Saturday, March 15, 2025
Home Blog Page 693

Former Information Minister Sheriff Bojang jumps down from Jammeh’s sinking gov’t

By Alhagie Jobe: Sheriff Bojang, Gambia’s former Minister of Information and Communication who left the country to neighbouring Senegal jumping from the sinking government of defiant President Yahya Jammeh, has finally cleared the air.

In a statement confirming his position on the political impasse in the country, Mr Bojang said it is his considered opinion and stance that the results of the December 1st election represent a true reflection of the sovereign will of the Gambian people. He said the current attempts while appearing to have a veneer of constitutionalism are in fact an attempt to subvert the express will of the Gambian electorate saying, the people have spoken and they could not have spoken louder and clearer.

Mr Bojang who was on Monday replaced on his Cabinet position by National Assembly member Seedy Njie, acknowledged Adama Barrow as the President-elect of The Gambia stemming from the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah. He then called on President Jammeh to respect the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah he so much expressly believes in, and start the transition and hand over power within the stipulated 60 days from the elections.

Below is the full message by Mr Bojang

Statement by the Former Minister of Information & Communication,
Sheriff Bojang on the Political Impasse in The Gambia

أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ (A’udhu billahi min ash-shaytaan-ir-rajeem)
I begin in the name of Allah the Most High, the Most Clement and the Giver of Wisdom.

I begin this statement by hereby announcing that I have taken the decision, and written to the relevant high authority to the effect that I have resigned from the Government and the Cabinet as Minister of Information & Communication Infrastructure with immediate effect.

I hereby wish to thank His Excellency, President Yahya AJJ Jammeh for according me the onerous opportunity to serve my country in the high office of Minister of State for exactly the past two years this month.

On 1st December 2016, the people of The Gambia went to the polls to elect a new head of state. After the final tally of votes Mr Adama Barrow of the Coalition was duly announced winner and declared president-elect. President Jammeh conceded defeat and pledged to work with Mr Barrow on a transition.

However on 5th December 2016, the electoral commission issued a statement clarifying that when the total votes per region were being tallied, certain figures were “inadvertently transposed”. The error was corrected and did not change the status quo.

On 9th December 2016, President Jammeh announced his rejection of the results. Subsequently, petitions were filed at the Supreme Court, which among other things call for a declaration of the nullification of the results, a rerun of the polls.

It is my considered opinion and stance that the results of the December 1st election represent a true reflection of the sovereign will of the Gambian people. The current attempts while appearing to have a veneer of constitutionalism are in fact an attempt to subvert the express will of the Gambian electorate. The people have spoken and they could not have spoken louder and clearer. They want change. A disaggregation of results shows that apart from the Fonis, the APRC and President Jammeh secured a 50+ per cent majority in only 3 out of 53 constituencies.

The APRC has no one to blame but itself for its dismal performance at the polls. We took very impolitic decisions from mid-2015 which led to a haemorrhaging of support from our traditional bases and made the party unappealing to new millennial voters. The Gambia has decided and we must accept and respect this decision.

This is the time for clear thinking and not burying of heads in the sand. To remain relevant, the APRC must take the hard decisions and make the necessary systemic and structural changes within the party.

The first of these hard decisions should be the dropping of petitions at the apex court, re-engaging President-elect Barrow and his Coalition team and expediting the transition arrangement.

I hereby appeal to my colleagues in cabinet, among them some of the finest ladies and gentlemen of the first order, and of course including His Excellency President Jammeh, to look into their conscience and take the right decision within the most reasonable time for the present and future of our vulnerable little Gambia. It is never too late to do the right thing.

I want to apologise to my colleagues in Cabinet that since the President’s December 9th announcement, my refusal to attend all cabinet meetings despite some of their entreaties was not meant as an affront or rebuff to anyone but a symbolic gesture of my opposition to what is taking place.

Finally, I have been heartened by comments – with the exception of one (an interview granted to The Guardian of London by a senior member of the Coalition) – from President-elect Barrow, Halifa Sallah, Ousainou Darboe and others on their vision of the post-Jammeh Gambia.

I hereby acknowledge Mr Adama Barrow as the President-elect of The Gambia stemming from the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah. I also call on President Jammeh to respect the wishes of Gambians and the will of the Almighty Allah he so much expressly believes in, and start the transition and hand over power within the stipulated 60 days from the elections.

In taking this decision and making this statement I have not sought the undue advice or help of anyone within or outside The Gambia and I am not seeking the validation or otherwise of any person or group.
Baba Sheriff Bojang
Issued in Dakar
Monday 9th December 2016

Defiant Jammeh appoints MP Seedy Njie as new Information minister

0

By Alhagie Jobe: Gambia’s outgoing President Yahya Jammeh has appointed a Nominated National Assembly member as the new Minister of Communication and Information Infrastructure with immediate effect, a Press Release read on State TV reveals.

Seedy Njie, who for the past years has been a nominated member in the bogus and rubber stamp National Assembly of The Gambia replaces Sheriff Bojang who jumped down from the sinking regime of Defiant Dictator Yahya Jammeh who refuses to handover power peacefully to the democratically elected President Adama Barrow.

Mr Bojang is indeed the first Cabinet minister to desert from the government since the political drama began in December when Mr Jammeh lost the election, conceded defeat and later reverse his decision prompting international condemnation.

Meanwhile, as Jammeh is still defiant busy appointing and sacking civil servants, the sub-regional bloc on the other hand is also working to ensure that Mr Jammeh leaves on January 19th when his term ends. Today, a meeting was convened in Nigeria hosted by President Buhari who is also the chief mediator in the political crisis.

At the end of the meeting, it was resolved that President Buhari leads a delegation to Banjul on Wednesday, January 11th, 2017, to meet defiant outgoing President Jammeh for what they called ‘a final effort’ in resolving the political impasse.

Paradise FM radio licences revoked

Paradise FM, a private radio station, in The Gambia has confirmed that the Ministry of Information has revoked its licenses to operate.

The move came barely 24 hours after the authorities ordered for its shut down as the sinking Yahya Jammeh government is all out on a major media crackdown as the political impasse heightens.

A one line letter signed by one Saul Njie of the Ministry of Information and Communication and Infrastructure addressed to the Management of the radio station, dated 9th January 2017 reads: “I am directed to inform you that your licence to operate has been revoked with immediate effect. Thanks for your cooperation”.

Earlier, all three other radio stations namely Taranga FM, Hiltop FM, Afriradio FM where all ordered to seize operation as the political drama in the country intensifies. It is though not confirmed if they equally have their licence been revoke.

3 ECOWAS leaders due in Banjul on Wednesday in ‘final resolution’ efforts

By Alhagie Jobe: Nigerian President Muhammadou Buhari who is also the chief mediator in Gambia’s political impasse will lead another delegation comprising three presidents to Banjul on Wednesday, January 11th, in what ECOWAS called ‘a final effort at resolution’, Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama has confirmed after the Nigeria meeting.

