Mr Colley:

I couldn't stop reading your account of how the coup came about.  Can't wait for the next installment.  Have you ever thought of writing a book about the coup?  I think you should...

Looking forward to your next article.

Regards,

Astrid Christensen/

 

>From: Sanusi Owens <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: COUP IN GAMBIA ONE
>Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 14:07:51 +0100
>
>Ebou Colly
>This is a brilliant piece. I just can't wait to read
>Part 2.
>
>You have given us an accurate version of what happen
>prior to and up to July 22 when Yahya and Co took the
>realms of office. Your article on this subject appears
>to be best, contrary to statements by the likes of
>Yankuba Touray and others as to how it came about.
>Your article will be stored in my archives
>
>I have noticed that you have not mentioned the name of
>Rtd Captain Yankuba Touray(Yahya Jammeh's Chief Praise
>Singer) as one of the key players. Am I therefore
>right to say that he merely came into prominence
>through accident?
>Secondly, there are conflicting reports that Sana
>Sabally was never involved in a coup attempt of 28
>January 1995. Is this true? If not, I promise you will
>giveus some explanation as to what actually happened.
>
>Looking forward to your thoughtful explanation
>
>Chi Jaama
>
>Sanusi
>
>--- Pa Modou Jobe <[log in to unmask]>wrote: >
>Well done Mr Colly. Your piece has thrown much light
> > on the anatomy of the
> > July 1994 coup. Jammeh certainly did not seem clever
> > enough to lead a coup.
> > He was however wily/crafty enough to steal the show.
> > Sad.
> > However, my question is: How and why was Sana
> > Sabally and Sadibou Hydara
> > arrested? Thanks.
> >
> > >From: ebou colly <[log in to unmask]>
> > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing
> > list
> > ><[log in to unmask]>
> > >To: [log in to unmask]
> > >Subject: COUP IN GAMBIA ONE
> > >Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 17:28:34 -0700
> > >
> > > COUP IN GAMBIA ONE
> > >
> > >A British military officer I once met in San Remo
> > >Italy asked me to put the reason why there was a
> > coup
> > >in The Gambia in two words.
> > >"Command breakdown and government complacency," I
> > gave
> > >it to him in five.
> > >The British officer who was very interested in the
> > >military history of The Gambia had been for the
> > weeks
> > >we worked together curiously firing me all sorts of
> > >questions about what made it possible for the
> > junior
> > >officers of the GNA to seized power in 1994.
> > >The story I explained to that gentleman is the one
> > I
> > >wish to share with the G-L readers in this series
> > >entitled COUP IN GAMBIA. It is a story I intend to
> > >tell in the simplest form based on my personal
> > >experience of the coup in The Gambia on the 22nd
> > July
> > >1994, the accidental role I played in it and most
> > >important of all the facts according to what
> > exactly
> > >happened. I may also in this exercise attempt to
> > >periodically express my views or opinion about the
> > >special situations encountered. Hearing about the
> > >general misconception developed by Gambians and
> > >non-Gambians alike, in the country or outside about
> > >the 1994 coup, coupled with the absolute silence
> > from
> > >those who actually know the facts, compounded by
> > >mainly the lies Yaya and his lackeys have been
> > >peddling about the event, the coup in the final
> > >analysis has now been reduced to one shameless BIG
> > >lie. Those who should have been termed the actual
> > >heroes in that mutinous and criminal operation have
> > >long since been killed or reduced to subservient
> > >nonentities while the cowards who should have been
> > >permanently locked up behinds bars for their
> > >traitorous actions stole the center stage,
> > supported
> > >by intellectual criminals and defended by armed
> > >bandits. However regardless of how strong or deep
> > they
> > >may anchor their vessel of deceit in the divine sea
> > of
> > >life, the wind of truth will someday blow away
> > these
> > >floating evil doers to the shore of reality where
> > the
> > >crew will be exposed in their naked images. Those
> > >thinking that they could disguise themselves in
> > this
> > >doom-bound vessel enjoying the loot of the
> > >bloodthirsty pirates, encouraging them to shed more
> > >blood for bigger treasure and then disappearing
> > >unnoticed at the final day of reckoning ought to
> > think
> > >twice about that ungodly fate. If Gambians should
> > >think that they could get away with killing
> > innocent
> > >armless children for anything in this world and
