I am disheartened to see the recent ugly reports and footage of violence in Mankamang Kunda and Busumbala, The Gambia. Unsurprisingly, the online rhetoric has mostly been partisan, angry and murky, making it difficult to get a good understanding of what exactly transpired. Since that’s unclear to me, I will refrain from the finger-pointing by and at the different groups trying to control the narrative in favor of the party they support. This is not the first time such clashes have erupted between supporters of the current coalition government and supporters of the preceding APRC party. Since Gambians pride ourselves as being peaceful people, it is crucial that we confront this ugly problem and find lasting solutions to avert further threats of violence. This essay is an attempt to critically examine the Gambian situation from a Conflict Analyst’s perspective to try and figure out the underlying issues that give grounds for these undesired incidents. I will only stop at the diagnosis and hope that our leaders will take it from there and begin working on lasting solutions.

In his book, “Preventing Violent Conflict,” Michael Lund presents “Curve of Conflict,” showing that there are different phases in a changing relationship, ranging from “Durable Peace” at the base, all the way to “War” at the peak. In between the two extremes are phases known as “Stable Peace,” “Unstable Peace” and “Crisis”.

Lund defines “Unstable Peace” as “a situation in which tension and suspicion among parties run high, but violence is either absent or only sporadic. A ‘negative peace’ prevails because although armed force is not deployed [or employed], the parties perceive one another as enemies… A balance of power may discourage aggression, but crisis and war are still possible.” (USIP)

Many Gambians have always believed that we have always enjoyed an exceptional level of ‘peace and stability” that is unparalleled. This is mostly based on the fact that with the exception of the post-1981 coup attempt, we have largely avoided violent conflict, especially compared to some of the unfortunate scenes we saw some of our neighbors go through. We have been very fortunate and there’s no trivializing that.

However, observing The Gambian situation from a Conflict Analyst’s perspective reveals that we are only the 3rd best and not the 1st in our “class”. The country has been in a state of “Unstable Peace” for well over 2 decades. We can do better! Observing our situation, I would also also argue that contrary to what many would like to believe, removing the dictator moved us further up the curve towards “Crisis”, not down towards the desired “Stable Peace”  and “Durable Peace”.

Recognizing and acknowledging that fact is crucial because it allows us to begin examining WHY we are in that situation. From there we can begin to figure out HOW we can work towards achieving the desired “Durable Peace”.

One can argue that there was Unstable Peace during the first republic under Jawara’s PPP, especially after the 1981 coup attempt. I have enough reasons to disagree and leave that discussion for another day. Today we will cover the period from 1994 to 2018.

Unstable Peace: 1994-2016

AFPRC Rise to Power – To begin with, the AFPRC came to power by force. Although no blood was shed during their take over, the mere fact that this group of soldiers used violence to drive out a democratically elected government destabilized the country. Many supporters and beneficiaries, including the economic and political elites of the PPP regime understandably developed animosity towards the coupists. The AFPRC regime made no secret of their jealousy/hatred of those who were “enjoying” during PPP rule. Jobs were lost and properties seized. Because of the power imbalance, the “losers” could not fight back openly. Some went into exile, some jumped ship to join other parties including UDP and even APRC, and many others remained in the country, harboring deep-seated anger and hatred, hoping, waiting, or plotting for any opportunity to fight back. In addition, the successful military takeover of 1994 also showed other soldiers in the army that they too could become president in the same way. I’m confident that there were also some who felt that it was their duty to restore the democracy that had been stolen from Gambians. The many failed coup attempts that followed were a result of a combination of these factors.

APRC Oppression – Apart from their path to power, the way the AFPRC stayed in power also ensured we remained in a situation of unstable peace. In the face of blatant economic and financial mismanagement, gross human rights violations and a total disregard for the rule of law,  the people’s emotions remained bottled up. The swift and merciless crackdown on dissent forced people to leave the land and/or silently swallow their anger – again plotting in secret or patiently waiting for the slightest opportunity to strike. Events of December 30, 2014, when Gambians left comfortable lives in Europe and America to risk their lives attempting to remove the dictator is evidence of how desperate people were.

2016 – Present Day

Other factors contributing to our unstable peace status have to do with the fact that we currently have a coalition government in charge. To begin with, the coalition government was rushed into formation. Leaders of the political parties, in their desperation to get rid of the dictator, realized that their greatest chance was to come together. This was done very hurriedly as evidenced by the lingering disputes between party leaders as to whether the President (UDP) will step down after 3 or 5 years, the outrage over the spokesperson; Halifa Sallah (PDOIS), opting to contest for a seat in the National Assembly instead of taking a Ministerial position; and the firing of the man who had fired and unfired him, Mai Fatty (GMC). These fractions show that the different coalition leaders do not trust each other and it can completely disintegrate at any time.

