I hope this apology is the proverbial first step in the Chinese proverb of "a journey a 1000 miles begins with a single step". Mr. Sabally should be informed that Gambians will never forget or forgive him for his actions as Deputy Chairman of the AFPRC. From the innocent taxi drivers being shot at on public roads; pedestrians killed by his motorcade; countless senior civil servants summarily dismissed from office without recourse; public humiliation of elders eg. in Gambissara to whatever role he may have played during the sept 1994 incident. Perhaps folks should help him understand where he stands by publicly telling their personal stories. Malanding Jaiteh Courtesy the Gambia Echo @ http://www.thegambiaecho.com/Homepage/tabid/36/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1975/Default.aspx *Sana Sabally apologises for bellicose comments * **Dear Editor, I wish to add my little ideas in an article "Gambia- Together We Are Strong and Divided We Fall" to the ongoing political discussions in our country. We are all human. None is infallible! We all make mistakes, or rather, I say I make mistakes. No one should hesitate to correct oneself when one finds one has made a mistake. With regrets and apology I say to all that I AM VERY SORRY for the ``Unfortunate Cyber Warfare`` recently started by my reaction to Chongan’s book. I have since decided that I HAVE PUT A COMPLETE STOP TO IT and NEVER TO RETURN TO SUCH! I believe we as Gambians have something far bigger and important than our personal problems. My doors are open... Please, for God and Heaven´s sake, I do not wish to be asked about this particular unfortunate issue again by anybody. To all I say we open a new page. Thanks for your understanding. God Bless our Gambia. /*Sana-Bairo Sabally. */ /*Thursday 27th May 2010*/ /*Below I offer this to my brethren*/ *A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand * *THE GAMBIA IS GREATER THAN OUR PERSONAL PROBLEMS/. /* */The Gambia /*is our country and that any problems here can only be solved by us/ourselves within the context of our country and our Gambian Unity. */A house divided against itself cannot stand./* In many parts of the world, the change came only about because The People found something they desired more than revenge. They wanted to become a one happy body of people, and to unite in defending themselves against */a common enemy/*-the government that tramples on their citizenry rights as human beings. Gambians have so much more to do to bring about such a change for good. The Gambians deserve better. Due to the very terrible and barbaric inhumane ways the Gambians are being treated by the /[Yahya JAMMEH]/ government, they’ve grown rather cynical about revolution or the military (i.e., no longer believe that either is an honest system) (But we are telling everybody that) Allah’s goodness is promised to all people of Faith. But there are degrees among men and women of Faith. 1. There are people with natural inertia: [i.e. lack of courage, interest or vigour; lack of will to move or change] they do the minimum that is required of them, but no more. 2. There are people who are weak in will: they are easily frightened. 3. There are people who are so strong in will and so firm in Faith that they are determined to conquer every obstacle, whether in their own physical or other infirmities or in the external world around them. (Today) As our nation shed its tears for help; the (Gambians Opposition Political Parties) should be ever ready to give their all, and even their lives, for the common cause: *[“(2011) Election Restore Honour”]*-(To all Gambians and that resident in the Gambia.) The Gambians deserve better. */THE COMMON ENEMY/* We all like to say, “I knew about their longstanding argument, but I had never heard them go at it like this before.” There in the trees in front of my house the Weaverbirds (``Kacho/ol/`` in Mandinka)! and the Quaker-Parrots (``Joobo/ol/` in Mandinka `) were quarreling again. The war of words and wings had escalated beyond anything I had ever seen. Then I noticed something I hadn´t expected-a pair of huge brown wings making a retreat to a nearby branch. That wasn´t a Weaverbird, so the commotion was not the usual spat between the Weaverbirds and the Quaker-Parrots. They had found */a common enemy/*-an */owl/*. Their dislike for each other was lost in a conflict of greater proportions, so they combined forces to meet the threat. That scene impressed me as being one of nature’s striking parallels to a political reality that we as Gambians must learn. We have a common enemy, JAMMEH and */APRC Government/*, and “he” is reason enough to make us forget our differences. I would advise us to put away our personal dislikes, our unnecessary anger, and self-centered interests. When we yield to these fleshly impulses, we “give peace to the devil-/JAMMEH.”/ */In addition, he likes nothing better than to see us fighting with one another-rather than against him./* We have a common enemy as citizens of the Gambia, and we will gain victory only if we cling to unity. The 2011 polls is the battleground for every citizen to make a right choice! I´d remind us that, ``When you think that you can´t make a difference, remember that one raindrop raises the ocean!