Mr. Colly, another great piece and a fitting tribute to a fine soldier and his family. I hope your words help to assuage the pain of this family. KB >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 THE GAMBIA NINE >Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2001 16:35:18 -0700 > > COUP IN >GAMBIA NINE >To begin with I cannot but use a good part of this >week's narrative by extending my heart-felt condolence >to Captain James Johnson and family for the tragic >death of Simon Johnson in Atlanta a couple of weeks >ago. The sadness that struck me when I heard about the >senseless killing of such a fine young man brought me >back horrifying memories of the global nightmare that >has hit this god-fearing family in the past seven >years. For a fitting tribute to this special brother >Simon, I would tell the sad story of Captain James >Johnson, a brilliant soldier whose life was almost >shattered to pieces from the very moment Yaya and his >gang of criminals hijacked our country in 1994. So my >readers have to bear with me with the understanding >that only the soldiers could tell their own stories. >And that Captain Johnson's story deserved to be >documented and heard forever. >Capt. Johnson's outstanding military career began to >shine in the GNA when in 1996 in a class of robust >young officers undergoing officer training course in >Fort Benning, USA, the American training faculty >singled him out as the best international student in >that class. It was an achievement of high prestigious >value bestowed to few foreign students in a school the >Americans proudly designated "Home Of The Infantry". >An infantry officer of Capt. Johnson's personality, >both in ability and ethics, was the right stuff all >commanders wished to build in a reliable combatant. . >He was the kind of person anyone would want to >associate with when it came to real military duties. >Put him on the toughest terrain and give him orders to >perform and his ingenuity and endurance would stun >you. Hand him over any kind of modern assault weapon >and point to him a target to shoot at, and he would >hit it with a bull's eye. Put him on a running track >and you would end up wondering whether the man was a >machine or robot. Yet he was extremely discipline and >had great respect for everybody, his peers, seniors >and juniors all alike. His love for his friends and >family added a considerable element of humanity in his >simple world. And stay close to Capt. Johnson for a >short moment and soon you would hear him sharing one >or two of the numerous experiences he had shared with >his loving wife Cicilia or brother Simon. That was how >we all come to know about Simon in one way or the >other. If we did not meet him physically, by Capt. >Johnson's good words about this brother, Simon was >virtually part of all of us in the GNA. >Anyway when the captain returned from training in the >USA, further decorated with the medal of an >outstanding parachutist who could jump from all kinds >of troop-deploying-military planes, the Gambia Army >rightly put him in charge of the overall local >training of every new soldier. However before long the >BATT officers handpicked him out of the pool of >officers and gave him another job when the president's >office demanded, on an urgent request, to have a good >officer sent to the State House as ADC to Sir Dawda. >There again, Captain Johnson for two years served the >office of the president in a manner that boosted the >image of the GNA officer corps in both his domestic >and foreign performance. >In 1990, the very year he completed his ADC tour of >duty, the captain got orders to command "C" company >that was first sent to Liberia as part of the ECOMOG >peacekeeping force. He came back home with genuine >ECOMOG medals earned in the heated center of the >Liberian holocaust. This Captain did not shamelessly >steal a medal and pin it on himself without meriting >it. He never tried to deceive anyone with >pseudo-gallantry image when in reality he was not. No, >Capt. Johnson was the true believer and a genuine >action-oriented officer whose actions merited every >award thinkable for a dedicated, honest and hard >working officer. >Upon his return from ECOMOG, he was again appointed >commandant of the GNA training school. But >unfortunately for him in 1992, while traveling from >Farafenni Barracks to Banjul, the jeep he was driving >got a road accident. It was a rather fatal accident >that took the life of another very good young officer >Lieutenant Darbo Jarju of Kartong Village. Captain >Johnson and Lieutenant K. Jaye sustained severe >injuries that the doctors in The Gambia lacked the >facilities to treat them. They were thus referred to >more competent surgions in the United Kingdom. As for >Lt. Jaye, his