The inexperience of the Coalition government is another reason the peace we’re enjoying is so fragile.  None of the leaders, except OJ with PPP, has any experience being a part of governing team. If the poor handling of #OccupyWestfield (deny a permit, issue it and then revoke it) or the slow response time to the Busumbala and Mankamang Kunda incidents is not enough to convince you, then remembering that ECOMIG is still present in The Gambia should do the trick.

Just like the coalition leaders are divided, one must also realize that the nation is divided. The winning coalition candidate only beat second place APRC by less than 20,000 votes! This is a clear indication that for many the division is not limited to the internet. The coalition candidate was elected but many Gambians still support APRC, many support the UDP, PDOIS, GDP etc., while some are unsatisfied with any of the choices presented.

On top of all this is the instability and divisions in the military. To be able to remain in power for 22 years, dictator Jammeh must had control and loyalty within the army. Those folks loyal to him did not just disappear into thin air once the coalition took over. Many are still there and it would be naive to believe they all switched allegiance to the coalition government. They’ve tasted power. Who knows how many are just lurking in the shadows and waiting for an opportunity to strike?

The Elephant in the Room

Tribal and Regional Differences – In our typical “maslaha” fashion, we tell ourselves there are no social conflicts in The Gambia. Again, this is only relatively true because while we don’t have the wars in other countries, there is still some masked rivalry between different classes or sections of society. Online political discussion since the removal of the dictator has made it extremely difficult for us to deny that tribal tensions exist between Fulas vs Mandinaks, Jolas vs Mandinkas, and, between people who see themselves as coming from the urban areas vs people from the rural areas. Although we inter-marry and, to a large extent, get along relatively well, we see the cracks when challenges are presented in economic opportunities such as government hiring or during disagreements/disputes. Perhaps feeling threatened by the fact that his predecessor, Jawara, was Mandinka and that the Mandinkas were largest ethnic group in the country, the dictator never passed up on the opportunity to denigrate The Mandinkas. Of course this did not sit well with many and some see the removal of Jammeh as a time for them to recover the glory that was stolen from them. Voting patterns in the last elections also shows strong support for Mama Kandeh from the Fulas, Mandinkas for Barrow and the coalition, and the Jolas for Jammeh. A close following of the online rhetoric also supports this unscientific observation of the support for these three parties/leaders. These social tensions, especially because we usually brush them under the carpet rather than confront them head on, make the peace we enjoy very unstable and prone to flaring up.

Recommendation

None of the socio-economic development we aspire to is possible without peace. While we’ve survived over 2 decades in a phase of unstable peace, the size of our population, close relations and cultural dynamics mean that we cannot afford one week of sustained violent conflict in The Gambia. This means that we should not only jealously guard the peace we enjoy, we need to nurture it to reach a phase of durable peace. Our leaders need to understand our unique situation and devise strategies to actively work on healing old wounds, enhancing communications and rebuilding trust. President Barrow came into office enjoying a lot of goodwill. He needs to ride that wave and solicit the services of experts, engage youth leaders, religious leaders and community elders. The much talked-about Truth and Reconciliation Commission may not provide all the solutions, but it would be a good start.

By Omar Wally

Youssou N’Dour, one of Africa’s most famous singers has told Gambians that governments will always come and go, but the country remains.

Youssou, a one-time politician made these remarks on Sunday during a free concert held on Kairaba Avenue organized by Africell, a GSM operator.

‘My message to the Gambian youths is that when God helps you, you should help yourselves. The new government cannot do it all, it is the private sector that brings development and there is a huge potential in the Gambia”.

He called on Gambian youths to contribute their utmost in developing the Gambia.

‘Those going to school should take their education seriously and those who cannot acquire education should learn skills”.

When Youssou made the remark the crowd chanted in Wollof ‘ Yayi Sen Bai, Yayi Sen Bai, meaning’ you are the father of the youths.’

Youssou added ‘The most shameful thing in this world is when one goes to his or her father or uncle asking for a job and when asked what type of job they want, they go whatever job you can give me is ok’. The Senegalese superstar concluded.

Lieutenant Colonel Solo Bojang, a former military commander of the Kanilai Battalion and a close aide of former President Yahya Jammeh has allegedly escaped after an arrest warrant was issued by a lower court in Banjul for his arrest.

According to family sources, officials of the National Intelligence Agency NIA came to his (Bojang) house but he was nowhere to be found.

“The Agents conducted a thorough search in the house including the neighborhood but could not see any sign of him,” said a family source.

Lieutenant Colonel Bojang who was a one time farm manager at the former President’s home village is accused of taking part in the killings of former veteran journalist Deyda Hydara, former NIA Director General Daba Marenah, WO2 Alpha Bah, Ebou Lowe, Manlafi Corr and others including Ndongo Mboob.