The meeting hosted on Monday in Abuja by Nigerian President Buhari on the Gambia situation was attended by Senegal’s Macky Sall, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Ghana’s former President John Mahama who is also a co-mediator and ECOWAS Commission President Marcel de Souza.

In his twitter feed after the meeting, the Nigerian chief diplomat said the Gambia mediation meeting is now over adding President Buahri will lead a delegation to discuss with President Jammeh on Wednesday, January 11th, in a final effort of the resolution.

“Leaders concerned about deteriorating Gambia situation especially closure of media organizations, arrests and looming refugee situation. The Gambia political crisis will be resolved in manner that conforms to the Constitution and respects the people’s will” Foreign Minister Onyeama said.

The ECOWAS bloc said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a December 1st election in The Gambia, where incumbent President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to opposition coalition Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the December 1st election, but a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by “foreign influences” and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation. ECOWAS has since placed standby forces on alert in case Mr Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19th.

Mr Jammeh called the bloc’s stance “a declaration of war”, and said he will defend himself. He said ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia’s internal affairs, and that Gambians should await the outcome of a legal challenge that his APRC party has lodged at the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Mr Jammeh’s hopes at the Supreme Court has been dashed away as the five Nigerian judges who were recently appointed and expected to sit over his APRC party election petition are no longer traveling to Banjul as expected.

A leak letter from the Nigerian acting Chief Justice Onnoghen sent to the Gambia’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice reveals that justices are usually scheduled to sit in Gambia’s Supreme Court in the months of May and November.

“Based on this long established understanding, our court sitting schedule is usually drawn up with the consideration of this assignment. The dates of the court sittings in the Gambia are unfavorable and will greatly affect our case management” the letter from the acting Nigerian Chief Justice Onnoghen says.

BREAKING NEWS: Leaked Letter From AG Chambers Confirms Supreme Court Judges Are Not Traveling To Banjul Any Time Soon

A leaked letter from The Attorney General Chambers has confirmed that the five Nigerian judges who were recently appointed and are expected to sit over The APRC and outgoing President, Yahya Jammeh’s election petition are no longer traveling to Banjul as expected.

‘You will recall that our justices are usually scheduled to sit in your supreme court in the months of May and November. Based on this long established understanding, our court sitting schedule is usually drawn up with the consideration of this assignment’ A letter from the acting Nigerian Chief Justice Onnoghen says.

The acting chief justice further informed Gambia’s Chief Justice Fangbele that the dates of the court sittings in the Gambia are unfavorable to them and will greatly affect their case management. He therefore urged Fangbele to stick to the sittings for May and November as scheduled.

The source at The AG Chambers has confirmed to us that this said letter has already been received by Justice minister Mama Singhateh but she has still not discussed its content with the out going president.

Meanwhile, sources say the remaining Nigerian judges who have been handling cases at the lower courts have all left the country and headed back to Nigerian..The Chief Justice is said to be the only Nigerian judge left in the country and has not been punctual at work recently.

Gambia Government Shuts Down Paradise FM

0

State security operatives claiming to be acting on directives from The Ministry of Information have shut down paradise FM, a private radio station in the greater Banjul area. Paradise FM is the fourth radio station to be shut down by authorities recently. No reason was given for the closure.

Hilltop FM, Teranga FM and Afri Radio were closed last week and later reopened after an intervention by members of the coalition during a press conference presided over by Halifa Sallah.

Sources say Paradise FM was shut down Sunday evening, January 8, few hours after an interview with Halifa Sallah, leader of the opposition PDOIS, who is also a member of the coalition that defeated Jammeh during the December polls. Halifa’s interview was aired live after Yankuba Colley’s, The ruling APRC’s national mobilizer.

Many believe the closure may have to do with Halifa’s interview which had a high rating and was listened to by many Gambians including those in the diaspora.

APRC’s Plans For A Bloodbath in Gambia Exposed

Credible sources have informed The Fatu Network that the defeated candidate of The ruling APRC party, Yahya Jammeh has gone too far in his preparations to wreck havoc on the downtrodden population of The Gambia which could lead to scores of deaths in the country.

According to our sources, the ruling party is mobilizing its supporters to converge on The Supreme Court of The Gambia on Tuesday where Jammeh’s petition is expected to be heard.

As part of their plans which are already at an advanced stage is to use Tee Shirts with president elect, Adama Barrow’s portraits and “Gambia Has Decided” to organize a parallel counter protest at the same venue.

The APRC crowd which will include trained military personnel will then proceed to pretend to be descending on their rival crowd, and in that chaos, the ruling party supporters will proceed into adjacent streets in Banjul and other bigger cities in the greater Banjul area to attack known coalition supporters and their families.

As a result, the defeated President will use the opportunity to declare a state of emergency as a measure to buy time and to extend his illegal hold onto power.

Our sources have confirmed that one Modou Jarju, alias Columbia is the one said to be coordinating this very serious threat to national security. Sources added that Modou was present at the APRC meeting held at their Bureau in Kanifing earlier today.

It could be recalled that state security operatives confiscated large quantities of tee shirts with Barrow’s portraits and that of ‘The Gambia Has decided’. The confiscation came over a weeks ago when over five people were arrested and detained for selling and wearing them.

Is Sam Sarr Working With Lawyer El Hadj Diouf?

0

Sources in Dakar have informed The Fatu Network that lawyer El hadj Diouf and Sam Sarr are working hand in hand and that the two are currently talking over the phone on a daily basis in their quest to help Jammeh stay in power.

Upon receiving this information, we contacted Sam Sarr who was recently appointed as Gambia’s Ambassador to Washington to shed light on the issue. Sam told us that he spoke to Diouf once through a Senegalese mediator and found out that even though they both share the same opinion that the elections are flawed, their presentations are different in that Diouf is more general in his narration than specific. ‘I am more specific with the information gathered than he is’ Sam said.

Meanwhile, one of Senegal’s prominent MPs, Moustapha Diakhate, who is said to be close to President Macky Sall , said on TFM that the Senegalese government will not let El Hadj Diouf meddle in Gambian affairs to side with injustice for his selfish interest.

Building The New Gambia: ECOWAS Is On Track! No Change

By Madi Jobarteh: First of all, it is important for all Gambians to realize that the aim of ECOWAS is not to wage war on the Gambia. That is, and has never been their aim. ECOWAS is engaged with the Gambia issue primarily in fulfillment of its legal and political obligations for which the Gambia is also an integral part in those decisions and instruments. ECOWAS is interested only in defending the constitution and sovereignty of the people of the Gambia.

