Soffie, I agree entirely with this article. The sooner Gambians wake up to Yaya Jammeh's madness/hypocrisy/megalomania, the better for that country. Saul. >From: Ceesay Soffie <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: FW: From the Frying Pan into the Fire - Jammeh's visit (fwd) >Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 06:42:33 -0400 > >---------------------- Forwarded Message: --------------------- > > >Jali Baa "Public Opinion Organ for SeneGambians " > [log in to unmask] ><mailto:[log in to unmask]> > >" FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE " >JAMMEH PAVES THE ROAD TO HELL >It's been six repressive years since the Jammeh regime was " lifted on the >saddle of power". However, we are yet to see any significant difference >between the Jammeh and Jawara regimes in terms of the social, political, >and >economic development of our country. In fact, all evidence shows that the >Jammeh regime has surpassed all the "corruption" and "nepotism" that >prompted the overthrow of the Jawara regime. If accumulating personal >wealth >took the Jawara regime 30 years to do, these "Soldiers with a difference" >did in 4 years. The magnitude of their pillage and plunder is yet to be >exposed. >EVAPORATION OF A MYTH >Upon their aided ascension to power, the Jammeh regime, like the rest of >the >African military regimes engaged in spouting "pseudo progressive" rhetoric. >This, to win the support of the Gambian masses who have been known to rise >to action whenever the call is made to transform our wretched conditions of >living - only to be betrayed. >Notwithstanding the blind support the Jammeh regime captured at the >beginning, we had raised the alarm on the skillful deception and "good >intentions" typical of the African military. >The first signs of what they were to become started with the perfectly >tailored Constitution without term limit and absolute power to amend and >decree into law the repressive police state that The Gambia is currently >subjected to. It was during the transitional period that the Armed Forces >Provisional Ruling Council - AFPRC entrench the state apparatus that >assured >them the sham victory during the elections. The creation of the National >Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the July 22nd Movement was to fulfill the >hidden political agenda that the AFPRC had all along. >The transitional period was rife with human rights abuses such as the >rampant arrests of innocent Gambians, detention without trials and the >killing of innocent Gambians-KORO CEESAY, SADIBOU HYDARA, the Ballangharr >boys and rampant corruption. The millions of dollars in Swiss bank accounts >and involvement in counterfeiting (operation green medicine) are just few >examples of Jammeh's criminal character. The Courts became a den of >"mercenary judges" from Nigeria and Sierra Leone seeking fortunes from the >spoils of the regime. >After civilianization of the AFPRC, the language of these "soldiers without >a difference" took a drastic change, the words "accountability, probity, >and >transparency" virtually disappeared from their vocabulary. When was the >last time anyone heard these three words from Jammeh and his gang of >thieves? Now that they have gotten fat from sucking the people's blood, >they >would go to any length to protect the sources of their spoils. The Gambian >masses are waking up to this deceit. >WE REFUSE TO BE HELD HOSTAGE >There is one thread that binds all the military regimes that have befallen >African Countries; they all became Megalomaniacs to the point of dismay. To >stay in power, they would apply any trick to divide and control the >Country. >Jammeh has resorted to "tribalism" in a subtle way. All neocolonial >stooges >use tribal and ethnic affiliations to frustrate actions towards UNITY. >Consider the training and arming of the July 22 Movement who in it's >manifesto vowed to protect and defend their "noble president". This is a >flagrant violation of their tailored Constitution, given the fact that the >July 22 Movement is not an institution or state apparatus that is >answerable >to the Constitution. Rather, the July 22 Movement is only an appendage of >the monster Jammeh intends to create (a one party state). The NIA and the >armed forces are supposedly under constitutional scrutiny. Therefore, why >is >Jammeh training members of the July 22 Movement if the army and NIA are >relegated the responsibility for his "defense". Has Jammeh lost trust in >the army and the NIA? We await tangible evidence that members of the July >22 movement are being trained in military combat in an African country and >upon their return engage in military exercises in the Gambia. >The only reason Yahya Jammeh thinks Gambia is his personal property is that >he controls the guns. Imagine a president saying "if you hate me, don't go >to my hospitals, don't drive your cars on my roads." Any government that >attacks the people is an oppressor government and makes no law that the >oppressed will respect. >The Jammeh regime has become a nightmare for Gambians. He has gone to the >lowest levels of intimidation by warning people about what happened in >Rwanda and that if anyone person or group threatens his rule, "the >consequences would be worst than Rwanda. Given the already weakened social >structures in Africa, Gambia in particular, who would trust such a deranged >mind to have control over an arsenal of weapons? >Jammeh's tyranny is the biggest challenge to Gambians and there must be >willingness on the side of the Gambian masses to put a stop to this >madness. >The military training of the July 22 movement in addition to the gang of >bandits in the NIA and army can never stop our resistance. What happened >in >Rwanda, Burundi, and Sierra Leone as abominable as it was for Africa will >never replicate in Gambia. Contrary to popular belief, Jammeh and his >regime of low self-esteem, job-dependent flunkies are very unpopular. >Besides the so called "middle class" that he claims to have created and >tamed, the vast majority of the Gambians harbor contempt for the Jammeh >regime. We must SMASH TRIBALISM: reactionary ethnic or tribal affiliations >are not the solution to our problems. The solution to our problem is >NATIONAL LIBERATION upon which we can train our own soldiers, safety and >security officers for our national interest as opposed to the personal >property of one megalomaniac. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------