> > then
> > >turn it into a political issue, manipulating the
> > laws
> > >to exonerate the guilty murderers, some of them
> > being
> > >so sick to make it a laughing matter in the heart
> > of
> > >the nation then Gambians could as well exempt the
> > >existence of god and the dynamic laws of nature
> > from
> > >life. These knuckleheads cannot learn from the
> > common
> > >saying that no condition is constant except change
> > >itself.
> > >Lets remember Samuel Doe, Emperor Bukasa, Mengistu
> > >Haili Mariam, Edi Amin and Mobutu with their doomed
> > >followers. These leaders blatantly flouted all
> > kinds
> > >of rules, secular and divine, with powers far
> > greater
> > >than the ordinary or with powers which Yayas will
> > >never dream to acquire in this world; leaders who
> > >thought they could get away with any crimes, lies
> > and
> > >deceit perpetrated towards their innocent subjects
> > >until the day of divine intervention dawned on
> > them.
> > >Days that come without warning and often when
> > things
> > >are at their sweetest. Days when the predators are
> > >caught happily licking their blood-dripping fingers
> > >from devouring the flesh of their unfortunate
> > preys.
> > >Day that found them in festive moods when they the
> > >least suspected that the judgement day is indeed
> > here.
> > >That day in the Gambia will soon come. The day Yaya
> > >and his callous follows will know that children in
> > the
> > >kingdom of god are after all real angels and that
> > no
> > >hoodlum would get away with killing them out of
> > share
> > >madness. Call it the big time day of reckoning.
> > >Having said that, I will now turn to my new topic,
> > >thanks to loony Paul. Evidently, if Gambians had
> > >developed the special tradition of recording and
> > >referring to their history as time and events
> > unfold
> > >before us from period to another, we would have
> > >realized that the same situation that led to the
> > >abortive coup of 1981 more or less recurred in
> > 1994.
> > >And perhaps that would have helped in averting the
> > >1994 calamity.
> > >For instance by the time Kukoi lured the Field
> > Force
> > >into his nightmarish coup in 1981, it could be
> > >remembered that there was a total breakdown of
> > command
> > >and control in Depot, Fajara Barracks. The late Eku
> > >Mahony was strangely shot and killed by the late
> > >constable Mustapha Danso the previous year 1980;
> > also
> > >the late Commander Bojang was suspected of
> > complicity
> > >in what was thought to be a deadly factional
> > conflict
> > >among their subordinates leading to one of his men
> > >killing his command counterpart. Bojang was retired
> > or
> > >weeded from the force but had refused to vacate his
> > >official residence when asked to do so by
> > government.
> > >The atmosphere was as a result charged with heavy
> > >gossip of a coup planning at the depot, yet
> > government
> > >by its actions showed little concern about the
> > >potential explosion facing the nation. Nothing was
> > >more important at that critical time in
> > government's
> > >agenda than the security crisis in the Depot that
> > >required immediate and total attention. Whether
> > there
> > >was even a national security crisis management
> > organ
> > >in the country for such unexpected emergencies was
> > >another thing we may never know. However if there
> > was
> > >one, I don't think it was official or effective or
> > >even known to the Gambians. Historians may one day
> > >have to help us with this one. Anyway I still think
> > >that the government was rather complacent with the
> > >situation until Kukoi stuck, surprised and shocked
> > the
> > >whole world. A civilian taking command of the
> > county's
> > >major security force using its personnel in a coup
> > >attempt was unimaginable and disgraceful. Thank god
> > >there was foreign intervention to stop Kukoi;
> > >otherwise the crisis that had erupted could have
> > >pretty well degenerated into full-blown civil war.
> > And
> > >I still firmly believe that what The Gambia escaped
> > in
> > >Kukoi 's failure in 1981 was the exact leadership
> > we
> > >got in Yaya's success in 1994. In other words, I
> > think
> > >Kukoi in 1981 was going to be what we got in Yaya
> > in
> > >1994. But it was still possible that Kukoi might
> > have
> > >been a little more genuine. Nothing could be like
> > >Yaya.
> > >Another critical factor often neglected but very
> > >important in command stability but was and is still
> > >lacking in The Gambia's security institutions is
> > the
> >
>=== message truncated ===
>
>
>
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