Kebba Jobe: My source is a very competent individual, and I have no doubt in mind, that if need be, he'll send a rejoinder to your last e-mail about him. However, for the sake of fair play and balanced reporting, I have decided to re-post the e-mail in question that my source sent to the L, on/about the relations between Senegal and The Gambia. I am also sending an eye-opening commentary I just saw in The Point newspaper on the Net, and which gives an interesting perspective to the issue raised. The commentary in the Point newspaper, captioned "Good Morning, Mr President", makes interesting reading, and it is therefore reproduced below. So do enjoying reading it! Do not also forget to re-read my source's e-mail, which is reprinted further below. Ebrima _______________________________________________________________________ The Senegalese Media Attack (Reprinted/culled from The Point newspaper) Good Morning, Mr. President Today we intend to familiarise you with what a section of the Senegalese media say about your recent proposals on the Casamance issue. We concentrate on Wal Fadjri's comments titled "Jammeh propose l'innacceptable" (Jammeh's unacceptable proposal) and "L'hypocrisie des faux freres" (The hypocrisy of the fake brothers)written by two leading journalists of that paper. Walf attacked your proposal for Wade to withdraw his troops from their present operational positions. They recalled that the proposal is not new in that it had been a precondition of the MFDC for peace, and had always been rejected by Dakar. "In actual fact, both the former regime and that of Wade held on to the sovereignty of the army which could be deployed anywhere and around the different barracks in the region", Walf added. The paper went on to add that Gambia's demand for Wade to withdraw the troops tantamounts to asking for the closure of barracks in Elinkine, Youtou, Effock, Djinack and Toubacouta as well as the withdrawal of the special forces. Such a suggestion had always been rebuked by the Dakar, the paper contended. "It would seem", Walf opined, "that The Gambia is heading towards an impasse in its mediation role after having banged the door on its way out of the mediation some time ago. Why then is Jammeh re-echoing these demands which are unacceptable? Before making the proposal, the Gambian President was aware of Wade's position on the issue. During the debate on the new constitution, Wade rejected the notion of a "Corsica status" for Casamance as per French Prime Mninister Jospin's formular and called the journalist who suggested it, a traitor". The paper also implied that you failed to explain how you intend to finance the cantonment of the MFDC forces, adding "Jammeh is attempting to do something that the Senegalese government failed to achieve for the past 20 years". To buttress this point, the paper cited the current situation in the northern front where, it claimed, the metamorphosis of former combatants into civilians had failed. The paper also highlighted what it called " the rivalry plaguing Sidy Badjie's northern front where the confrontation between Kamougue Diatta and his former deputy Ousman Goudiaby had been deadly of late." The paper also claimed that father Diamacoune Senghor has lost grip over Salif Sadio, whom it claimed, was flushed out of the southern front by Bissau Guinean troops aided by Senegalese forces. It further argued that idea of a "further meeting in a month's time in Banjul is meant to give time to a weakened MFDC with the hope that rains would cripple the Senegalese forces and allow the MFDC to reorganise itself". "If Wade had had from Jammeh the same cooperation he receives from Guinea Bissau, it would have been another story altogether", Walf opined.And went on to ask: "Shall we give a respite to a weakened and divided combattant wing that has now been pushed to its last retrenchment?" And the enigmatic words came: "With the geographical situation, to be an adept of the politics of the ostrich is the best way to compromise the future." The above, we believe, is food for thought for not only you Mr.President, but all Gambians. Good Day, Mr. President (This article is culled from The Point) _________________________________________________________________ >From: Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Senegal growing impatience with Gambia >Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 18:55:10 -0000 > >Gambia-L: > >The e-mail below came from a source in The Gambia. > >Regards, >Ebrima > >_______________________________________________________________ > >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Senegal growing impatience with Gambia >Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 > >Ebrima: The Senegalese Government and its people are getting increasing impatient with the erratic behaviour of Yahya Jammeh. The Senegalese press, including the official papers, are hitting the Jammeh regime extremely hard. They consider him a hypocrite and playing double games with the Cassamance rebels. Their undercover agents are now everywhere collecting intelligence on this rogue Government in Banjul. Our so-called "Doctor" M.L.S.Jobe is also under attack from the Cassamance rebels for his statements, calling for the rebels to forget about seeking independence from Senegal. It is now clearly evident even from the die-hard supporters of the APRC who refuse to see the harm being done to the Gambia by Yahya Jammeh that his foreign policy, if you can call it that, is in tatters. They are considered inept by the Senegalese and do not enjoy their respect. YAHYA JAMMEH, WATCH OUT. YOUR DAYS AT STATE HOUSE ARE NUMBERED. _________________________________________________________________________ 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------