign Office, James Bahoum expressed our collective concerns, among other things, over the butchering of 14 Gambian students by the Jammeh thugs, after which I also spoke calling, among other thing, for the arrest and trial of Jammeh whenever he leaves office. Anyway, I am still in London, but I’ll do a report on the demonstration when I get back to Birmingham on Thursday. I also intend to post the content of our three petitions to the L. By the way, Dave Manneh, you can also post the petitions to the L if you have time. Hamjatta Kanteh: Dave Manneh and I were looking forward to seeing you, but we did not see you. Your absence was noticeable, because the Gambia-L members present were keen to meet you and myself in particular. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------