The Context
ECOWAS is the organization comprising the peoples and governments of West Africa set up in 1975 to promote the political integration and economic development of our sub-region. For that purpose it has created various protocols in addition to its treaty as well as established institutions to promote its objectives. In the wake of the First Liberia Civil War from 1989 to 1997, ECOWAS entered into the business of military intervention for the first time to protect and keep peace in that country. This was during the Chairmanship of Sir Dawda Jawara at the time when ECOMOG was created to help Liberia to stabilize. Indeed ECOWAS did a good job there to support Liberia transition from conflict to democracy . But then the Second Liberia Civil War broke out in 1999 to 2003 in which ECOWAS again became heavily involved leading to the resignation of Charles Taylor in 2003 and the establishment of democracy with the election of current Pres. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2005.

We have also seen how ECOWAS became a key player in the Sierra Leone civil war between 1991 and 2002, leading to the end of that conflict and ushering in peace and democracy. In all these situations, ECOWAS employs peace building and diplomatic measures. This is what had also happened in Burkina Faso in 2014 when rogue generals of the presidential guards of the ousted Dictator Blaise Campaore interrupted the revolution of the people by seizing power briefly. ECOWAS engaged with the situation as well leading to the surrender of Gen. Djenjere and his rebel soldiers.

ECOWAS always takes the path of diplomacy first because this is its primary means of conflict resolution as espoused in its ‘Mechanism For Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security’ adopted in 1999. In 2001 a supplementary protocol was added to the Mechanism called the Protocol on Good Governance and Democracy. The aims of these instruments are to prevent, manage and resolve internal and inter-State conflicts, and to promote democracy and good governance in the sub-region. It was as a result of these conflicts in Liberia and then Sierra Leone and other countries that ECOWAS had to develop its capacity fully to address peace and security issues. It is under the Mechanism that it has set up the Mediation and Security Council as well as the ECOWAS Standby Force, which are already engaged with the Gambia issue.

Hence what the ECOWAS Chairperson, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said today in Accra does not reflect any change in position of the sub-regional body. Rather she is still treading on the same path that the organization has always used to address threats to peace and democracy in the sub-region. Diplomacy is the first tool of employment. ECOWAS has to be seen to exhaust the full length of diplomacy before they kick off with the second option, which is military intervention.

The APRC Petition and Supreme Court
Many are worried about her reference to the ongoing illegal petition of the APRC, and rightly so. I want to say that all Gambians including the Coalition and GDC must begin to discount this petition by standing behind the position of the Gambia Bar Association. Yes, the right to petition is in the constitution, but the Gambia Bar Association, as the most authority body on law and justice in the country has told us that it would be unconstitutional and a violation of natural justice for Yaya Jammeh to empanel judges for the Supreme Court only to sit to hear a case in which he is the lead beneficiary. Hence Gambians must stop singing about this petition as a right of Yaya Jammeh when the facts are that the requirements for him to enjoy this right do not exist legally and constitutionally. Let us not help Yaya Jammeh perpetuate illegality by acknowledging that he has a right to petition. The right does not exist. Period.

This petition is not only dead and illegal, but it is the most ridiculous petition in the history of election petitions. In this petition, filed by Bala Garba Jahumpa on behalf of the APRC is asking for two things on a very contradictory premise. In the first place it is asking for the Supreme Court to declare the December 1 presidential election void and invalid because they claim it did not comply with the Elections Act. They further said that the election was not fairly conducted in good faith and therefore not credible. Yet at the same time, APRC went further to ask the same Supreme Court to declare Yaya Jammeh as duly elected based on what it calls actual votes of the same election that they have condemned as void, invalid and fraudulent! Am confused!

The question therefore is this: How can the APRC ask that the election of Adama Barrow be declared null and void because of a fraudulent election, yet they still ask the same Supreme Court to declare Yaya Jammeh the winner on the basis of that same election? It is like a father who denies his daughter a present because he claims the present is bad, yet calls his son to give him that same present as a good gift. What an unjust father? Therefore even if the Supreme Court sits on this matter, it is clear that no judge in his or her right mind would entertain such a clumsy petition. It will be thrown out!
In any case, the petition cannot in any way stop the inauguration of Pres. Adama Barrow on January 19.

What To Do?
What we need to do, as Gambians is to continue to work hard to defend the vote. Let Adama Barrow and his team continue to demonstrate more proactive and strategic leadership. Let the people continue to intensify civil disobedience. Let us join the Gambia Bar Association to demand the resignation of the Mercenary Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbele because of his professional misconduct. Let Yaya Jammeh realize that, either way, diplomacy or military intervention, the peace and stability of the Gambia lies in his hands. Will he burn the Gambia or will he save the country he claims to love. History is recording. Time will tell.
#GambiaHasDecided.

ECOWAS says to continue diplomatic mediation in Gambia

By Alhagie Jobe: The sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, say they are still pursuing mediation to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia where longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh refused to hand over power after conceding defeat in last month election, Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf confirmed on Saturday.

Sirleaf told waiting journalists after a meeting among regional leaders in Ghana’s capital Accra after the inauguration of new President Nana Akufo-Addo that the regional bloc did not ‘yet’ intend to deploy its standby military force in The Gambia.

“We are committed to a peaceful mediation and a peaceful transfer of power in the Gambia……we will continue to pursue that for now,” said Sirleaf who chairs the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Asked if the regional group would deploy a standby force soon, she said “no”, adding that ECOWAS was closely monitoring proceedings in The Gambia’s Supreme Court where Yahya Jammeh is challenging the poll result.

Mr Jammeh, a former coup leader who has ruled Gambia for 22 years with iron-fist, initially accepted his defeat by opposition coalition leader Adama Barrow in the December 1st election. But a week later reversed his position, vowing to hang onto power despite a wave of regional and international condemnation.

Diplomats are concerned the impasse over the poll could escalate quickly into violence.

The United States warned its citizens on Saturday against visiting The Gambia. “The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to The Gambia because of the potential for civil unrest and violence in the near future. On January 7, 2017, the Department of State ordered the departure of family members and authorized the departure of all employees who need to accompany those individuals from the country” the statement said.

The United Nations had earlier announced that it is also relocating its staff to Senegal ahead of the January 19th would-be controversial day for Barrow’s inauguration.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations’ top official in West Africa, also attended the special closed-door meeting, which was the first official engagement by Ghana’s new President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Meanwhile, the quick change to a soft position by ECOWAS discouraged and killed the spirit of many Gambians.

Gambians are angrily expressing their views on social media saying their dreams have been faded and the future becomes empty after 22 years of suffering yet still Gambians can’t manage to decide their destiny.

Many say the ECOWAS decision “to keep the region peaceful” will unfortunately embolden Jammeh more though military intervention as elsewhere, should be an absolute last resort but incumbent President Jammeh is unhinged and doesn’t know or do diplomacy.

Security Council members’ tour a failure

The ongoing tour by members of the National Security Council of the failed Yahya Jammeh’s government is a total failure, security sources within the entourage has confirmed to this medium.

The National Security Council members began a countrywide tour on Thursday, January 5, 2017 to visit all security installation in the country aimed at convincing security forces to renew loyalty to defiant and outgoing President Yahya Jammeh who was defeated in the elections and refused to step down when his term ends on January 19th.

