>From: BambaLaye <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: The Cycle of Violence - Will it End? >Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 08:55:24 -0500 > >Fellow Gambians and Friends, > >Many of us can vaguely remember the classic Greek plays about revenge. In >those ancient tragedies, sorrow and rage fuel an endless spiral of anguish >and retribution. The themes are apt to seem as modern as the past seven >years of abductions, disappearances and torture of the innocent in The >Gambia. However, in the Gambia, the main perpetrators of such atrocities >tells us that they are doing such to safeguard ‘national security’ in an >effort to distance themselves from such primitive cycles of violence. The >prevalent conceit is that they stay away from the fray – even when >torturing and maiming on a regular basis. Up to seven plus years of >inconceivable abductions and torture of the innocent, the APRC toadies are >pleased to take a virtuous bow in our midst as the victims and their >families struggle to live with what has befell them. With steadfast and >barbaric candor, we are told, the interest of ‘national security’ is being >guarded. Yet, only a few decent folks have explored how these abductions >and tortures will fit into the possibilities of our nation being plunged >into recurring cycles of violence. >This group of thugs called A(F)PRC can point to horrible stories >perpetrated by the former PPP, defenders of whom will deny that those >allegations ever occurred. The thugs will insist that the atrocities they >committed did not really occur – or were justified in response to some >cooked up coup attempts. Such tendencies to justify atrocities by pointing >to those committed by former regimes will merely ensure that the pattern of >reciprocal massacre remains unbroken by a subsequent regime. >In April of last year when the thugs gunned down fourteen of our young >brothers and sisters, they declared that the reason was to end the >destruction of property and in the ‘interest of national security’. That is >what they will always say. However, no amount of spin or proclamation of >saintly intent can change the fact that these ruffians have signed into the >indelible collection of Gambian massacres, tortures and illegal >incarcerations. For many of us, these bloody signatures will be >unforgettable. >Far from being antidotes to Gambia’s history of carnage, these atrocities >committed by the A(F)PRC are now part that history. Some of us may savor >the claims of justifiable intent from the thugs, but for hundreds of >grieving relatives and hundreds of our young shaken, or yet suffering, >brothers and sisters who survived these atrocities, the perception is bound >to be very different. >The failure of the A(F)PRC government to embrace a single standard of human >rights or human dignity is a continuing tragedy of immense proportions, >clearing the way for all kinds of duplicity in subsequent regimes. I hope >not! Is it possible to commit so many atrocities on so many people without >fueling deadly cycles of violence? Rarely asked by many of us, the question >remains. > > >Abdoulie A. Jallow >(BambaLaye) > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>