Its seems as if some people in leadership roles of the APRC regime ears even in this holy month of Ramadan are apparently not attuned to the cries of pity or trail of tears from the Gambians, asking them to be more compassionate toward their fellow citizens and stop the ceaseless abuse of Gambians. Many of us sincerely thought that Ramadan being the holy most of fasting and forgiveness, the regime will put aside partisan politics but some people are still trying to give political cover for the regimes troubles. The APRC regime use of power to settle political scores is now obviously not to the taste of many Gambians. Political detainees are still deprived of sleep in squalid cells, denied clean clothes and given barely edible food or transported to far remote court in mansakonko to seek their convictions. Gambians have seen fresh hand how APRC regime reacts to political stampede by its leader resorting to extremely radical statements— promoting disunity and his utter contempt for disregard of Gambian lives. The result is a rapid reversal of a long and difficult effort of activist, politicians and journalist warning Gambians, particularly the young, away from supporting APRC regime aided by its leader’s lax attitude toward inhumane treatment of citizens as enemies.
The Regime have long thrived on the recruitment of young, disenchanted and vulnerable minds of the youths but their heightened vigilance of a leader who preaches “do as I say, not as I do” uses tribalism to tests Gambians compassion towards him. This have made them have second thoughts about the regime. Even thing is expensive nowadays. Many Gambians have now come to realized that some— entrusted in leadership positions of APRC regime, pretend as if they understood our cherished values of empathy, cared about our religious customs and culture of unlimited compassion of Gambians towards one another. Gambians diasporian whom are very concerned about the regime treatment of Gambians have been called many things, none of them nice. Those who are brave enough to speak truth to power in Gambia and the demand for the regime to change its ways are shouted down, insulted, dismissed or arrested. Yahya Jammeh made it clear that the Gambian citizens are the gravest threats to the nation’s security and now goes a step further. Skeptics and opponents of his rule are not just referred to criminals, but borderline traitors. Those most guilty, naturally— are the diasporian, UDP party, and of course Mandinka’s who he believes are hell bent to deny what is obvious to him— his destiny, the Presidency for rest of his life.
Yahya Jammeh and his loyalist has used everything at their disposal only to serve their agenda of prolonging APRC rule only, and not Gambian people interest or our security. No one can now ignore the constant interplay between the APRC use of brutal powers to maintain itself by force through the use of NIA, security services, the mercenary judges or DPP at the courts and the Gambian population. It’s NIA agency whose sole mission now — seems to rifle tailored information by any means through worst, despicable— inhuman enhanced interrogation methods, which its courts headed by mercenary judges who are blind to outrage but hastily embrace. The closed door treatment of citizens in hands of the regime and public indifference — displayed by their leader as a compassionate individual, continue to trouble their more recent efforts of explaining their legitimacy to rule the country. Gambians used to hear allegations of how the regime brutality murdered many citizens, most of which were strenuously denied by regime officials at the time. Now in 2016, Gambians came to witness with their bear eyes, attacks of such brutal magnitude of the protesters of electoral reform/ UDP executives. Thus, that event gave us an affront to our patriotism and historical perspective of the regime’s brutality, as well as bravely facing our own fears. As Gambians, we can’t even imagine that minds within our midst could conceive such barbarism towards our fellow citizens.
The public-relations disaster of the virtual intrusive strip-searching sessions for humiliation of Gambian citizens, torture of women, men and the elderly are essentially put on public notice now as a results of published horror tales from — affidavit released during political trial court proceedings of April 14th- 16 events. These activities are part of a much broader, and sometimes more subtler, efforts to influence Gambian politics and culture. Large number of Gambian communities are driven from their ancestor’s homeland. When anyone criticize the regime’s brutal tactics and their disregards for human life, even in the mildest, most respectful terms, and you’re branded a bad citizen and unpatriotic hater. If concerned citizen confront their history of distortion absurdities, and they ’re revealed as someone who is a disgruntle tribalist. Their advice, freely given, is safe to ignore. In Quran chapter 25 vs 63 “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace”.
Gambians now are generally better educated about the regime because — the APRC bandwagon took a wrong left turn on the road to the promised “Vision 2016” nonexistent land and we are more affluent of the regime’s antagonism towards Gambians. Many Gambians used to boast that they can avoid being in the bad books of the regime by avoiding political discussions but now doing nothing — also has moral consequences. What is happening in Gambia is a human right crisis which has no political boundaries. Many citizens now are fleeing political persecution because the regime is growing more coercive in many areas for them to live freely in the country. Many cannot accept the enormous infringements of their liberty to continuously support the regime and therefore, pay the political consequences of leaving their beloved country. This is a tuff decision but is far so much worse than compromising their values. We are encouraged by the Quranic Verse Surah 59 verse 9 to continue to be each brother’s keeper: “…They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation”.
Nevertheless, we can’t fit APRC or its leader into our society anymore because he has revealed that he appreciates none of it, and has ruled Gambia with brutal force as if he never lived in our midst. His rough-hewn persona, his lack of manners, lack of empathy, his temperament, his lack of fundamental empathy as a ruler, horrified our secular society and quite frankly, it’s embarrassing. Yaya Jammeh has redefined Gambia exceptionalism, replacing the smiling peaceful coast of Africa with the glowing image of humanitarian crises. For the long-term good of the country, we appeal to the moral core of Yahya Jammeh if he has any left and his immediate family members to fall in line with us to prevail over his ego which is the source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction Gambian culture we are experiencing. For some, an unwillingness to accept the concept of individual responsibility or avoid acknowledging the unpleasant reality of Gambia today under their truculent son stewardship can lead down a bizarre path but history will not judge you kindly. You don’t stay quite when people are dying to breathe free. Our nation continues to be at crossroad because of badly damaged health-care system, a diminished moral standing, a ravished economy struggling after twenty years of mismanagement and political correctness run amok. Spoken word matter too for a president who has lost his way.
By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)