The delegation on the tour includes the Army chief Ousman Bargie, Interior Minister MA Bah, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Momodou Sowe, and Police Operation boss, Landing Bojang. The Vice President and Chairman of the National Security Council who was expected to lead the delegation backed off in the last minutes based on health reasons.

According to our sources, the tour is so far a failure and waste of state resources. “Nothing important is being said since we started the tour. They are only telling the security officers that outgoing President Yahya Jammeh is very proud of them (soldiers) for maintaining the peace and stability of the nation and that security officers should remain loyal to him (Jammeh)”.

Our sources further stated that CDS Bargie warned Senegal that if they should mistakenly or try to invade The Gambia, they will ever regret it as they will be killed like flies. “Let Senegal try it and see what will be the outcome” CDS Bargie bet, insisting that he will never allow the Senegalese security to enter The Gambia and advised officers not to involve in politics.

Meanwhile, West African leaders said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a December 1st election in The Gambia, where incumbent President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to opposition coalition Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the December 1st election, but a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by “foreign influences” and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation.

ECOWAS has since placed a standby forces on alert in case Mr Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19th. Mr Jammeh called the bloc’s stance “a declaration of war”, and said he will defend himself. He said ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia’s internal affairs.

US advices nationals in Gambia to be vigilant or leave country as political crisis heightens

The United States Mission in Banjul on Friday advised all its nationals in The Gambia to stock up food, be vigilant and take precautionary measures as the country plunges into a political nightmare.

At a town hall meeting held at the Ambassador’s residence in Fajara, the US diplomats further advised all US nationals that they may leave the country if they wish ahead of January 19th, when President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to handover power to President-elect Barrow.

The town hall meeting was well attended prompting the organizers to convene two sessions as an estimated 1,000+ crowd of American citizens, including many of Gambian heritage attended.

US Ambassador Alsup spoke of the “change that is coming to The Gambia” and expressed strong support for the President-elect who she said The Gambians chose as their new president. She said the embassy will be issuing a travel alert/warning shortly and will be scaling down to a small staff of 8 in other to send embassy families to Dakar.

“The embassy is encouraging American citizens to consider leaving, since evacuation of large numbers would be difficult. If an evacuation takes place (probably by bus) it would be to Senegal, not to the States” she said.

Advice was given for those choosing to stay to secure at least a gallon of water per person each day, adequate food and medicine for a week, etc.

Ambassador Alsup called on nationals to register at www.travel.state.gov on their STEP program to receive email updates from the embassy about Gambian developments. (anyone can register, even in the States). She said that next Tuesday will be a day of potential conflict due to the Supreme Court hearing.
She also announced that the American Embassy School has decided not to open on Monday or Tuesday. She also assured the audience that the embassy was working closely with neighboring countries to reach a diplomatic solution.

Meanwhile, West African leaders said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a December 1st election in The Gambia, where incumbent President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to opposition coalition Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the December 1st election, shocking Gambians who have lived through his repressive rule since he took power in a 1994 coup, and triggering celebrations in the streets. But a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by “foreign influences” and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation.

ECOWAS has since placed a standby forces on alert in case Mr Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19th. Mr Jammeh called the bloc’s stance “a declaration of war”, and said he will defend himself. He said ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia’s internal affairs.

The sub-regional bloc is meeting in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, this Saturday, January 7th, 2017 to take what they call a “major decision” on the political impasse.

Building The New Gambia: What Mama Kandeh Did Not Say…

I welcome Mama Kandeh for reiterating that his party continues to stand by the election result and GDC position would not change. He recognized the fact that Yaya Jammeh has no power to call for a new election, and asked him to step down. It is also a welcome move on his part to call on all Gambians to peacefully resolve the crisis we have. And it is good GDC wants to have Kandeh, Barrow and Jammeh sit down to negotiate.

But what worries me about this press conference is the way and manner Mama Kandeh approached issues and therefore what he did not say. I expected his narrative to be unequivocal, clear and direct from the beginning to the end, consistently and constantly. What I have heard him say tells me Mama is pursuing an on-the-fence approach, which could instead prove more challenging for us than helping us.

I heard Mama Kandeh say that he did not hear Yaya Jammeh claim that he would not step down. Is Mama Kandeh telling us that he did not listen to Yaya Jammeh’s televised address to the nation on December 9 when he categorically stated that he had rejected and annulled the results? He went further to say that he would constitute a ‘God-fearing’ IEC to conduct another poll. Thus to hear Mama Kandeh now claim that he did not hear Yaya Jammeh say he would not step down is a major cause for concern about the intentions and approach of Mama Kandeh.

Secondly, whatever negotiation Mama intends to initiate, it is important for him to be clear when he said Yaya Jammeh lost the election and should therefore step down. He needs to agree with himself that the handing over of power on January 19 is non-negotiable. Furthermore, Mama needs to understand that any negotiation he wants to lead, the issue of accountability and justice for crimes and corruption committed since 1994 cannot be forgiven. Thus I do not fully understand when he said we should forgive each other and turn a new page. He did not elaborate. I just wish he did not mean we should ignore the crimes and atrocities perpetrated by the State under Yaya Jammeh in the interest of reconciliation. There cannot be any meaningful reconciliation and durable peace in the absence of truth and justice.

Mama further said he would not comment on the petition because that is illegal. Does this mean Mama Kandeh believes that Yaya Jammeh’s petition is legal and legitimate? If that is the case, then either Mama is not fully informed of the meaning of the right to petition and the nature of this particular petition, or he has just chosen to ignore the facts. When it comes to mattes of law and constitution in any country, there is no better-qualified and more authoritative body than the bar association. This is the body in any society, especially in such common law jurisdictions like ours, which is purposely dedicated to promoting and protecting access to justice and the independence of the judiciary within the broader objective of promoting democracy and the rule of law. We recall in 2007 when in Pakistan the military dictator Pervez Musharraf sacked the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry. Immediately the bar association of that country launched series of protests, backed by the population that led to the ousting of the dictator.

when the Gambia Bar Association spoke on matters of law and constitution, anyone who objects to them must provide sound and solid reasons otherwise all decent citizens are supposed to rally behind them in that domain. On December 12, the Gambia Bar Association issued a statement to condemn the statement of Yaya Jammeh, which they described as treasonable. They went to state that while the right to petition exists, yet the circumstances in the Gambia at the moment cannot enable Yaya Jammeh to petition simply because there is no Supreme Court since May 2015. They noted that if he goes ahead to empanel the Supreme Court that would constitute a violation of the principles of natural justice. Thus while Kandeh refused to speak about this petition, but he knew that Yaya Jammeh had already spoken about the outcome of his petition when he said he would annul the election. This is prejudging the court hence that in itself renders his petition illegitimate because he has spoken about the case which Kandeh said is illegal for him to do. I am sure Kandeh knows how Yaya Jammeh has personalized the court system in the Gambia hence when he speaks about cases in which he is interested, it effectively tantamount to determining the outcome in his favour. Does Kandeh have a problem with that? I do.