`` Our power and weapon is the “vote.” We must work together to avert the nice country of ours erupting in civil war. We must be careful that our lives are not marked by an absent-mindedness that we will someday regret. SATAN DIVIDES AND CONQUERS-GOOD LEADERS UNITE AND CONQUER. */(BE) PART OF THE SOLUTION!/* Many governments and people think that Gambians are always negative and fighting against something, but to be precise, against Jammeh. This is because of `*/`Asylum cases´ stories Gambians bring forward as reasons for leaving The Gambia…/* “That is unfortunate, because we should be known as positive people who promote what is good and right. We must not be worried about this. What we should be worried about is the responsibility we have to the people who long for a new beginning and an end to the long and desolate nightmare of JAMMEH´s tyrannical rule. */Many of us are disturbed by the evils in our society but we do little more than talk negatively about it./* We leave the impression that we hate those who don´t live by our standards. They see us as self-righteous snobs. Although we must not hesitate to denounce wrong, our primary focus is to demonstrate the purity, compassion, unselfishness, and humility of brotherly love. */How much better to be a beacon of truth rather than an instigator of condemnation. /*Instead of merely complaining about the problems in the society, let´s */be part of the solution! /*We need to reach out in love to those around us who need love. */LOVE AS BROTHERS/* Gambians! Gambians! Gambians! I wish to ask this one question*/./*/ “/*/How can we know when the darkness is leaving and dawn is coming?/*/”* */ I have asked the same question to some Gambians before. Please, make a short break here and ponder over your possible answers before reading further. “When we can see a tree in the distance and know that it is an orange and not a mango,” one responded. ```when we can see an animal and know it is a fox and not a wolf,” replied another. ``No,`` I said. Puzzled, they asked for the answer. Gambians, what is your answer? I now give the answer. ``We know the darkness is leaving and the dawn is coming when we can see another person and know that it our own Gambian brother or sister; otherwise no matter what time it is, it´s still dark.`` Remember that /“*Every Gambian is a brother to every other Gambian*”./ We know that we have passed from selfishness and hypocrisy to unity and love, because we love the other brother. Alternatively, do we know of Gambians whom we dislike intensely? */Do we hold in contempt those who go to or belong to a different political party or a revolutionary group and don´t agree with us on every issue?/* What about Gambians of another setup, e.g. Media teams? Do we like them from not only a distance but also when they are up close and personal? People with a heart for love have a heart for people. If */True Love/* */is the mark of a Gambian/*, do people recognize that we belong to the Gambia? Gambians, let us love one another, for love is unity, and unity is strength. /Our leaders in the 2011 polls! It is Allah and the Gambia they will serve with sincere (and exclusive) devotion and patriotism. These Gambians will not seek their own advantage. They will serve Allah and humanity to whose service we are devoted. / How are we going to achieve what we want? It is our submission that national interest should take precedence over narrow and selfish interests. /It is essential that opposition political parties (if they are serious, determined and genuine) do not compete against each other in elections. /Gambians politicians should not allow the Jammeh regime to reinvent, regenerate, and succeed itself. If this happens, it will mean the Jammeh regime rules for another 5 years. This must be stopped by any means necessary. Gambians no longer accept Jammeh’s grandstanding as a so-called freedom fighter, now turned politician. They now accept him for what he is. A despot who has become a negation of the values and principles of freedom fighters, a dictator who brutalizes Gambians and denies them basic human rights and economic opportunities. So what is it that the people of the Gambia want? It is our submission that at the core of the Gambian crisis are issues of good leadership, good governance, and legitimacy. Our country is ruled by a corrupt, incompetent, criminal, and brutal kleptocracy, which has retained power through fraudulent elections. */We do not want any further polls in our country under the current constitutional and electoral framework. We want a new people-driven democratic constitution, electoral law reforms and legislative changes that allow for the holding of free and fair elections./* */THE GAMBIA IS GREATER THAN OUR PERSONAL PROBLEMS. /* *Captain Sana-Bairo Sabally* *(Deutschland) * *Thursday 27^st may, 2010* ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