Ebrima,

You deserve commendation for a job well done. The letter is brilliant. In addition to using your letter as a petition, i would suggest that efforts be made to take advantage of James' good idea of meeting the ambassador. I think dynamic brothers like Saul Khan, Karamba Touray, Ous Mbenga, Sister Soffie and the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in the Gambia would take this opportunity to update the new ambassador on the APRC's poor record.

Thanks

Pasamba

>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: Draft Petition To New US Ambassador
>Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 21:35:04 -0000
>
>Katim:
>
>Any posting that I have sent to the L is no longer mine. People can
>do
>whatever they want with it, without my prior permission. I have no
>problem
>at all, for the open letter to be reviewed and then used as a
>petition. In
>fact, next time, just go-ahead! Do not bother to ask for my
>permission.
>Anyway, below you will find a Draft Petition which you can edit and
>we can
>then use it, if there is consensus.
>
>Mod Ceesay: Thanks for the correction vis-a-vis the Ambassador's
>proper
>name. It is appreciated, and needless to say, I am glad that your
>surname is
>Ceesay and not Camara/Touray!
>
>Lansana: Thanks for your kind sentiments!
>
>Ansumana: Thanks for the kind comments, but I'll appreciate it if
>you could
>dilute them next time. Some of us find it difficult to deal with
>explicit
>compliments.
>
>The Movement in New York (Saul Mbenga and Co): Keep it up! The
>struggle
>continues as my sister would often say.
>
>Ebrima Ceesay
>
>____________________________________________________________________
>
>
>DRAFT PETITION
>
>
>Dear Ambassador Mcdonald:
>
>
>Since the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) seized
>power in a
>military coup in 1994 and Colonel Yahya Jammeh was "elected
>President" in
>controversial elections in September 1996, human rights in The
>Gambia have
>been violated with impunity.
>
>Ordinary citizens, ex-security personnel, journalists and
>politicians have
>all been targeted by the Gambian authorities and remain today
>subject to
>human rights violation, including arbitrary detention, harassment,
>torture
>and ill-treatment.
>
>Indeed, the human rights situation in The Gambia continues to be of
>serious
>concern to Gambians and to the international community.
>
>Political tension in the country is also reported to be high. The
>government claimed to have foiled two alleged coup plots in January
>and June
>2000. Harassment and repression of political opponents continues
>unabated.
>In July 2000, Colonel Jammeh was quoted in the press as having said
>that
>"anyone bent on disturbing the peace and stability of the nation
>will be
>buried six feet deep".
>
>As of now, citizens are still being held incommunicado for long
>periods and
>without charge in gross violation of the Constitution. At least
>fourteen
>young students (including a three year old child) were killed and
>dozens
>injured in April 2000 when security forces used excessive and
>indiscriminate
>force to break up a peaceful student demonstration over the killing
>of their
>fellow student, Ebrima Barry, by agents of the government.
>
>The judiciary continues to suffer from government interference.
>Jammeh some
>months ago, wrongfully dismissed two Magistrates and the Master of
>the
>Supreme Court, leading the Chief Justice to resign in solidarity
>with his
>colleagues. Following diplomatic and local pressures, the sacked
>magistrates
>and the Chief Justice were reinstated. In December 2000, Jammeh also
>dismissed the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission,
>Bishop
>Johnson, in total violation of the Constitution.
>
>As the Presidential elections approach, Jammeh is using every trick
>in the
>book to consolidate himself in power. Already, there are press
>reports that
>Jammeh and his APRC are issuing Gambian Identity Cards to
>Non-Gambians,
>mainly refugees from neighbouring Senegal, to enable them to get a
>Gambian
>voter's card.
>
>The Gambia today, Mr Ambassador, is characterised by repression,
>corruption,
>poverty, mismanagement of public funds at the highest levels and
>economic
>stagnation.
>
>We urge you to study the current status of The Gambia by reading the
>US
>State Department Country Reports from 1995 to the present, and to
>read the
>reports of Human Rights organisations such as Amnesty International,
>Article
>19 and Interrights for the same period. All these reports clearly
>demonstrate the undemocratic nature of the regime in The Gambia and
>point to
>severe and regular harassment and persecution of the country’s
>citizenry.
>
>
>In the light of the above, Mr Ambassador, we concerned Gambians and
>friends
>of The Gambia urge you to:
>
>
>1. Ensure that the electoral process in The Gambia is above board
>and
>transparent as we approach the Presidential elections in October.
>
>2. Put pressure on Jammeh and his regime not to interfere with the
>role and
>activities of the Independent Electoral Commission.
>
>3. Insist that the national media treats all political parties
>equally in
>terms of access and reporting.
>
>4. Encourage your government and other western governments to send
>observers
>not only to monitor the actual elections, but also to observe and
>monitor
>the whole process, in particular the current period of voter
>registration
>(already shrouded with malpractice on the part of the APRC).
>
>5. Ensure that human rights protection becomes the norm in The
>Gambia.
>
>6. In particular, call on Jammeh and his regime to release forthwith
>Messrs.
>Momodou Dumo Saho, Ebrima Yarboe, Lt. Lalo Jaitteh, Lt. Omar Darboe,
>Momodou
>Mareneh, Abdoulie Sanyang and Ebrima Barrow. These men have been
>detained
>illegally for over one year now, in total disregard of the Gambian
>Constitution.
>
>7. Put an end to the harassment of the independent media/press in
>The
>Gambia, arbitrary arrests and the wrongful dismissal of hardworking
>civil
>servants (including members of the Bench and the Judiciary).
>
>
>We trust that you will take our concerns seriously, and act
>accordingly.
>
>
>Yours truly,
>CONCERNED GAMBIANS
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at
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>
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