Again, Mama said that both parties, i.e. Yaya Jammeh and Adama Barrow are respecting the rule of law since Jammeh went to court and Barrow did not declare himself president. Here again Mama is clouding the issue, which can be dangerous. The fact is Adama Barrow and the Coalition and Mama Kandeh himself are the ones respecting the rule of law. But Yaya Jammeh is not doing so since December 9. At this moment, Yaya Jammeh has suspended the transition process on his end. It is clear that even if the petition goes ahead, this should not stop the inauguration process and the eventual installation of Pres. Adama Barrow on January 19. Thus the fact that Yaya Jammeh has suspended this process clearly indicates that he is not respecting the rule of law, to which Mama did not speak.

Mama also spoke of violence in a manner as if everyone is pursuing the path to violence. This is a misinterpretation of the facts. Again, what Mama should have said is the fact that the GDC and the Coalition and all Gambians wish for peace and are on the path of peace. The only person opposed to peace is Yaya Jammeh and Mama Kandeh must call that out. I am sure Kandeh is aware that citizens were arrested for putting on #GambiaHasDecided T-shirts, while many radio stations have already been closed down. This does not tell anyone that indeed Yaya Jammeh is on a peace mission.

My Advice to Mama Kandeh
Thus in his statement, I am more concerned about what Mama Kandeh did not say. What he said is ambiguous at best and condescending at worst. Mama needs to get his narrative clear, simple and unambiguous. As he said, we conduct presidential election every five years. On that basis, we had elections on 1st December 2016 that went free and fair and the people spoke. Yet Yaya Jammeh refused to accept the result and sought to use unconstitutional means through an illegitimate petition to subvert the will of the people. In the meantime, he has blocked all avenues for a transition process while clamping down on citizens for defending the vote. This is the foundation of all things that Mama or anyone indeed should say or should not say.

My advice to Mama Kandeh therefore is for him to personally reach out to Yaya Jammeh to talk to him in no uncertain terms to realize that he has lost the election and he cannot and must not subvert the will of the people. Let him tell Yaya Jammeh to realize that his refusal to step down would lead to either a civil war in the country or a foreign military intervention sooner or later. In either case, Yaya Jammeh will cause severe destruction of life and property, but the life of Yaya Jammeh itself will not survive such mayhem. This is what I expect Mama Kandeh to do in a very strong and categorical manner.

Let Mama Kandeh and all Gambians stop rationalizing the situation in the Gambia as if everyone is responsible for the current crisis. No. We are all not responsible. The only person responsible for this situation is Mr. Yaya Jammeh and aided and abetted by his cabinet ministers, APRC parliamentarians and few other Gambians standing on the sideline or supporting him. Hence it is vital that we all stand on the path of truth and justice to speak unequivocally and clearly. Just as Mama Kandeh accepted the result and his defeat, GDC must equally call on Yaya Jammeh and APRC to equally accept their defeat in the election. That responsibility squarely lies on Yaya Jammeh, and therefore we must not address the matter as if everyone is responsible for this crisis. If anything, the Coalition and all Gambians as well as GDC are the ones pursuing the path of peace and the rule of law.

On the issue of people buying cutlasses, it is urgent that Mama Kandeh once again call on Yaya Jammeh to stop fomenting tribalism and pre-empting genocide. Let us recall that in the run-up to the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, the ruling Hutu-led government procured thousands of machetes, which were distributed to its youth groups and tribesmen across the country. This was why it was possible for 800 thousand people could be butchered to death within just three months! Hence if the buying of cutlasses is true, it means Yaya Jammeh and the APRC are planning genocide just as the Hutus did in Rwanda. Hence Mama has a responsibility to expose it and to make a special call on Yaya Jammeh to withdraw. He must be told not to burn the Gambia for his own selfish interests.

Finally, I call on Mama Kandeh to meet Adama Barrow and together they convene a national conference of all stakeholders to call on Yaya Jammeh to step down. This conference should be public and all Gambian CSOs, businesses, trade unions, academic institutions, community-based organizations, media organizations and traditional and religious leaders as well as chiefs and alkalolu must be invited. Members of the diplomatic corps and international stakeholders should also be invited. The conference should issue a resolution to demand Yaya Jammeh hand over power on January 19, peacefully. Furthermore, I want to ask Mama Kandeh to stand with and support the #GambiaHasDecided movement. I call on him and all his party members to put on #GambiaHasDecided t-shirts and encourage all Gambians to stand with the spirit and demand of #GambiaHasDecided.

This is what Mama Kandeh should have said, clearly, unequivocally and directly.

GDC leader Kandeh renews calls for peaceful transfer of power

The leader of the Opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), Mama Kandeh has reiterated his call a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Adama Barrow by outgoing President Yahya Jammeh.

Kandeh who was Presidential candidate of the GDC in the December Presidential election that showed Yahya Jammeh lost to Adama Barrow insisted at a press conference on Friday at the Baobab Hotel that his party’s position on the political impasse remain same.

“The position of GDC does not change. We have accepted the defeat. We call for peaceful transfer of power,” Kandeh said.

He called on both parties – the outgoing and incoming, to open line of communication to ensure a smooth transfer of power. He said his party is ready to sit on the negotiation table adding that they would continue to facilitate for peaceful solution.

“How can we resolve our problem without talking? The Gambia is bigger than all of us. We are not supporting any military intervention,” he said.

Hon. Kandeh reiterated his call on all political parties to come together to resolve the political impasse.

“We are not in war, it is a political problem which can be resolve peacefully. I’m calling on all to sit on the negotiating table. There is no time to waste. Let us come together as Gambians” he said.

The GDC leader further called on political parties and supporters to open a new page for the Gambia. He expressed concern about the rumors of people buying cutlasses on standby for any fight in the country saying the matter is getting serious.

Meanwhile, Kandeh declined to comment on the APRC election petition filed at the Supreme Court, but pointed that the Outgoing President Jammeh has no powers to annul the results or calling for fresh election and should accept defeat and handover power peacefully.

ECOWAS leaders to meet in Accra to take ‘major decision’ on Gambia’s political impasse

By Alhagie Jobe: Leaders from the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, are meeting in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, this Saturday, January 7th, 2017 to take what they call a “major decision” on the political impasse in The Gambia, Nigerian Presidency spokesman confirmed on Friday.

“A major decision on the impasse is expected to be taken at that all-important meeting,” said Garba Shehu, spokesman for Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, who is chief mediator to the political crisis.

The ECOWAS bloc said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a December 1st election in The Gambia, where incumbent President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to opposition coalition Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the December st election, shocking Gambians who have lived through his repressive rule since he took power in a 1994 coup, and triggering celebrations in the streets. But a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by “foreign influences” and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation.

“President Buhari is the chief mediator of the crisis and he is committed to ensuring that the logjam is resolved” said Spokesman Shehu.