injuries had to eventually force him to >opt for early medical retirement from military >service. He was later re-deployed to the civil sector. >As for Captain Johnson, despite the marked reduction >of his performance level by his injuries, he chose to >stay in the military profession he had loved so >dearly. But medical advice put him on relatively light >duties that basically made him an administrator. He >was again like a genius in that area performing his >duties efficiently and diligently. It was however said >that on a follow-up treatment to London scheduled to >have taken place by September 1994, the chances were >there for him to regain the best part of the skills he >had lost as a result of his injuries. >Then came July 22nd, the day of calamity the robbers >surfaced. The captain was on duty at Yundum that day. >However, upon evaluating the situation at the very >beginning and realizing that the Nigerians who were >suppose to take charge had disappeared, he quietly >walked out of the camp and went home to his family. >Physically, his condition would not have allowed him >to do anything otherwise or be caught up in a >disruptive atmosphere that would simply render him a >victim of nothing logical. And knowing the no-nonsense >person he was, there was no way a young lieutenant >would have tried to force him into taking any part in >that mutiny. >However, when the tension subsided, Captain Johnson >went back to Yundum. He was immediately arrested and >taken to Mile Two, accused of treasonable actions. On >what, nobody could come up with a case. Even Fafa Mbye >who was at the time arming the devils with all kinds >of vindictive decrees could not fabricate a case >against the innocent captain. >In mile two however, nobody gave a consideration to >the medical condition of the gentleman. Therefore >within a short time, his condition drastically >worsened. The hard wood we were all forced to sleep on >as beds mainly contributed the problem. He was denied >his recovery medicines. Hence, within few months, the >captain's nervous system became badly affected, first >immobilizing one of his legs, then the other. Doctors >from the International Red Cross visited him in the >prisons and left a strong recommendation to the AFPRC >government that the captain must be evacuated to a >hospital or face the possibility of suffering >irreparable or permanent injuries to his body. By then >Sabally and Haidara's orders forbidding sick detainees >from being evacuated to a hospital to see a physician >outside the prison was in full effect. And even after >their welcomed detention on the 27th January the order >remained the same. >It was like those horror stories where an evil monster >is hell bent on destroying anything that was deemed >human and good. It was pathetic to see Captain >Johnson being dragged from his tiny concrete hole in >that dungeon for him to have a simple shower in the >morning. He was in pain that was totally >heartbreaking. His legs were limp and powerless. Yet >we could not do anything but sympathize and share the >bitterness. >At one time his condition got so bad that the prison >officials had no choice but to take him to the RVH for >doctors to look at the helpless man. I think it was >Dr. Jones who examined him with alarming prognosis. He >literally had to plead with the bandits to have mercy >on the captain. After all there was charge brought >against the man who was unnecessarily suffering in >death row. >So after spending over eighteen harrowing months at >Mile Two, Captain Johnson was finally allowed to have >a bed at the RVH where prison guards sat by his >bedside everyday, twenty-four hours round the clock. >Still there were no charges brought against him for >the treasonable action he was accused of. >It was not until shortly before the 1996 presidential >elections when a new constitution was expected to come >in effect that the devils finally released him on what >they said was for humanitarian reasons. Humanitarian >reasons my foot! >Captain Johnson had to immediately arrange for medical >treatment abroad and thanks to the Americans his >health was perfectly restored. It was said that he >came along with Simon. Since then they had been >working hard in the USA but not forgetting that back >in The Gambia, the place they used to call home there >were dangerous monsters and vampires who could suck >your blood in broad daylight and got away with it. The >family understood that Yaya could have ordered the >execution of the captain in the name of defending his >monstrous empire against his enemies; yet many >Gambians would care less, perhaps with most of them >cynically seeing it as another soldier's tragedy of >little importance. And may be if I had not taken this >time to talk about these hidden