My Fellow Gambians ! At the risk of repeating what I have said in previous postings to the Gambia-L, I feel it important to give an overview of the current situation in The Gambia. All messages to the Gambia-L are read widely in the Diaspora, but more importantly at home, where it is sometimes difficult for ordinary citizens to have the whole truth of what is happening there. I therefore make no apologies for the first section of this message. It is absolutely vital to review and explain the realities of life in our small, beautiful country: to keep Gambians and friends of The Gambia wherever they are, fully informed and up-to-date with the state of our nation under the leadership of Yahya Jammeh. The seriousness of the situation in The Gambia is intensifying daily, to the point where our very viability as a nation under the current regime is now questionable. There is a crisis gripping our country and every Gambian should therefore be concerned about where our country is heading under Jammeh. First, we have a governability crisis: government offices are paralysed; the civil service is virtually non-functional; the security forces are at daggers drawn with each other; our foreign policy is inconsistent and unethical. For instance, Jammeh on one hand is considering opening an Embassy in Cuba and at the same time, he is currying favour and seeking appeasement with the new administration in the USA. Again, how can he be dealing with both Iran and Iraq at the same time: playing one against the other and planning to establish fully-fledged embassies in both countries? Jammeh’s foreign policy clearly is based on cheque-book diplomacy at the expense of the sovereignty, the territorial integrity of The Gambia and the dignity of all Gambians. The economy is in a diabolical state: daily life for many of the population is a terrible struggle. Malnutrition is the scourge of life for so many these days – and this in the twenty-first century. Commodity prices are hugely expensive and out of reach of many Gambians. Even the Chamber of Commerce is urging price reduction. The reality is that even if you do have money, certain basic commodities are unavailable. Electricity is unaffordable and bills unpayable. The unemployment rate is skyrocketing, and will deteriorate even further when the current tourist season ends in April. Foreign hard currency is unavailable (except in Jammeh’s Kanilai mansion). Business is at a virtual standstill: Wellington Street, once a hive of economic activity, is dead. The taxi drivers are complaining; shop keepers are complaining; market vendors are complaining; builders and civil engineers are complaining. There is no cash for ordinary people in The Gambia. Public funds (and especially Central Bank Reserves) have been so tampered with that they are completely depleted. I hear from a very reliable source in the heart of government that the government will be unable to pay public service salaries or bills in the next few months. My Fellow Gambians, when Jammeh visited Taiwan recently, he made much of the loans he had been able to organise, despite the huge interest rates being charged on the loans. Now it emerges that the loans have not been released at all: the whole deal was in the nature of a Public Relations Exercise. The Taiwanese have finally realised that there is little to gain from pumping money into The Gambia: strategically, our nation has lost much of its appeal since the Gambia’s two-year term on the UN Security Council expired last year. The once cosy relationship between Taiwan and The Gambia is drawing to something of an ignominious close. Also, countries like the USA are pressurising nations such as Taiwan, to stop investing in Third World Countries that have despotic and corrupt regimes. As for the private sector, it is as usual, dominated by miscreants like Tarik Musa and Amadou Samba: apart from these wheeler-dealers, the rest of the sector has been squeezed out of fair operation. I am told that Tarik Musa has Banjul International Airport stitched up in terms of importing goods at greatly reduced or non-existent import duty. Likewise Amadou Samba with the Customs Department. The unjustified advantages which Jammeh has allowed these brigands to acquire without question, have pushed so many private businessmen to the brink of bankruptcy. Many right-minded Gambian businessmen have curtailed their import businesses and are engaged in other things. Customs revenue has dropped drastically because of the current state of affairs in the private sector. The Health Sector is in dire circumstances: there is lack of qualified and trained personnel, lack of equipment, lack of medication. Buildings are in disrepair and ambulances in the provinces falling to bits. To add to these difficulties is the poor state of health of the nation, as people struggle to eat a decent diet: malnutrition, as I have already pointed out, is the latest scourge to attack the health of our nation, and of course the first to be affected are the very young and the very old. What facilities are available, are often out of reach for ordinary