Joe and Ansu, I think you are on the same page.... We have all been ranting here and there and some including Joe actually have been doing something privately to help contribute to a force against Jammeh. I honestly think the overall performance of our opposition leaders has not been impressive.  Why continue to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results?
 
As Ansu or someone said on this trade earlier, the Mai fatty approach seems to be a new approach that we should all try. The hardcore vigorous diplomatic war should be a viable alternative for the opposition to look at. Since trying to stand physically against Jammeh is feared the most or has not worked in the past, common sense dictates that new approaches should be tried.
 
One would expect that with the level of international connection and perceived respect these opposition leaders have in the international community they would have taken that route already. Why would Halifa wait for so long to issue a threat in engaging the subregion against Jammeh when Sam Sarr and others were arrested? Hasn't Jammeh done enough to destroy our democracy, incarcerate our citizens and brutalize everybody, already to warrant that diplomatic war?
 
Why would a well respected legal scholar and human rights defender like Darboe not engage the international community in bringing the plight of Gambians to bare? Why would some diplomats in the Gambia refuse to have audience with the leader of the main opposition party as Darboe revealed to us the last time?  Why do Darboe, Halifa and the rest continue to resort to legal action within the same Kangaroo courts that shows no sign of neutrality or sense of decency in upholding the law of the land?
 
Imagine this folks, what would have been the outcome if our opposition leaders actively engage the commonwealth and demand them to hold the regime accountable for the very human rights threaties the regime willingly signed? What about pressuring the African Union (toothless as they may be) to institute sanctions against the regime (travel ban one option) for its violations of citizens' constitutional rights to freedom of expression and assembly? What about putting pressure on the Nigerian and Ghanian governments to hold their citizens  who are license to practice law  in their own countries accountable for acting as activist judges for the Jammeh regime? Aren't some of those so called Judges in fact on secondment from their own regimes?  Who granted them legal license to practice law in the Gambia?
 
What would happen folks if the Gambian opposition actively work with the US state department and Senate foreign relations committee to hold the Gambian regime accountable for citizen disappearance and tortures? What about challenging the World Bank, IMF, African Development Bank, Islamic Banks etc. etc for continuing to legitimize and support a regime that is openly oppressing its citizens? Where is the diplomatic pressure on this institutions?
 
Why is that Mai fatty is the only one who see the need to engage the Senegalese government and other international governments in hilighting the political degradation in the Gambia? Isn't the recent alleged coup upon coup false or not enough to alarm our opposition and the international community on the high security risk Gambia is parading on? Is the opposition, civil organizations like the Bar association, Press Unions and the diplomatic representatives in the Gambia going to sit by and wait for our nation to burst into flames with military internal war before anyone would speak?
 
These are the questions that are worth asking of our opposition leaders who claimed to be representing the interest of the Gambian people. Off course those of us in the Diaspora have a huge responsibility too and I doubt we are playing our role... Will get to that later.. for now what you opposition supporters and stake holders of the Gambia think?
 
Demba
 
On Fri, Apr 2, 2010 at 10:20 PM, Ansumana Bojang <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Joe Sambou,

Here you go again doing what you do best; yak yak yak....  You can talk all the nonsense you can utter here but you still have not addressed the fundamental question I asked of you...what have you done with all your grand tactics up your sleeve and the bravery that only Joe Sambou has?  Pleeeeease we are dying to hear you so that if it has any merits perhaps some of us can join you and may be we can make a difference in The Gambia.  May be you can lead us deliver Gambians from Jammeh's tyranny.

You come here everyday pretending to be the best tactician, the best castigator, the best showman, the best citizen, and yet I, for one, have not heard anything tangible coming from you that I can say merits following your example.  You make a lot of assumptions in your attacks on others that are outright wrong and sometimes just malicious.

Joe Sambou, please take a few days and ponder over my question to you and then come back with something more substantive next time instead of railing against others just because you can.

