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Full-name: ASilla5319
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Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 20:00:43 EDT
Subject: Re: MY VISION FOR AFRICA
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G-L Community,

The cliche has it that "charity begins at home".  Accordingly, Mr. Saine's
topic on the question of integrating The Gambia into Senegal would certainly
provoke an interesting and fitting debate from both sides.  Much as the issue
of uniting Africa is a grandiose idea, the one on The Gambia/Senegal
integration appears to be more within our reach/grab than the former.
However, it is my conviction that the amalgation of The Gambia into Senegal
even though, on the surface it looks pretty much possible taking into play
the close proximity of the two countries; their religions, cultures, choice
of cuisine, the ethnic groups, the apparels/attires, appearance etc.
Conversely, the one stumbling block to this great idea is the colonial
disparity as it where (English and French) and this to me more than anything
else makes the dream untenable/not feasible.  To put it bluntly, our
individual prides as an English or French speaking Nation would not allow one
to yield their colonial language to the other.  There has always existed a
healthy suspicion between the two peoples and this unfortunately has boiled
down to The Gambia/Senegal situation (take it or leave it, there are no two
ways to illustrate the scenario).  That dichotomy in language itself was
deliberately designed by our masters to keep us apart at all times in order
to advance their selfish and heartless interests in our region in particular
and the continent in general.  So to change the status quo ante is to invite
the Cameroon situation which if not handle with the utmost care backfires
into animosity and internecine war, as is the case in the Cameroons.   Which
we don't want and this is not to insinuate that we are happy with the state
of affairs in Cameroon, far from it but let us face it; that is what is
happening there and until matters change for the better the continent has to
live with it.  Therefore excruciating a pain as it maybe, I think we have to
live with the geographical oddity as it is and continue to co-exist amicably
as it has been for centuries  after colonialism.

On the question of forcefully invading The Gambia,  my answer to that is a
simple one; attempting to annex The Gambia shall regrettably be a faux pas on
the part of Senegal.

Finally, the question as Shakespeare would have asked about the proposed
integration would possibly read as thus:  "to be or not to be" and the
response probably, would have been the later (not to be), for if the wrong
choice is opted for that would spell an untold suffering for the two peoples
which may not be the intended consequence by any means.  This is my personal
opinion about the issue.

Allota a continua.

OB.