“Many of us were very shocked when we heard the news about the crimes committed by a member of our family,” a source revealed.

In 2009, Bojang headed a group of ‘witch hunters’ assigned by the former President Jammeh to arrest ‘witches’ forcing them to drink concoctions causing hallucination and death of several people in the country. Up to 1000 Gambians were kidnapped by ‘witch hunters’ and forced to drink hallucinogenic potions at secret detention centers. The exercise caused several deaths, health complications among others.

Bojang was held in detention by his former boss until President Barrow who pardoned all political detainees including him came into power. He then reunited with his family in Jalambang village in the outskirt of Brikama. He later moved to an undisclosed location.

“Few days after his relocation, we heard his name being mentioned in court that he was part of those who killed Ndongo Mboob of Foni,” a family source said.

It could be recall that Lieutenant Colonel Solo Bojang was arraigned before Brikama Magistrate Court on 12 April 2014 and charged with three counts, ‘Abuse of Office’, ‘Theft’ and ‘False Information’. He was acquitted and discharged with all the counts except the last count and was given a fine of D50, 000. He was rearrested and whisked away by security officers.

Meanwhile, the search for Lieutenant Colonel Solo Bojang, Major Sana Manjang, Major Modou Jarju and other hitmen of the former president continues.

By Fatou Sowe

Baboucarr Njie a photographer and the 7th prosecution witness in the Solo Sandeng murder trial has told the high court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Kumba Sillah Camara that he saw Sheikh Omar Jeng and others carrying Solo Sandeng to the back gate reception where he was laid on a mattress under a fan and that at that material time he thought Solo was in a Coma because he was not moving in any way.

Njie made this statement while continuing his testimony in the said trial against the former director general of the national intelligence agency (NIA) Yankuba Badjie and 8 other former officials of the same agency.

He said that while at the interview hall he observed that Solo Sandeng and others were tired and they also looked abnormal, adding that after he left the hall he went to his office and while in the office through his window he saw Lamin Darboe (the 8th accused) talking to Solo Sandeng and this was between 1am and 2am and both Yankuba Badjie and Louise Gomez (1st and 2nd accused persons respectively) were seated in front of Badjie’s office.

He further narrated that through his window again he saw Sheikh Omar Jeng and others carrying Solo Sandeng and took him to the back gate reception which is next to his office and he overheard Sheikh Omar Jeng talking on the phone with Dr Sanyang who he (Njie) identified as Kebba Lang Sanyang (the 9th accused).

According to him, after that they were told to go home and this was around 4am but he cannot remember the person who asked them to go home.

He added that the next day he met with Sheikh Omar Jeng at a corridor within the NIA office and asked him, “How is Solo?” and Jeng responded that he was fine.

While giving evidence under cross examination by Lawyer C E Mene the defense counsel for Yankuba Badjie, Njie told the court that the police did visit his office on the same day he made a witness statement in the case and that the six police officers who came to his office took an external hard drive and conducted a search through his desk computer, adding that the hard drive contained videos and photos in connection to this case and other stuff.

He revealed that he did not see or hear the 2nd accused Louis Gomez do or say anything while sitting in front of Yankuba Badjie’s office. He said this while answering to questions from lawyer Edward Gomez for the 2nd accused person.

Hearing continues on January, 16, 2018.

The current security situation in the country needs urgent attention. There have been a series of incidents which have portrayed your government as one lacking either the ability, and/or the political will to restore stability in the nation. As I keep saying, the first duty of a government is to protect the lives and properties of the citizens of the country.

In the recent past, there have been incidents in Sibanor, Farato, Mankamang Kunda and most recently, Busumbala. Yet, in both the first two incidents – which occurred months ago – not a single arrest has been made. On the last two incidents, we are yet to hear of any arrest either, though investigations are said to be ongoing. We hope that something urgent and serious will be done this time round.

Mr President, these incidents listed above represent a serious failure on the part of your government. You must seek to find a remedy, a lasting solution to the security issues assailing our nation. Development cannot – will not – take place in the absence of peace and stability. It is only when there is peace and stability that citizens will have the opportunity to go out and work for their welfare which is ultimately, the welfare of the nation.

The Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia has given the Gambia Police Force/Service the mandate to enforce the law and ensure the maintenance of law and order. It is the police who should ensure that there is peace; however, the police have not been given the necessary equipment and incentives to do their job to the best of their ability. For instance, everyone knows that the police in this country are not as well paid as they should be. The police should have a good salary which will ensure that they have a dignified life. If they have a happy life, they will surely have the zeal to work hard for the progress of the country.

The police do not have the right equipment to stop or control certain types of crowds. The police should have armoured cars, teargas and all the other gear which will enable them control crowds of that nature. How do we expect the police to go to certain crowds in pickup trucks which will expose them to bodily harm or even loss of lives? The police must have the right gear to be able to do their jobs well. If you give someone a job, you should provide him/her the tools to do it. Equip the police, Mr President.