crimes, nobody would >ever have heard about them. Men like Captain Johnson >have long since given up their hopes of going back >home where most people could not differentiate truth >from false. But the James Johnson sad story was a >painful phenomenon that led from one thing to another >up to where Simon was gunned down in the streets of >Atlanta. >It is definitely sad that it was common criminals who >prematurely terminated the life of young Simon. >Nonetheless the consolation is that the US government >would relentlessly search for the murderer(s) using >everything at their disposal to ensure that justice is >served. It would not be a blank statement from the >perpetrators deceptively promising that no stones >would be left unturned to solve the mystery just to >around asking for the public to come forward with >clues that could help the investigators started. >But before closing this subject Captain James Johnson, >accept my sincere sympathy once again for the tragic >death of our brother Simon whom I know is resting in a >comfortable, peaceful and permanent place in the >kingdom of god. The day of reckoning will soon be >here, when we would all look back and thank god for >his wonderful guidance. >Having said that, I would now like to return to my >usual going back to exactly the day we were arrested >and locked up at Mile Two Prisons. But before getting >into that I would like to discuss the current state of >registration of voters in The GambiaI understand it is >now ove. >I have been informed from reliable sources that a lot >of Guinea-Bissau nationals have been registered with >voter's cards issued to them through the help of >Nyemasata Sanneh Bojang. She's the female version of >Buba Baldeh. Low-life political opportunists capable >of doing anything, from licking the dirtiest boots to >even murdering their parents to fulfil their selfish >earthly desires. To these people, reputation >conscience or god, the most important things in life >mean nothing to them. And I can bet that, these are >the very creatures god created for one reason only, to >fill up his hell house with them at the day of >judgement. >The way I see it now, the election has already been >rigged. There are already enough illegally registered >foreigners to make Yaya win the October election. But >to justify that these votes came from actual Gambians, >he ismethodically using his blood-diamond money to buy >few prominent Gambians here and there, parading them >before the media to pledge their support to the APRC. >By the time October is here we would be counting more >of the Sahou Ceesays, Oustash Bayes, UDP, NRP enticed >converts here and there and even some so-called PDOIS >loyalists. Yaya will try to impress to the world that >it was the cross-carpeting or change of loyalty that >gave him his victory and not the Cassamance >refugees/rebels or the Guinea Bissua aliens (most of >them are maids) who actually would do it for him. But >in reality the APRC government has registered so many >foreigners that if the Gambians do not find an >alternative means of countering the open rigging, they >might as well give it up for a free and fair >elections. >After all we are the ones kidding with our selves, but >with the crimes committed by Yaya since he hijacked >the nation in 1994, it is practically impossible for >him to peacefully relinquish power, even if he were to >admittedly lose the elections. The kind of mad leader >Yaya is, he would rather be slaughtered than walk out >of the State House without incident. So the Gambian >people must be ready for the ultimate action plan that >will ravage his evil empire and finish him up. If >necessary come out in the streets in massive numbers >like the Ivorian confrontation that rid them of their >tyrant. This is the last opportunity to risk >everything for the freedom of The Gambia. If the >mistake is made to allow this imbecile to stay for >another week after October, I am afraid The Gambia >would soon be plunged into a crisis of unprecedented >proportion. This is a matter of evil versus good. The >devil is on their side while the almighty god is on >yours. You only have to galvanize the courage and >would be amazed by how easy good can prevail over >evil. >The soldiers, I am positive, have woken up to the >reality of the moment. Yaya will not be able to use >them against the armless civilians in anyway again. >They are part of the common people with the majority >among them totally disoriented with this embarrassing >incompetent government. Therefore if the people >seriously decide to take up the defiant stand with an >organized posture of an uncompromising civil >disobedience, limited only within Banjul, Bakau, >Serrekunda and Brikama, pretty soon events would force >the APRC to capitulate or