people: there is no money to spare to pay attendance fees at clinics or the costs for medication. In the rural areas, the situation is acute: the regional hospitals are particularly poorly equipped – non-functioning X-Ray equipment, no heart monitors, no nebulisers, not even decent mattresses and bed sheets. Agriculture remains in a terrible state: there is no government encouragement of diversification, and we continue to import eggs, rice, even ordinary tomatoes which grow so well in our climate. Companies like Radville Farms, I am informed, are making a good business internationally, exporting a good range of high quality Gambian produced fruit and vegetables. It is vital that the government should be encouraging local farmers to diversify and grow for the domestic market as well as for export. There is a huge, untapped potential for agricultural development in our country, and such a waste of golden opportunities to develop. It is incumbent on the government to help farmers to help themselves and thereby help the nation. This miserable regime does not have the vision or foresight to push for ways to exploit the few resources we do have in plenty. Tragically, farmers are still not being paid for their crops, and people are expected to pay to use the "Jammeh tractors", which as we all know were a gift to the people of The Gambia from the people of Taiwan. Tourism is creaking its way towards failure: despite the hard work of all those in the sector, without active government encouragement the future is gloomy in the extreme. We have a wonderful country to offer to would-be visitors, and we have the goodwill and hardwork of all those people making a livelihood from tourism. What we do not have is government initiative to move the sector onwards into a brighter future: lots of talk maybe, but no action at all from the corridors of power. Travel out of the country for our so-called leaders is first class all the way, at the expense of the public purse. Our children’s futures are being put at risk because of the chronic state of the education sector: again this is characterised by lack of qualified staff, lack of equipment, lack of even the most basic of resources and materials. Hardworking but dispirited Teachers struggle to cope with double shifts and poor levels of remuneration. Some fine new buildings have been erected, but many lie empty for lack of adequate funding. The University of The Gambia is begging for typewriters in this technological age; it suffers from a deficit of well-qualified lecturers, and even from a lack of a decent library. More and more children are being forced out of the educational system, simply because their parents cannot afford to pay school fees, exam fees, book fees, even uniform fees. Infrastructural development is limited: one English colleague who visited The Gambia as a tourist for the first time in January, came back absolutely horrified that so many Gambians live in a twilight world: no money to pay electricity bills, in many areas no electricity to be had anyway, load shedding increasing by the week. He could not believe his eyes. Road repairs throughout the country, which are so desperately needed, are piecemeal. Again, my English colleague who travelled to Jangjangbureh by the south bank road commented on how bad the road is: even the once good section between Soma and Sankuley Kunda is deteriorating rapidly. This summer’s rains will add to further deterioration. Like all Gambians living abroad, I struggle to get a telephone connection to my family and friends in The Gambia – and this in a country where Gamtel once had such a high reputation in the whole of Africa. In matters of religion, The Gambia has always been a secular state where many religious groups have coexisted in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance and respect for difference. How times are changing for the worse: because of Jammeh’s "divide and rule" policy, the man is trying his very best to foment religious hostility in our land. Jammeh has his own ends in mind: he tampers with our peaceful coexistence for his own nefarious political ambitions. Our religious leaders need to be mindful of Jammeh’s real motives: two Islamic scholars whom I had previously thought to be moderates, let us down by their support of Jammeh’s intentions to introduce Shariah law. One of these scholars even wanted an audience with Jammeh in order to advise him on the modalities of the introduction of Shariah in The Gambia. Some of our Islamic elders need to be spending their time on the wrongs that typify our society and its current leadership. Fourteen children killed last April; a report from a Commission of Inquiry rejected by the government! How can these religious leaders let this go by without comment or criticism? Where is their moral and ethical intervention into this and similar issues (arbitrary arrest; illegal detention; murder; kidnappings), remarked a friend recently. Thankfully, people in The Gambia are becoming more enlightened: they can listen and watch in amazement as Jammeh derives enjoyment from the heated debates