On the political problems, Mr President, we must remember that that is exactly what they are – political problems. These can only have political solutions and never a military or other solutions. Deploying the armed soldiers in the streets among, and within the civilian populations is not the right thing to do. This will not solve the problem; it may calm the tension for a while but not permanently.

The problem in the country requires a careful, methodical and sustained engagement with stakeholders to resolve. We must look at these problems critically and come up with practical solutions. It is clear that what happened in Busumbala is a culmination of many and varied frustrations and anger among the young people of the country. There is no quick fix to this problem.

For the short term; however, the government should engage all the party leaders, the opinion and religious leaders in a national dialogue with a view to finding a solution. This would preferably be aired on the National Television so that it will reach the widest possible audience. Perhaps, it will calm the situation and prevent future problems.

Remember, the maintenance of peace is as important [perhaps more difficult to do] as attaining it.

Have a Good Day Mr President…

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

By Jamal Drammeh

How can a standing army harbor an illegal hit squad for arbitrary executions within its ranks?

We cannot indict Jammeh and his ‘Junglers’ without holding to account the other toy soldiers that stood to defend his barbarism with brute force and intimidation.

It is true that the military hierarchy demands obedience of lawful instruction of a superior but doesn’t impel one to carry out unlawful actions. The military are trained to fight our wars, which is matter of life and death, so discipline is indispensable. But within every layer of the command structure there remains room for a ‘thinking’ soldier’s discretion – to refuse carrying out an unlawful orders. A higher law ALWAYS forbids such conduct.

In the heat of battlefield, one can argue that a soldier might not have time enough to reflect or determine if an order is lawful or not. The integrity of ‘the rules of engagement’ still remains unbending even in such scenarios.

In Jammeh’s Gambia, orders were given to assassinate political foes, perceived enemies and ‘suspects’ of all stripes in the calm of night. Following such cruel orders is not only against all military standards of conduct; it is inhumane and reprehensible. These traitors sold out the country out of cowardice or for their own selfish interests. Now they’re again telling us they love Gambia and want to serve.

Like any army field manual, The Geneva Convention came into being to ascertain that soldiers are not used like brainless pigs to commit atrocities – in war or in peace. Carrying out unlawful orders were the reason the Nazi generals loyal to Hitler were prosecuted and some executed in the aftermath of World War II.

The same standard is applied in many other conflicts; those that commit war crimes or atrocities are prosecuted and sentenced accordingly. Worse still, the gruesome crimes by our military were carried out in peacetime; people dragged from their homes and taken away to be executed.

In the military, consequential actions even among the lowest ranks comes down through the chain of command. Every misconduct or worthy concerns within the ranks are equally reported up the chain of command. Within these ranks, one cannot be obliged to commit crimes or follow unlawful orders. And if a ‘superior’ cannot exercise proper authority over those directly under his command, he should not retain that command.

“A worthy or good commander NEVER retains command of soldiers that he or she has no control over.” – Eden Sharp

This makes resignation the appropriate course of action anywhere in the chain of command one is deprived of his legitimate command authority, or ordered to carry out unlawful orders.

When ordered to commit crimes, the feeble minds within all ranks of our military decided to stay there and devolved into ‘wooden’ soldiers. Our military leaders either looked the order way, or knowingly carried out unlawful orders, including arbitrary executions.

In the ‘new’ Gambia, we are quick to call each other out when we sense one to be deserting democratic tenets. We should equally put the same energy into holding murderers, torturers and their enablers accountable.

Empty orations and silly dialectics that seek to dissuade from prosecuting heinous crimes is a waste of human breathe. What we do for justice, is done for ourselves and for posterity. When we resort to expediency and refuse to hold people accountable for heinous crimes, the converse is true. We are doing injustice to ourselves if we abandon truth for falsehood in the name of reconciliation.

If we took that route out of expediency, a heavy price will be levied. We shouldn’t pretend as if something like this can never happen again. We cannot fool ourselves that Jammeh is the only soul capable of such wickedness.

I see no wisdom or moral superiority in becoming a mouthpiece for unrepentant criminals. Many of Jammeh’s fervent supporters are still remorseless and belligerent. Instead of the party leaders start an apology tour, and seek forgiveness from the victims, they are out dismissing their plight and advocating for the return of the narcissistic monster.

We can weep for the victims and their loved ones all we want; it will all be gags if we don’t demand real action for justice sake.

Truth is the sum of nature and the highest virtue. Justice is the application of truth and best expression of morality. When we depart from justice, we will be descending into falsehood. Society cannot survive on false promises. It is part of prudence for society to pay every claimant the full price for the debt of justice.