ECOWAS has since placed a standby forces on alert in case Mr Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19th.

Mr Jammeh called the bloc’s stance “a declaration of war”, and said he will defend himself. He said ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia’s internal affairs, and that Gambians should await the outcome of a legal challenge that his APRC party has lodged at the Supreme Court.

Amnesty: Gambia: Arrests, media closures as deadline nears

PRESS RELEASE: 05 January, 2017: The government of President Yahya Jammeh, defeated in Gambia’s December presidential election, has arbitrarily arrested opposition sympathizers and closed three independent radio stations in the past week, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today.

Jammeh is required under Gambia’s constitution to cede power to president-elect Adama Barrow by January 19, 2017.

Since December 31, intelligence agents have arrested and briefly detained at least six people for wearing or selling t-shirts bearing the logo of the #Gambiahasdecided movement, which has called for Jammeh to respect the election results and step down. Several senior members of the movement have fled Gambia after receiving credible threats from alleged National Intelligence Agency (NIA) officers.

On January 1, intelligence agents forcibly closed three private radio stations, depriving Gambians of independent sources of information during this critical period.

“The targeting of the #Gambiahasdecided movement and the closure of private radio stations threaten the rights of Gambians to express their opposition to Jammeh’s attempt to stay in power,” said Jim Wormington, West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It’s at times like this that free expression is most crucial.”

Jammeh publicly conceded defeat the day after the December 1 election, but then rejected the results on December 9, criticizing what he called the “treacherous” Independent Election Commission (IEC) for its lack of independence.

Gambian security forces on December 13 evicted Alieu Momarr Njai, the commission chairman, and his staff from their headquarters. Njai subsequently told Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that he feared for his safety, and on December 30 he left Gambia to seek refuge abroad.

Jammeh’s party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), on December 13 filed a challenge to the election results in the Supreme Court. Because the Supreme Court has no permanent associate judges, and so hearing the case would require Jammeh to appoint new justices, the Gambian Bar Association has said this appeal is “fundamentally tainted.”

Jammeh’s refusal to accept the election results has been widely condemned internationally, including by the United Nations Security Council, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). On December 17, ECOWAS said that when Jammeh’s term ends on January 19, Barrow “must be sworn in” and promised to “take all necessary actions” to enforce the election results.

Sources in Gambia described to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International how intelligence agents detained two men, Alpha Sey and Muhammed Kuyateh, wearing #Gambiahasdecided t-shirts on the evening of December 31.

One witness said five men in civilian clothes forced Sey into a white pickup truck. “They asked to have a word with him and, after a brief conversation, they just pushed him into the car,” the witness said. “Sey was the only one wearing a #Gambiahasdecided t-shirt, and I heard him say, ‘There’s no need for me to get in the car, I can just take it off.’ But they forced him in anyway.”

Another witness described how on December 31 men in civilian clothes forced Kuyateh into a vehicle in Bakoteh, a suburb of Banjul, apparently for wearing a #Gambiahasdecided t-shirt. Kuyateh and Sey were held incommunicado at NIA headquarters, then released on bail on January 3.

Intelligence officers detained three store managers selling #Gambiahasdecided merchandise in the Westfield area of Serrekunda on the evening of December 31. Ebrima Sambou, Mamie Serreh, and Isatou Jallow told Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that the intelligence officers came to their shops and confiscated t-shirts and other materials featuring the text #Gambiahasdecided or graphics supportive of president-elect Barrow or the opposition coalition.

They were then taken to the intelligence agency headquarters in Banjul, where they were questioned about the suppliers of this merchandise, and released a few hours later.

The store merchandise has not been returned. Serreh said that before she was released, an intelligence officer told her, “Anything you say about this, it will come back to you.” The wife of another of the store managers left Gambia soon after his release, fearing for her safety.

Intelligence officers also reportedly detained a coalition supporter, Wandifa Kanyi, for selling t-shirts in Serrekunda on January 2. Kanyi was released on January 3.

Two founding members of the #Gambiahasdecided movement, Salieu Taal and Raffi Diab, fled Gambia on December 31 after receiving what they believe was credible information of their imminent detention by the intelligence agency. The agency has a long track record of arbitrarily arresting opposition activists, many of whom were tortured and sometimes killed while in agency custody.

Taal, the movement’s chair, said that NIA officers nearly intercepted him outside his house on December 31. “I believe Jammeh is trying to send a message, to stop us from resisting his attempt to stay in power,” he told Human Rights Watch and Amnesty. “But we won’t be intimidated.”

On January 1, intelligence agents forced three private radio stations, Teranga FM, Hilltop Radio and Afri Radio, to go off air. Although Afri Radio was reopened again on January 3, it is not currently airing news-related material.

Given the government’s control of state television and radio, private radio stations provide an important outlet for Gambians to access dissenting views and opinions, although the security forces’ history of arresting and intimidating journalists have caused many to self-censor. Teranga FM and Hilltop Radio were two stations that discussed diverse political news in local languages.

The Gambian authorities must send a clear message that human rights abuses, including by members of the security forces, will not be tolerated and that those responsible for abuses during the transition will be adequately investigated and prosecuted – says Sabrina Mahtani, West Africa Researcher at Amnesty International.

Emil Touray, president of the Gambia Press Union, told Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that the radio closures, “denied Gambians several essential media outlets during a crucial phase in the country’s history.” Teranga FM has been closed three times in recent years and the station’s managing director, Alhagie Ceesay, was arrested in July 2015, beaten and tortured at the NIA headquarters and then charged with sedition. He escaped from custody and fled abroad in April 2016.

As the deadline for Jammeh to leave office and transfer power nears, the Gambian authorities and security forces should respect and protect the rights of all Gambians to freely and peacefully express their political views and opinions, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said. Private radio stations should be free to operate without government interference or fear of reprisals.

“The risk of a crackdown against independent and critical voices will only increase as calls for Jammeh to step down intensify prior to the January 19 deadline,” said Sabrina Mahtani, West Africa Researcher at Amnesty International.

“The Gambian authorities must send a clear message that human rights abuses, including by members of the security forces, will not be tolerated and that those responsible for abuses during the transition will be adequately investigated and prosecuted.”

CPJ: Gambia orders three radio stations to cease broadcasting

Press release: January 5, 2017- The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Gambian authorities to allow three independent radio stations to resume full broadcasting. Taranga FM, Hilltop Radio, and Afri Radio stopped broadcasting on January 1 on the orders of national security agents, who did not give any explanation for the measure, according to news reports.

The closures come amid a political crisis in Gambia after President Yahya Jammeh refused to admit defeat in elections last month. Authorities may have targeted at least one of the stations after it announced details of President-elect Adama Barrow’s inauguration, planned for January 19, an unnamed journalist from Afri Radio was cited in news reports as saying.

“The Gambia government’s decision to summarily censor three radio stations is a clear effort to limit people’s access to information during this critical period of political transition,” said CPJ West Africa Representative Peter Nkanga. “Authorities should immediately and unconditionally allow the radio stations to resume broadcasting and desist from muzzling the press.”