that have accompanied his drive to introduce Shariah in The Gambia. Anyway, the Gambian people note his insincerity, his dishonesty and his corrupt ways. They are watching, and taking note for the future. They see for themselves how Jammeh is going about dividing families: for instance, Hawa Sisay Sabally, who was removed from her position as Attorney General, went into practice with Joseph Joof (married to Hawa’s elder sister). Now Jammeh has appointed Joseph Joof as his latest in a long line of Attorney Generals, and put these two interconnected families at risk. Recently, the Gambia Government, in an attempt to defend itself on the Blood Diamond allegations at a UN forum, instead accused the Sarahulay people of being active in and responsible for the Blood Diamond trade in The Gambia. Here you can see that Jammeh is blaming a whole tribe, when we all know that the true lead players in this awful trade are Jammeh and his cohort themselves. So, Jammeh is obviously inciting trouble and divisiveness at every opportunity, in order to deflect attention from his own inadequacies and his own wrongdoings. The UN Report on the Blood Diamond trade clearly and unequivocally made it plain that the Gambian government is directly and strongly implicated: Jammeh’s personal gains from it (and from the hard drugs trade) are no secret, but instead he is blaming a whole tribe. Recently, when Bishop Cleary made comments about the deteriorating human rights conditions in The Gambia, he was threatened with deportation. For over thirty years, Bishop Cleary has made huge contributions to Gambian life: what a way for this man to be treated, and by Jammeh who was himself brought up in a Christian home and family. Kebba Dampha has just sent a brilliant posting to the Gambia-L reminding us of the number of months that Dumo Saho, Ebrima Yarboe, Lt Lalo Jaiteh, Momodou Mareneh and many more have been incarcerated since their illegal abductions. Our constitution which allows for freedom from arbitrary arrest, for freedom of speech and for freedom of association is openly flouted by Jammeh and his thugs. My Fellow Gambians! This is the picture of the reality of life in The Gambia today. It is gloomy, but it IS reality As a nation state, we are fast approaching collapse and ruin. All of us who love our country should be taking events there very seriously, and involving ourselves in the struggle to see the back of Jammeh and the APRC. The other day, I was travelling in a bus and a Gambian was asking me why I bothered myself with Gambian matters now that I was resident in the UK. He asked why I did not get on with my life, and forget about the state of affairs at home. This gave me some pause for thought, particularly in view of some of the invective and threats that have been hurled at me recently on the Gambia L. The truth of the matter is that some of us on the Gambia-L, love our country and we feel that we have a moral obligation to struggle to save it from a tyrannical miscreant like Jammeh; and when mayhem descends on The Gambia, there will be no boundaries to it: it will touch all families and involve all Gambians wherever they live. All of us have to fight for what we believe in, wherever we are, and do our best to end the misery in our country. Each and every one of us, whether at home in The Gambia or living abroad, need to make whatever impact we can on the situation in our beloved nation. We have brainstormed, discussed and debated the issues affecting our country: the time for talk is coming to an end, and the time for action is NOW. The talking has not gone in vain however: what Gambia L, other Gambian web pages and the media outlets in The Gambia have done is not only to highlight the problem, but to pinpoint the source of it. By virtue of what we have all been doing by exposing what is happening, we have changed public opinion in The Gambia considerably. Gambians are now aware of the corruption of the current regime: there are no secrets. The public consciousness has been raised, and contributors to Gambia L and other outlets will continue in their efforts. One Gambian scholar I know, will be undertaking research in The Gambia this coming summer to assess the impact of the Internet and of the Gambia L in particular, on public opinion. Information is crucial in enabling people to make accurate judgements and wise decisions. I do believe that the pen is mightier than the sword in the long run: that information is a liberator. Truly, history shows us that in the past, the African electorate have voted in the wrong people to positions of power: but history also teaches us that the people can become instruments of change, if they have full access to the truth. Therefore, the clarification of complex issues such as that undertaken by contributors to the Gambia L and other media outlets in The Gambia is crucial in enabling the Gambian people to make an informed choice in the future. So, what are the ways forward? Well, there is violent confrontation where people take to the streets to demonstrate their dissatisfactions and desire for immediate change, or