Forgiveness in the precise sense, is personal, and it is business of the victims to forgive their aggressors. It is not the business of the state or some loud mouth to make that call. The business of the state is to treat all citizens equally under the law, and properly dispense justice to all.

So it benumbs reason and logic to see a call for justice and the plight of victims being slighted as a want of revenge or a lack of sympathy. Some hearts goes out to the culprits, and want to philosophize why forgiveness can precede justice. Don’t we have hearts that feel for the grieving children, windows and siblings of those butchered by the former regime?

Reconciliation, if it proceeds from justice is noble, but anything short of that is a farce and insult to the injury of the victims. As a society, what message do we send to posterity – if our conducts dictate that criminals can always bank on a false equity of forgiveness even for the most heinous crimes? What lessons are we teaching by making the plights of the victims secondary and forgiving arbitrary assassination in the name of reconciliation?

To be continued……

[email protected] @jamaldrammeh

By Alieu Ceesay

Mustapha Touray and Musa Jammeh, both aspirants for the 2018 Mayoral election under the UDP party have formed a Coalition to rally support behind Mustapha Touray. Musa Jammeh, a native of Bakau; and Mustapha Touray, a native of Bundung have been strong UDP members.

The duo are said to have shared the same vision and mission of developing KMC, therefore deemed it fit to form a coalition.

Supporters of the duo from Bundung and Bakau have now rallied their support behind the Bundung-born Mustapha Touray.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) is yet to officially unveil who their candidate is, but this move is described as a positive one for the UDP aspiring candidates.

The event also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Jammeh and Touray.

Addressing the gathering on Sunday at the Semega Janneh Hall, Musa Jammeh, informed the crowd that he is among the young people who rallied behind UDP in Bakau many years ago. According to him, he was inspired to contest the mayoral election as a result of his desire to develop KM.

He thanked all those who expressed their support to him at the initial stage. He assure of his undivided support to Mustapha Touray, saying he believes in Touray just as Touray believes in him. Touray, according to Jammeh, will bring about the needed changes in KM, if elected.

Mustapha Touray, coalition leader said he is very Committed to the development of KM. He thanked Musa Jammeh for agreeing to form a formidable unit ahead of the April 12 local government elections. He called on the people of KM, UDP supporters in particular to support his collation team to win the polls.

Dodou Kassa Jatta, a native of Bakau and a UDP militant described UDP as a political party that believes in unity and oneness.

He explained that the coalition came about after a series of consultations and meetings.

“UDP has been since during the difficult days. Let us be united and work towards electing Mustapha Touray. The duo can separately run independently but UDP believe in unity,” he told the gathering.

Jatta, who rejoined UDP after leaving the party to joined opposition GDC party, describes Mustapha Touray as a respectful, loving and caring individual.

The comment by Donald Trump that Africa and Haiti are shitholes is utterly untrue even when viewed in terms of the level of human development on the continent. Indeed Africa is the poorest region of the world going by United Nations human development indicators. But this does not make what Trump said a truth. That Africa houses more poor people than any continent does not make the continent a shithole otherwise Europe could have also been said to be a shithole many decades and centuries ago when scores of Donald’s ancestors embarked on a massive exodus to America, their New World to escape poverty, oppression and conflict in their motherland. Similarly the United States could have also been described as a shithole when poverty, deprivation and inequality was the main feature of most White Americans in the years after Independence to the Civil War to the Reconstruction and until the Civil Rights Era – a post-independence period of 200 years.

Yes, by several social, economic and political development indicators, the incidence of corruption, lack of freedom, fragility, peace and conflict and overall governance Africa is found to be at the bottom of the world. Until today more Africans lack electricity and running water than any other region of the world. Illiteracy, infant and maternal mortality and the prevalence of preventable diseases that are killing more people are higher in Africa compared to the rest of the world. These are facts that clearly point to the fact that Africa indeed faces quiet a challenging life and future. Have America and Europe not experienced far more dire conditions in their post-independence history of centuries than Africa’s 60 years of independent at most?

Therefore to merely look at Africa from this perspective and then conclude that it is a shithole is to reach a conclusion that leaves out lot more as to the reason why indeed Africa is a shithole today, if at all. Yes Africans bear responsibility to salvage themselves like all other peoples of the world, but it would be simplistic to image that America of all places and even Europe merely pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. History has recorded that without the invasion and exploitation of native populations of America, Africa and Asia in order to loot their resources Europe and the United States could not have attained the level of human advancement they enjoy today.

Hence it is important that we unravel how Africa is a shithole as claimed by Trump. I need not search any further but to go back to my own notes over the years since I have written about these issues extensively. By claiming that Africa is a shithole it gives the impression that therefore Africa has no value and offers nothing. But when we analyze the facts we will see that indeed America of all places has been hugely benefiting from this Donald Trump Shithole to the point that one can only describe Africa as a Donor to America – as well as to Europe and China hence the rest of the world since time immemorial.