face the wrath of the >masses. After that we could book some of them express >tickets to The Hague. No need to tell for what. >On another note, reading about Baba Jobe's case in the >Gambian papers left me very much satisfied with how >much the Gambian people know about this blood-diamond >scandal. The irony is that last year, the APRC >government organized a television program highlighting >the atrocities being committed by the RUF rebels on >innocent civilians including women and children. It >was, according to what I learnt, a warning message to >potential troublemakers to be mindful of the horrible >consequences of civil wars in Africa generally, and >Sierra Leone in particular. That was in the year 2000, >the very year the UN marked as the period when Baba >Jobe, for the crimes specified, was using Yaya's >private plane to commit them. What are we trying to >say? That Baba Jobe was on these secret criminal >missions funding the senseless amputation of human >limbs, wasting innocent lives in war-torn Sierra Leone >without Yaya being aware? Give us a break, the real >culprit is the big demon whose time will soon come. >It is another kind of those freewheel-government >positions where the public knows exactly what had >happened but chooses to circle around the facts just >to make a point. The journalists fully well know that >with the level of involvement of Baba in this case, >nobody but Yaya is culpable. >It's like the Koro Ceesay crime mystery. Almost every >living Gambian now knows what exactly happened to the >poor fellow. How he was murdered, who murdered him, >where and when; but even the voice of his father is >still restricted, by fear or something, to why >investigations have still not yet been seriously >conducted on the case of his dead son. As a father of >his age he has nothing to loose by making his voice >heard loud and clears on what everyone has been saying >about those who murdered his son. Anyway that is not >my point of contention at this time. >To cap it all, come October, there would be no need to >beat about the bush on how to go about it. Yaya will >rig the presidential election big time; and the >solution to that enigma would be to openly chase him >and his apologist out of power. Anything short of that >would sink the country to that abyss of absolute >doom. >Now back to Mile Two Central Prison. It was real hell >in the beginning. The most frightening part was the >disregarded rules applicable to new inmates. We were >not documented to show our time of arrival, neither >were we given any cautionary statements as to the >charges that warranted our arrest and detention. >But outside, I later came to understand that no public >announcement was made about our situation. For days >our ministerial positions were left vacant until Yaya >finally appointed his Uncle John P. Bojang in the >Trade and Industry Ministry. Captain Cham's ministry >of information and tourism position was given to >another relative of Yaya, Susan Waffa Orgu. >For three good days my family could not understand >what happened to me. They went to the State House's >main gate to inquire from the guards, but were told >two different stories. Some said I was busy inside >having a meeting with special guests while others told >them that I left for Dakar for a special mission. >Anyway it was Gambia, where secret or "kan Kan" news >could throw a lot of light on hidden facts. The prison >guards were also talking outside about who and who >were in detention at death row. >By the middle of the second week, we started to get >feed backs on what was being said about us outside. >Anyway the only official statement made by the AFPRC >government about our arrest was the response Yaya gave >to the Senegalese press when he visited Dakar in those >early days of the coup. When asked what became of Cham >and I after being announced ministers in his >government, million viewers of the Senegalese national >television that night heard him saying that I was >arrested for trying to conspire with a superpower >nation to sabotage the coup and that I was the sole >cause of the delay to his maiden speech that was >lately read. >That statement according to Captain Alagie Kantek who >was at the time the newly appointed AFPRC spokesman >compelled Mr. Andrew Winter to walk to the State House >for Yaya to clarify which superpower he was talking >about. The coward swore to the ambassador that he was >not referring to the USA but another superpower he >could not disclose. The ambassador warned him to be >careful of his wild statement, especially when they >were coated in dubious contexts. >He had lied to Senegalese press after writing the >speech, I stole it from them and hid for three days. >He said nothing about why Captain Cham was arrested. >Certainly, I