National Intelligence Agency agents and a police officer told staff at the privately-owned Taranga FM they were acting on executive orders to stop the station broadcasting, according to media reports. Afri Radio was allowed back on air January 3 on the condition it broadcast only music, news reports said.

Emil Touray, head of the Gambia Press Union, called the orders to stop broadcasting “a slap in the face” for democracy, according to media reports.

Authorities have repeatedly censored and harassed Taranga FM, CPJ has found. A Gambian court on November 8, 2016, convicted Alagie Abdoulie Ceesay, the station’s exiled manager, of three counts of sedition and spreading false news, according to media reports. He was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison and a fine of 200,000 Gambian dalasi (US$4674).

Jammeh wants it his way, we must not let him

By Jaw Manneh: Weeks preceding January 19 will be defining for The Gambia on many fronts. The string of familiar abuses of power this week is a rude reminder of the grotesque horrors of the 22 year-old terror machine that has preyed on the population, once deadened by fear and subjugation. In large part and in patterns fashioned in a totalitarian dystopia, this cruel oppressive system is what characterized the legacy of APRC governance administration of our dear country. Like a miasmic plague, it relented not.

The closure of the two radio stations – Teranga and Hiltop radios – and the reported arrest of some supporters of the newly birthed grass-root democracy movement #GambiaHasDecided are indicative of the residual will of a badly wounded brute, reeling from the excruciating impairment delivered to his heart, to disrupt and subvert democratic process. Shutting down the radio stations that have just found a lost voice in decades following the December election helps him to further suppress access to alternative information, while reestablishing the state own media as the flagship distributor of a tailored pro-government propaganda milled from the State House.

President Jammeh and his misguided cronies have refused to come to term with the loss in a free and fair election. He is determined to change the course of history, and has launched multiple battle fronts to the effect. Behind the façade of public show of legal challenge, his objective is to unleash some sort of vengeance against Gambians he claimed he loves deeply. He loves no one but himself. Like a rabid unhinged ideologue, he has since resolved to render the country ungovernable.

His game plan is a complex one. With the aid of the so-called Nigerian judges, he is ready to use the Supreme Court as the coliseum to undo the will of Gambian people.

Second, he is using the remnants of APRC echelon to whip up the base, perpetuate anti-IEC and anti-Barrow-led-coalition favor. All rooted in unfounded allegations of electoral “irregularities” and suppression of APRC voters by IEC agents. He has since deployed military assets and mounted military checkpoints across the country. He has literally set the country into a practical war posture. And he is highly likely to use the NIA and a sadistic killer squad nestled within the Gambia Armed Forces as repressive human machines to entrench a predatory culture of fear and death.

The denunciation and rejection of sub-regional body Ecowas in his New Year address sounded to the ears as beats of war drums. Not the renewal of hope and a future that holds a promise. It was all darkness and apocalypse, and political braggadocio. Stippled with unbridled arrogance and false sense of immortality and entitlement. Curiously enough, he devoted inordinate number of minutes, lamenting and belaboring constitutional democracy, patriotism, and sovereignty. Non-interference. Peace and security. “We will defend ourselves to the last man”. Et-al. What can be more unintelligible?

Ironically, the same Yahya Jammeh is the biggest violator of the Gambian Constitution. Arguably, the most unpatriotic Gambian in memory and the greatest threat to the peace and security to the Gambian state, internally and externally. He invokes the language of the constitution when it suits him and his big ego. Patriotism, to him, means agreeing with him or singing his praises or defending his personal interest. Security and peace to him, means your total submission to his will even when your constitutionally guaranteed rights have been violated. Rarely, he speaks of justice and equality under the law. Rarely.

Under his watch, court verdicts are openly flagrantly flouted by security agents, without consequence. His directives and statements have been treated as the laws of the land. Impartial judges and magistrates are fired at will, without explanation. He uses foreign judges against the Gambian people in sham trials, just as he is trying to do so again with the APRC’s election petition before an embattled Supreme Court. He has undermined the very foundation of justice and obliterated the essence of fairness and just laws as we know them. He has presided over the bastardization of the Gambian judiciary. Only his laws matter, not ours.

Jammeh routinely insults openly and humiliates the elderly gleefully. Ordinary citizens, Imams, chiefs and alkalolus all became his victims. Even those who served him with total loyalty have fallen at his machinations, Machiavellian. He has effectively decimated the institutions of our democracy. Everything in the country revolves around him. His tried-and-failed attempts to divide the country along tribal lines still ring true.

He set families against each other – sons against fathers, brothers against brothers, uncles against nephews, and cousins against cousins. He has savaged and dehumanized any man or woman who refuses to bend to his will. He has illegally appropriated properties from private citizens. Vast lands grabbed from villages across the country and free labor supplied by citizens, often out of fear. The poor became poorer. And he often referred to political opponents who disagree with him politically and those that disagree constructively on public policy, as dogs, donkeys, cockroaches and rats. Your own people? These characterizations personify the depth of disdain and hatred that beats in his heart for those Gambians who choose to think different and perceive thinks differently.

In addition, he has continually hemorrhaged national treasury for 22 years and lived a lavish life at the expense of hard working rural farmers and market women vendors who pay duties for selling garden produce at public markets. He pays none in taxes for his for profit businesses that have mushroomed in all regions of the country.

Now, knowing the odds stand starkly against him, and facing an emboldened population united in the common call for him to respect the election outcome and step down peacefully, he is resorting to the old oppressive tactics of intimidation, death threats and arrest of Gambians. These are all calculated moves. He is trying to provoke citizens to spring into revolt. Do not take the bait. I repeat, do not take the bait. Remain law abiding. But be ready to erect guards against any aggression. Walk in groups if you sense a threat trailing you. We cannot afford to see one more Gambian life perish at his pleasure. The moral voice of the coalition leadership is needed and must be forceful and ever-present in the final weeks to January 19.

Work with the Gambian police and military when and where possible and remind them of the duty and the sacred oaths they took to protect and defend citizens from harm. Majority of our military and police outfits comprise good men and women who wish to see a thriving, progressive and developed Gambia. They wish to see The Gambia restored to a just democratic society. Work with the civil society leaders too, including members of the religious community.

Embrace the gallantry of our youth who have since coalesced around the #GambiaHasDecided movement. All shoulders to the wheel for a final push. We must not let Jammeh have it his way.

he author is a former political and
Economic Assistant for the US embassy in Banjul

People’s power is the answer to Jammeh’s arrogance

By Alagi Yorro Jallow: The Gambia is going through a reawakening. The country has ushered in a new political agenda free from fear. At last, Gambians have shattered their illusions of fear. The “core values and principles of democracy with respect for human and people’s rights” which Gambians have been denied for decades under a brutal dictatorship has induced us to prepare to defend our nascent democracy with or without help from the international community.