In an article on 25 May 2017 I wrote the following,

“Today the EU as a collective makes nothing less than 150 billion US dollars in trade with Africa. In the same vein the US makes nothing less than 100 billion dollars out of Africa, while China collects at least 200 billion dollars a year in Africa. Meantime the total intra-African trade amounts to only 11.3% of Africa’s total trade with the world. For example, non-African airlines account for 80% of the intra-continental market share… the International Coffee Organization reported that in 2014 Africa, the home of coffee earned nearly $2.4 billion from the crop, yet Germany, a leading processor, earned about $3.8 billion from coffee re-exports. The reason for this anomaly is because the EU imposes tariff barriers for which non-decaffeinated or unroasted green coffee is exempt from the charges, while a 7.5% charge is imposed on roasted coffee. As a result, the bulk of Africa’s coffee export to the EU is unroasted green coffee. This means technically the EU disadvantages African farmers and consequently undermines industrialization in Africa through tariffs.” Does this trade phenomenon make Africa look like a shithole?

In particular reference to the US and how it benefits from Africa, I referred to the comments by former US Senator Jesse Helms, a Reagan Administration politician who backed Apartheid on the basis that if America cuts off South Africa it would effectively hamper American interests. He stated clearly at the time that South Africa was the source of over 80% of America’s mineral supply, noting that there is no substitute for chrome in their military and industrial manufacturing; that without South Africa’s chrome, no engines for modern jet aircraft, cruise missiles or armaments could be built and no surgical equipment and utensils could be produced hence render American hospitals and doctors helpless. In fact a former US Secretary of State Alexander Haig further buttressed this point that the loss of the mineral output of South Africa could have the severest consequences to the American economy and the security of the world! Does this description of Africa sound like a shithole?

In another article following the July 2017 AU Summit, I reported,

“A study commissioned by the EU Parliament in 2011 found out that currently 500 oil companies are estimated to operate in the African upstream oil and gas industry. The biggest five players with market capitalization between $150 billion and over $500 billion include the multinational oil giants ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Total and Chevron.” Does this description of Africa sound like a shithole? Does this description of Africa sound like a shithole?

In that same article I spoke about the issue of capital flight in which Western and other foreign governments, businesses and their institutions siphon off billions of dollars out of Africa through corruption, bribery, misinvoicing, tax evasion and avoidance as well as illegal pricing amon other malpractices.

“A 2015 report by the High-level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa commissioned by the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) puts the average financial losses at between 50 billion and 148 billion dollars a year through trade mispricing. This is more than the combined foreign direct investment and aid (ODA) to Africa thereby proving that Africa indeed has the capacity to finance its own development if indeed the continent has democratic leadership and strong institutions of good governance.”

In fact a 2008 report by the University of Massachusetts on capital flight from Africa between 1970 and 2010 found out that the continent lost over a trillion dollars. These funds, stolen by America and European governments and their private businesses along with their African counterparts are all saved in American and European banks or used to purchase properties in the West yet neither the US nor the EU governments stop those funds from reaching their shores or return them to Africa.

Furthermore we know that the whole of the former French colonies in Africa until today pay a colonial tax to France for the infrastructure the French claimed to have built during colonialism. Not just that, but these countries also keep their reserves with the French Treasury such that none of them can access more than 15% of their own money without the consent of the French finance minister!

How therefore would Africa not become a ‘Shithole’ when American and European governments and private companies are frantically working to loot and weaken the continent through legalized and legitimized methods using their control over global financial, trade and political institutions?

Above all this Africa we have today is a result of European invasion to enslave and colonize without the invitation of Africans. In 1885 European powers and the US met in Berlin to demarcate political borders in Africa without any consultation and participation of Africans. Even when Africa gained independence through their blood and tears, the indisputable evidence is that the US Government in particular had practically devised schemes to undermine democratically elected leaders such as overthrowing Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and seeking to kill Patrice Lumumba of Congo before the Belgians did eventually as well as effectively destabilizing other countries such as Angola among many other acts of interference just to weaken and undermine Africa.

Hence when Donald Trump makes such a comment it does not mean he is telling the truth but rather it is more about what he has not said or seeks to cover up and what we need to know. In other words he is misinforming, misleading and distorting the facts about Africa and America. Yes Africa is severely beset by bad leadership which Africans themselves have recognized a long time ago. To get a better perspective on this I refer to an article I wrote on 25 May 2016 by recalling that little but powerful book written way back in 1983 by the late Chinua Achebe, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’ in which he concluded,

“The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership… Nigeria is not a great country. It is one of the most disorderly nations in the world. It is one of the most corrupt, insensitive, inefficient places under the sun.‎”

He went further to dilate on the issue of the leadership malaise that Nigeria suffers which is in fact a microcosm of the entire continent.