did not at the time know that the drafted >speech by Swaebou Conateh that we painstakingly >polished and coached him after to read it over and >over before he could fairly understand the contents >was eventually going to be claimed by Yaya as his >personal efforts. Shame to this clown still having the >text on exhibition at the ARCH 22 museum with his name >stamped on it as the author. Swaebou Conateh is a >no-nonsense person and he is still there active and >sound. Let the Point or Independent news publishers >him whether those words were not his original ideas >written at gunpoint. Or try Capt. Mamat Cham and see. >The captain may be afraid to talk, because as a >one-time soldier, he could be accused of plotting a >coup and slaughtered with nothing coming out of it >except vampires being heard again trivializing it as >another tragic soldier's story. >Among the funny stories spread at the early stage of >my detention also was that Yaya made me a minister and >I refused to accept the appointment on the pretext >that it was too low a position. Hence I tried to seize >the presidential position from Yaya. >That's been perhaps where the other joke sprang. A >loser got it from the streets and walked up to my >mother's house to tell her that in my effort to >organize a counter coup against Yaya I shot him with >my weapon five times but the bullets simply hit him >and fell on the floor. Yaya then grab me by one hand >and threw me on the floor before the guards arrived >and took me to jail. Piles of garbage were spread the >entire place on the reason for my arrest and >detention; but nothing on Capt. Cham. >Behind bars, despite the presence of the prison guards >whose jurisdiction it was the AFPRC still placed us >under the close watch of some GNA and TSG soldiers. >One Sergeant Jadama was the first NCO to be placed in >command of the soldiers guarding us. There was general >hostility towards us from every unit of guards sent to >watch over us. >In the second week however, a German International Red >Cross representative by the name Hans visited us. It >was a welcomed silver lining in the dark clouds. For >the first time we were all documented by name and date >of detention. He was not interested in any political >issues on especially why we were arrested. He however >raised his concern over the sub-human living >conditions of the dungeon. He was disgusted by >everything from the poor sanitation to the inadequate >ventilation, right down to the food and bedding. He >promised us that he was going to talk to Sabally about >the dangerous and unacceptable detention conditions >that day. >The next day we were allowed to have showers. We also >got supplies of toilet facilities including toothpaste >and brushes. We were also allowed 30minutes everyday >to come out to the open for air and to feel the heat >of the sun. Anyway, we were still not allowed to read >or write anything, while radios were absolutely >taboos. >Sergeant Jadama soon began to wonder why we were >arrested because after asking Sabally many times >without straight answers he began to loosen up the >rules. He even started smuggling newspapers for us to >read the current affairs of the day. Other soldiers >also began to cooperate with us. Some even went to the >point of taking and bringing messages to and from our >families. >After a short while, Sergeant Jadama was transferred >from the prisons to be replaced by an idiotic TSG >fellow who treated us like common criminals. Sergeant >Jadama disappeared during the 11th November incident. >No one could tell whether he died or lived. >By the middle of August the last officer was arrested. >The officers under detention were: >IGP Pa Sallah Jagne >Major. Malick Njie >Major Chongan >Major Sheriff Mbye >Major Jawneh >Captain James Johnson >Captain Mamat Cham >Captain Samsudeen Sarr >Captain Momodou Sonko >Captain Benjamin Wilson >Captain Ndure Cham >Captain A. Ndure >Lieutenant E. Cambi >Lieutenant Sheriff Gomez >Lieutenant Momodou Sonko >Lieutenant Momodou Dibba >Second Lieutenant Alagie Kanteh >Second Lieutenant Alpha Kinteh >Second Lieutenant Yankuba Drammeh >ASP Abubacarr Jeng >For The NCO's: >RSM Baboucarr Jeng >RSM Algie Faye >Sgt. Faraba Sabally >Cpl. Njie >Civilians: >Mr. Kebba Ceesay (NSS/NIA Boss) >Momodou Camara. >It is however important to note that Major Davis and >Lieutenant O.B. Mbye were released on the very day we >got arrested, 27th July 1994. The major was retired >from the army while the lieutenant was reabsorbed into >the command. >I will leave it here till next time. > >Ebou Colly > > > > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail >http://personal.mail.yahoo.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. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------