Ansu

JoeSambou wrote>>>

Ansu, I do not have your level of calmness under our current assault by Yaya, and you do not have mine.  Thus, do what Ansu is doing and let Joe do what Joe is doing.  What is sacrilegious about calling a spade just that?  I do not intend for a coward to lead me and I will say it loud and clear.  None asked anyone to be a politician.  What talk is cheap?  It is apparent that you and I do not have the same level of anxiety regarding what is happening in the Gambia.  I also perfectly do under that you are not here to address my Cheap Talk, but are irritated by my explosion on the time waster that Ousainou Darboe is manifesting to be.  I know for a fact that you will not be this cool like a pack of Camels if someone close to you was whisked.  I do not need to know anyone personally to be this outraged.  Since when do I ever speak for you?  Ansu, I am not in the mood to join you in this Maslaa nonsense and you do not have to bother with anything I say, deal?  If not, I say use your delete key often because you will hear my mind and not Ansu's, if you read me.  Why do you think the UDP cadre are quiet?  They know that their leadership is paralyzing them and it is about time folks muster the courage to speak up.  The gatekeepers of the opposition are suffocating Gambians.


Ansu, now that we reached an understanding, please let me exercise my rights as a citizen.  Why the hell did Ousainou as a party leader defend Femi?  Ousainou knew that whether he does or do not defend Femi, the outcome will be the same.  He knew exactly what he is doing.  Now that the rubber met the cement and Femi is languishing in jail, Ousainou the politician is hiding behind Ousainou the Lawyer and cannot say anything that would address the clear fix that he knew to be the outcome by the frauds he continues to try to defend, the Judiciary.  Ousainou knows that the Judiciary and Yaya are one and the same, but try asking Ousainou his opinion about the Judiciary and you see him foam all over the place without saying anything.  Enough of this nonsense.  It is simple folks, Ousainou cannot continue to carry on with this pretext. You are not the Lawer for the opposition but a leader of an opposition party.  Thus, you need to quit this business of speaking as a Lawyer at all times while all around you are being whisked to jail.  How come Ousainou can never say what Femi said or did? Shingle, Rambo, et al went to jail not because they were alter boys for Yaya.  It is only in the Gambia do you see the opposition rank a file whisked to jail while the party leader shuffles papers for their appeal, when they know they are wasting their time. If the rest of the world could not get Chief Manneh out, what is Ousainou thinking that his GRAND APPEAL is the thing we need?  It is like the cart pulling the horse.  No, it is Tchangaria that is whisked to jail not his driver, if you catch my drift.  I am not telling the UDP how to conduct their business, but just in case they think folks are not aware, your leadership is lending a hand to what is happening in the Gambia. If Femi can be railroaded, what chance does the average Gambian have without the backing of a political party?


Joe




> Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2010 16:34:15 -0400
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Femi Is getting ready to go to Prison for 1year and fine of D10,000
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Joe Sambou,
>
> What I am talking about is your cheap talk about confronting Jammeh and calling those you consider not "tough enough" against Jammeh as cowards. I asked you to be one of the brave ones and head to Gambia to lead just a civil disobedience against Jammeh. You did not address this issue but just continued your usual diatribe against others. What have you done yourself?
>
> I am not defending lawyer Darboe or Halifa or any other leaders for their tactics or lack thereof. Believe it or not but I agree with some of your assessments about the futility of some of their tactics against the regime. I am just observing your behavior on this forum and I urge you to take stock of it and I am sure you can do better. If you can try to be a bit more constructive in your criticisms may be you can be taken more seriously. I know you have opinions and so do we all. But, you think yours is the best approach everytime and anything else is worthless. I am not sure how long you have been whaling against Jammeh now but I what I think is right, don't you think you should have done something about him by now? TALK IS CHEAP!!!
>
> Your Comrade.
>
> Ansu
>
> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
> at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

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