“The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership… Leaders are, in the language of psychologists, role models. People look up to them and copy their actions, behaviour and even mannerisms. Therefore if a leader lacks discipline the effect is apt to spread automatically down to his followers.‎”

From the foregoing, it is therefore important that Africans tell the world that we know what our problem is and there a millions of Africans that are frantically dealing with this issue of leadership, governance and development. But this is not an issue only for Africa. For example we know that until 1990 Western Europe also had dictatorships while you can find dictators and excruciating poverty in the rest of Europe up to today.

Secondly the African leadership is not simply and squarely a problem of its own. From the facts provided above there is incredible amount of Western interference, politically and economically in the affairs of Africa to the point that the continent cannot until now find its own bearing. For example the French have ensured since 1958 that no former colony obtains a leader who is pro-Africa, honest and committed to his or her people. The strangulation of Sekou Toure of Guinea and the overthrow of Sankara of Burkina Faso or Pascal Lissouba of Congo not to mention the blatant EU support for the Biafra secessionists are few of the many intrusions that the West continues to make into Africa hence stifling any serious attempt by Africans to stand on their own. But this still does not exonerate Africans and their leaders in particular in their failure to take up their responsibility to salvage their people.

Thus the comments by Trump must be viewed as part of the same Western intrusions that continuously seek to undermine Africa. Let us therefore tell Trump that Africa is not a shithole but a mountain of opportunity and wealth and none more than America continues to benefit from Africa. By all accounts Africa, until today Africa continues to be a Donor to the US and EU. Africa gives more to America and Europe more than they give back to Africa, if they ever did! The facts are there buried in the vaults of those Western institutions in Bretton Woods, New York, London, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Stockholm, Berlin, Amsterdam, Oslo, Geneva and Vienna.

Africa is Wealth but made a Shithole by America!

Momodou LK Bojang former magistrate at the Kanifing court was inaugurated on Friday, January 12 as the new chief of Kombo North District.

Bojang served as station officer at the Bakau police station in the 1970s. He received his appointment letter on December 29, 2017, after the unexpected retirement of his predecessor Alhagie Demba Sanyang.

The event brought together scores of people including Government officials, friends and family members. It was held at his family house in sukuta Tamba Kunda.

The Gambia Democratic Congress Party(GDC) has condemned in the strongest terms, the recent political violence that happened in the country.

In wake of the recent political violence in the country, the GDC is calling on all parties to maintain peace and stability and live together as one family, one people, and one nation for the best interest of our country.

The police must take full responsibility and perform its duties to ensure a crime free nation in new Gambia. Prevention is better than cure.

The incident is very unfortunate and it’s a failure on the part of the government for not providing security and preventing the occurrence of any attack.

The GDC therefore calls for calm and unity among all parties especially UDP and the APRC.

I also appeal to Gambians to maintain peace and stability and work together to achieve our goals as a nation.

Politics does not call for violence, instead it is to put brilliant ideas together for the betterment of every human being. Everyone is free to support any party but we must maintain peace and unity at all times.

I therefore call on my party supporters and supporters of all other parties to maintain peace and unity in the interest of our nation.

God bless you all and God bless The Gambia.

Signed Hon Mamma Kandeh Party Leader GDC

It is necessary for the Government to realize that in certain disturbances, a better and faster solution is obtained through political means than through security measures. Hence the moment these events first erupted in Mankamang Kunda it would have made a more significant impact if the president and relevant authorities are seen and heard appealing for calm and reassuring citizens. This could be followed with televised meetings with the various parties involved in the conflict as well as a visit to the conflict zones and hospitals to assure and console victims. For example the president could have invited the APRC leadership as well as the community leaders of Busumbala and Mankamang Kunda to openly discuss issues. To avert future violence, the Government should have provided a more reinforced escort for the APRC convoy right from Mankamang Kunda.

Coming out of an authoritarian rule for a generation, the Government must realize that it will gain more if it deploys more of its political resources than resorting to security and military measures to handle socio-political crisis in the country. We need to understand that beneath our society lies a certain discomfort. That is, as the ruling party of that dictatorship, APRC is trapped in guilt and shock for losing power while at the same time the rest of the population is filled with indignation at the apparent acts of denial, mockery and insensitive politicking by the APRC. Hence the problem in this country is not security but political.

The second mishandling of the situation is when the Gambia Police Force, acting on the obnoxious Public Order Act announced that permits for political activities by political parties are suspended till further notice because of the violent events in Mankamang Kunda and Busumbala. This is an unacceptable position that is a direct violation of the rights of citizens. The Inspector General of Police cannot seize fundamental rights. The right to political participation is guaranteed by the Gambia Constitution hence no one can abrogate this right because of events in one part of the country.

