By Sarjo Brito
Gambia’s former Minister of Interior and now leader of Gambia Moral Congress Party, Mai Ahmad has spoken on the ongoing saga involving foreign forces in the Foni area and the separatist rebel group MFDC based in Cassamance.
Mai Fatty describes the incident which left two Senegalese soldiers dead and displacing many “a violation of Gambia’s sovereignty.” The former Interior Minister and onetime Presidential Adviser called on Gambians to put their political differences aside at a time like this and unite to expel the invaders.
‘’We must put all political differences aside and unite to defend our Sovereignty against foreign rebel incursion. That is what all civilised Nations do. An armed attack from Cassamance rebels against foreign forces present at the legitimate invitation of our country, is a military attack against our country. We must not let our strong feelings against ECOMIG presence, or troops from Senegal under separate bilateral Agreement, disable our Republican civic duty to protect our country against unprovoked rebel aggression on Gambian soil’’
Monday’s exchange of gunfire between the Senegalese forces and the separatist group resulting to the loss of lives have raised eyebrows on how it happened on Gambian soil. The statement of the Senegalese leader Macky Sall that the Senegalese forces were on an operation against illegal timber trafficking sparked further questions on the mandate of the mission in the country, accusing Senegal of using the ECOMOG as a cover up to pursue their own geopolitical interest.
Mai Fatty said despite the MFDC’s heavy presence in the Foni’s, there has never been a been a military attack launched by Senegalese forces from The Gambia against the MFDC. Despite that no attacks were directly launched from The Gambia; Mai says no troops must use their presence in the Gambia to advance their geopolitical interest.
‘’Having said that, it is illegal for any troop contributing State to use their presence in The Gambia, as pretext to advance their strategic geopolitical interests, contrary to our national economic, political and security interests. It is illegal and unconstitutional for any foreign force present in The Gambia, under any guise, to interfere in the implementation of our domestic laws, including alleged smuggling of any nature, and in our general internal affairs’’