there is peaceful change through the ballot box. My own preference is for a peaceful transition to true democracy through the ballot box, rather than violent conflict. At the same time, I recognise that elections can only be effectively held if we have a neutral Independent Electoral Commission which can guarantee that the elections are both free and fair. It does not bode well when Jammeh wrongfully dismisses the IEC Chairman and replaces him with a man of his own choice. Elections cannot be free or fair when Jammeh is interfering in the mechanics of the IEC. It is highly disturbing to hear from one of my sources today that the by-election in Baddibu may be rigged (and by someone in the IEC at that). We in the opposition should not rule out elections, since this is the best option for our nation. BUT, we have to go into the whole electoral process with certain demands: 1. That political parties can hold rallies in any part of the country without the need to apply for permits from any government body. 2. There should be equal access to the national media for all political parties. 3. There should be no misuse of government finances, transport etc, which could give an unfair advantage to the incumbent group or leader. 4. There should be immediate cessation of harassment and intimidation of opposition people. 5. All directives relating to the elections should emanate from the IEC and not from the office of the president. 6. International observers should be invited to monitor the electoral process from start to finish. 7. The international media should be invited to cover the whole electoral process. 8. There should be effective methods in place to ensure free and fair voting. 9. Counting of votes should be open and transparent. 10. There should be guarantees of one person/one vote by the use of indelible stamping to rule out re-voting. 11. The results should be held and announced by the IEC and NOT the office of the president. If the opposition can be certain that these demands will be met in full, then it makes sense to contest the elections. Naturally, there will need to be constant vigilance and constant monitoring to ensure fairness and probity. If the government is unwilling to meet these demands, then the opposition groups should consider a boycott of the elections and use all means to ensure that the regime is isolated, nationally and internationally. There is no point participating in elections which are glaringly unfair, because taking part in them would only legitimise Jammeh. In case there are justifiable grounds for boycotting the elections, leaders of the opposition parties in The Gambia would need to be talking to the international community and building up the case against Jammeh. They should be contacting Human Rights Institutions throughout the world; they should be talking with international financial institutions; they should be talking with Donor countries; they should be making representations to the USA and the Commonwealth in particular. We Gambians in the Diaspora should have to enable the opposition leaders to travel from The Gambia to spread the word against this barbaric Jammeh regime, in the international arena, and we Gambians and friends of The Gambia living abroad, should be willing to sponsor these travels. Movements for the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia both in the USA and in the UK can in fact, play a leading role: explaining the case of our country to our development partners in the world. The independent media in The Gambia would also need to explain the Gambian case, not only to the world but also to Gambians themselves. If we are in any doubt that the forthcoming elections are going to be subject to government manipulation in any regard, then the opposition must think twice before going into the elections. One thing is clear: our world is becoming smaller and smaller by the day: countries are becoming increasingly interdependent. Jammeh certainly needs other countries to bolster his regime, and I am convinced that international and local pressure will eventually work to dislodge the tyrant. It is really a question of each and every one of us keeping up the pressure on the regime: we have to be relentless in our battle for genuine democracy and justice. The case of Nigeria gives us all hope. Following the demise of Abacha, the consciousness of Nigerians was raised by just these sorts of pressure: General Abubacarr who took over leadership of the country after Abacha’s death, recognised these, and as such, facilitated the smooth transfer of power through the presidential elections. I shall end by restating my case: The opposition has to be working with the IEC to ensure that all safeguards to keep the elections impartial are in place, and being constantly monitored. Without these guarantees, there really is no point in holding the elections. Ebrima Ceesay, E.B.A.L (!!) Birmingham, UK _________________________________________________________________________ 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 You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------