“Whoever can conquer the streets will one day conquer the state and any state ruled by a dictator for every form of power politics, and any dictatorship-run state has its roots in the streets,”

The Gambian people should take pride and defend our democracy and refuse to be a nation whose citizens lack national consciousness and patriotism. As a nation that has lost its soul and fallen prey to both internal and external shocks, the Gambian people must now be ready to defend our democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity without fear and the need for external help.

If fear does not wane, we cannot be masters of our own destiny. As Franklin Roosevelt aptly reminded us: “Fear is an enemy of faith and the greatest enemy of fear is fear itself”. Fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering. Let’s combat our fears by finding solutions that dispel the lies and arrogance of the outgoing President Jammeh and take to the streets to chase him away.

President Jammeh’s illegal decision to cancel the election is a duplicitous attempt to wrap in legal terms what is in effect, an indefinite extension of Jammehism. He has never shown any regard to our constitution and laws. All his use of legalese are nothing but ploy to shore up his dying regime. And any further attempt by Jammeh to derail the transition process could further plunge the country into anarchy.

Jammeh’s Machiavellian nature must be stopped with people’s power as demonstrated in other parts of the world. For example, in Turkey in July 2016 the military staged a coup and despite their overwhelming might, the putsch was mostly crushed within 24 hours with the help of citizens defying the soldiers in support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and democracy after he called for popular resistance in a FaceTime call aired on TV.

The mutinous soldiers, some of whom had been running over people and cars with their tanks, were lynched by the civilians. The defiant Turkish civilians reclaimed their country from the military when they helped to end a coup by the army to overthrow President Erdogan, who called on the people to remain on the streets over fears of a fresh uprising.

Ordinary Turks confronted rifle-wielding soldiers, climbed atop tanks and lay in front of military vehicles to take back control of the country, ignoring a curfew imposed by the coup plotters designed to allow the army to bring down the government unopposed.

The defiant Turkish civilians helped reclaim their country from the military when they actively participated in ending the attempt by the army to overthrow President Erdogan.

President Erdogan called on the people to take to the streets, leading to reports of groups of soldiers surrendering at several key locations in Ankara and Istanbul, including on the Bosphorus Bridge, where 100 rebels laid down their arms and submitted themselves to advancing civilians and the police. Erdogan emphasized the importance of faith in defeating the soldiers. “If they have guns and tanks, we have faith,” Erdogan told his cheering supporters. This isa lesson for Gambians that citizen engagement and civil disobedience are patriotic duties to embark on in defending democracy against its enemies.

Taking part in civil disobedience is not only a privilege but also an obligation which each citizen of a democracy must show pride in defending that democracy. And every Gambian who respects the country’s democratic pioneers and feels a sense of responsibility in defending the country’s hard-won democracy should not allow themselves to be cowed by outgoing President Jammeh’s anti-democratic rhetoric. Every proud Gambian should not easily abandon this sacred duty by forsaking their democratic rights.

It is dumbfounding how easy it is for outgoing President Jammeh, in today’s democratic Gambia to disregard the voices of the Gambian people in such a casual way. Democracy is a system in which no one can choose himself, no one can invest on himself with the power to rule and therefore, no one can arrogate to himself unconditional and unlimited power to rule.

The Gambia is in danger. It is abundantly clear that Yahya Jammeh and the military are leading The Gambia into a political crisis of immeasurable proportion.

After decades of dictatorship, finally the Gambian people have voted for a government of their choice. The election of December 1 was free and fair. It was one of the freest and fairest that had ever taken place in that country. But unfortunately, the results of the elections were dishonored by no other than the outgoing President Jammeh himself. If the Gambian people had not voted, the world would not have known that they wanted democracy. And by refusing to honor the election, Yahya Jammeh has also made it clear to the world that he does not want democracy. And with a very tiny but powerful cabal on his side, he is toying with the future of the nation.

Under Jammeh, Gambians have been struggling for democracy and during these years, there have been many casualties and untold human suffering. Our politics has been increasingly unhealthy and the regime had disregarded our clamor and agitation for democracy. However, democracy cannot be installed at gun point any more than love or empathy can.

Citizen engagement is the heart of democracy; when the citizenry engage in democratic practices in the form of civil disobedience in a non-violent manner, they are bolstering democracy and showing the rest of the world a better model that can be emulated as shown in the December 1 election by dislodging decades of authoritarianism. The true “arsenal” of democracy is not a hell fire missiles raining death from the sky but the citizens’ engagement.

Research has shown that no government could survive if just five percent of the population revolted against a dictator. Research further shows that civil disobedience campaign has never failed after the people achieved the active and sustained participation of just 3.5 percent of the population. The importance of getting 3.5 percent of the population to protest is to bring down a government through non-violent resistance and the best and most effective way is getting more people into the streets without fear.

Uprisings can often cause a crisis of legitimacy within a government; particularly if the relationship breaks down between an unpopular leader and the military or the security forces. They can cause the government to fall. A Joseph Goebbels’ quote suggests that the best way to chase out a dictator like Yahya Jammeh is to take to the streets. “Whoever can conquer the streets will one day conquer the state and any state ruled by a dictator for every form of power politics, and any dictatorship-run state has its roots in the streets,” said Goebbels.

People’s power or citizens’ engagement is the alternative to any possible foreign military intervention in The Gambia. International military intervention is only sanctioned under conditions where there is violence in a country and lives are being lost. There is no record of foreign military intervention in African political studies where a foreign military intervened to kick out a recalcitrant leader in a country where there is no violence. Any foreign country to have a legitimate mandate to deploy military troops in another country, lives must be lost first and not only a few lives but many lives.

Non-violent struggle is a strategic campaign to force a dictator like Yahya Jammeh to cede power by depriving him of his pillars of support. This can only be possible without fear. As Andrew Cuomo, an American politician brilliantly puts it: “Fear is a powerful weapon. It can excite and motivate and it can get people to yell and scream. Fear can even bring you into power but fear has never created a job, educated a child and it has never built a nation or a community. Fear is no strength; fear is weakness and no matter how loud you yell.”

Civil disobedience that takes place in a repressive autocratic regime like that under dictator Jammeh is more likely to cascade into a successful uprising. If citizens, take to the streets despite significant risks of imprisonment, injury or death, their protest would be a more informative signal of the intensity of anti-government sentiments and the underlying weakness of the regime than where protest is routine.

In The Gambia, today, compared with other countries, we are particularly infatuated with (people “ NYEMEN YALLAH RAGAL NIT), hypocrisy, egoism,self-glorification and attention seeking. Those negative traits have brought us nothing but dictatorship. Solidarity and humility as modes of thoughts and actions that can reign in a ruthless dictator are not yet so evident in The Gambia.

Reset password

Enter your email address and we will send you a link to change your password.

Get started with your account

to save your favourite homes and more

Sign up with email

Get started with your account

to save your favourite homes and more

By clicking the «SIGN UP» button you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Powered by Estatik