--- saihou Mballow <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Ebrima, > thank you for always your readiness to lead > the > struggle against this corrupt and undemocratic > Jammeh's regime. > > It is clear that you have dedicated yourself to the > struggle of the Gambia people against Jammeh's > dictatorship. > > Once again keep it up and time will tell. > -------------------------------------------------- > > Mr.Gomez jr., > I cannot end without thanking you for first coming > up > with the idea of Gambians meeting the new American > Ambassador to > the Gambia. > > The solidarity is commended every where.Thanks, > > Saihou > > > > --- Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Gambia-L: > > > > Below you will find an open letter I have > addressed > > to Ambassador Jackson, > > the new USA representative in The Gambia. By the > > way, whoever disagrees with > > my views/account can feel free to write his or her > > letter and then send it > > to the Ambassador. > > > > Ebrima Ceesay > > Birmingham, UK. > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > > > Dear Ambassador Jackson, > > > > I am a Gambian who is currently living in the > United > > Kingdom. > > > > This letter is written on my behalf, and also on > > behalf of many Gambians > > throughout the world and in The Gambia whose > > greatest wish is to see their > > country return to multi-party politics and > > functioning democracy. Democracy > > itself is a contested concept, but in the > > post-Colonial period from 1965 to > > 1994, The Gambia, if a minimalist definition of > > democracy is used, had stood > > as a beacon for the rest of the continent in terms > > of political stability > > and "democratic ideals". > > > > Following the military take over of The Gambia in > > 1994, we have witnessed > > seven years of economic, social, judicial, > > legislative and political decline > > to the extent that the current situation in The > > Gambia is both grievous and > > precarious. > > > > Indeed, it is at a critically acute stage. > > Repression, poverty, tyranny, > > mismanagement of public money, arbitrary arrest > and > > kidnapping and killing > > of opponents are the hallmarks of Yahya Jammeh and > > the APRC’s regime. > > > > The US State Department Country Reports for The > > Gambia from 1994 onwards, > > give a very clear indication of the deteriorating > > condition of the country. > > Reports from Amnesty International and other Human > > Rights groups throughout > > the world, testify to the debasement of The Gambia > > and its citizenry under > > the APRC and Jammeh. > > > > There have been countless decrees promulgated by > > Jammeh which enable the > > security forces (in particular the National > > Intelligence Agency – NIA) to > > tap telephone lines, fax lines, e mails and > internet > > services; to arrest > > without warrant; to detain without trial; to > muzzle > > the independent media; > > to interfere with the independence of the > Judiciary. > > > > There is supposedly a new Constitution in place to > > guarantee the rights of > > Gambian citizens in their own land, but government > > is still by a number of > > Decrees which contradict the provisions of the > > Constitution. > > > > Under Jammeh, we now know that around 124 Gambians > > have been murdered. On > > November 11th 1994, in an alleged counter coup > > attempt, almost 40 soldiers > > were killed on Jammeh’s orders because he believed > > them to be his enemies. > > Civilians are being killed: on April 10/11th > 2000, > > fourteen young people > > (the youngest a child of 3 years) were gunned down > > in cold-blood for > > demonstrating peacefully in support of a fellow > > student who had been > > tortured and killed. > > > > By virtue of his despotic and brutal rule, Jammeh > > has directly or indirectly > > sent into exile a conservative estimate of 5,000 > > Gambians. The situation is > > now so desperate that many overseas Gambian > students > > and citizens refuse to > > return home to The Gambia on completion of their > > study or work programmes. > > > > Jammeh has arbitrarily sacked or prematurely > retired > > almost 100 senior Civil > > Servants, specifically because they do not toe his > > line. > > > > Right now, Lt Lalo Jaiteh, Ebrima Yarboe, Momodou > > Dumo Saho, Lt Omar Darboe, > > Momodou Marenah, Ebrima Barrow and others, have > been > > detained and held > > incommunicado for months, in total violation of > the > > Constitution. Even when > > the Courts ruled that they should be granted bail, > > Jammeh refused to comply, > > and initially he even went so far as to say these > > people were in fact not in > > detention! > > > > The independent media (of which I was once a > > representative as an Editor of > > the Gambia Daily Observer) has been a particular > > target of Jammeh and the > > APRC since 1994. Journalists have been arrested, > > detained without just > > reason, taken to court, harassed and persecuted. > > The Government for two > > whole years closed down Citizen FM Radio Station > for > > no reason. > > > > Recently, Radio One FM offices were attacked in an > > arson attack orchestrated > > by the APRC, and its proprietor George Christensen > > suffered burns. Over 60 > > non-Gambians, mainly West African, (all of whom > were > > involved in some way in > > the fields of journalism, teaching, health > services > > or the judiciary) have > > been summarily deported from The Gambia. Kenneth > > Best, one of West Africa’s > > most respected journalists, was deported to his > war > > torn home country of > > Liberia. > > > > In one of the worst violations of human rights, in > > October 1995, Jammeh > > handed over a Sierra Leonean journalist, Cherno > > Ojuku Ceesay, to the > > military government in Sierra Leone: this man had > > fled his country to seek > > sanctuary in The Gambia because the military in > > Sierra Leone wanted him. > > Knowing that Ceesay would face execution if > returned > > to Sierra Leone, Jammeh > > did not hesitate to deport him to Sierra Leone. > > Thanks to the intervention > > of the international community and international > > media pressure, Cherno > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! 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