As a fundamental right of citizens, political activity cannot be suspended countrywide without the declaration of a state of emergency. Hence the action taken by the police is beyond their authority. The police can only institute a curfew to selected areas of the country following incidents that pose continued threat to human life and property. But the incidents in Mankamang Kunda and Busumbala do not warrant a blanket suspension of political activity all over the country.

What we expect from the police is to deploy their full force at public gatherings to provide security and where violence erupts to bring perpetrators to justice after a thorough investigation. In the meantime they must ensure that all other citizens continue to enjoy their full human rights. But by suspending political activity throughout the country it means the police are creating an unnecessary alarm and exaggeration of the event beyond its scope. We require a police force that will act in a manner that creates a sense of security and calm in the country.

Thirdly the militarization of Busumbala and Farato because of this unfortunate incident is heavy-handed and unnecessary. The deployment of combat-ready army personnel in communities should not be a simple and immediate decision. The use of the military in civilian environments must be necessitated by conditions that directly threaten national security and are beyond the capacity of the law enforcement agencies. The armed checkpoints on the highway in Busumbala and Farato do not help in assuring the Gambian public that the Government is capable of ensuring peace and security at all times.

Therefore both the suspension of political activity and the installation of armed checkpoints in the middle of the community indicate a lack of professionalism and efficiency by the Government. This is even more apparent when it emerged that a local journalist had alerted the police earlier that there would be violence in Busumbala yet the police did nothing. As the agency responsible for internal security the police must ensure that they are present at all public processions and gatherings to avert violence.

It is important to remind the Government and all citizens that the Gambia just emerged out of a brutal tyranny during which the State had always employed force and violence on the people. Therefore in this new democratic dispensation the Government would do well to realize that its responses must be carefully considered and on the lines of human rights and the rule of law. The tendency to use the army and tough security decisions that limit human rights must be averted because, instead of calming the situation they could serve to further aggravate it. This will not augur well for dialogue and reconciliation.

We need smart leadership!

For the Gambia, Our Homeland!

We watched with great concern the recent political violence between rival political factions in Busumbala.   Violence between political rivals is unacceptable, undemocratic and a threat to the fragile security in our new found dispensation.

We hope the Barrow Government will take all measures to secure the area and the country as a whole and that all perpetrators of political violence be dealt with according to the law. In addition, we call on our leaders and authorities to publicly condemn this violence, and perform a comprehensive security and intelligence review that will mitigate such incidents from reoccurring; at the same time preserve the democratic rights of Gambians.  The concerns of the citizens especially the vulnerable youth population must be heard and addressed.

The incidents in the past few days highlight the urgent need for government, civil society and citizens to engage in dialogue, civic and political education to protect our transition from dictatorship to democracy. At this juncture, a national agenda should be promoted over political agenda.  However, we caution that closing the political space and rescinding permits for political activity is only a superficial fix to underlying issues.  It is a government’s duty to ensure the security of its citizens when they are engaged in constitutionally guaranteed and lawful actions.

The APRC, must also be sensitive to the concerns of Gambians after 22 years of a brutal regime in which many are still recovering from.   Gambians must exercise restraint to allow for divergent views and for the democratic process to take course.

Signed,

The Democratic Union of Gambian Activists (DUGA)

APRC interim leader, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has said the recent attacks directed at his party members during the ongoing tour of the country was borne out of frustration and jealousy of UDP militants.

Addressing journalists at a press conference at his Talinding home last evening, Mr Jatta said: “During our time when the APRC government was in place, despite our number and size, we never attacked UDP or any other political party. So why should they attack us? For me, [their actions are] borne out of frustration and jealousy.”

He claimed trouble erupted because their political opponents “could not stand” the size of the APRC convoy in terms of people and vehicles.

“The simple thing I want to tell whosoever it maybe, is that there is no force, insults or attacks that can prevent Allah’s will. But not withstanding I want to prevail on President Barrow to do something about this, otherwise if we are pushed to the wall we will retaliate,” he said.

He said their supporters were beaten and their vehicles vandalised. “But what surprises us is that there was no arrest made. I must emphasise that if we continue to be running on the sides whenever we are attacked, it will become a habit and therefore it is the duty of the security forces to ensure that the highways are secure for people to go about their business,” he said.

He said if what happened in Busumbala happened in an APRC stronghold the entire villagers would have been arrested. “As we speak, they are still attacking APRC supporters especially those wearing green T-shirts and the government is paying deaf ear. Is this democracy? You see we are all Gambians and love our country, but enough is enough.

I urge the government to take a stance on this issue. It is inexplicable for government to fail to establish peace in a village for almost 48 hours. What about if it was happening in various regions? For us, it is because they are not APRC and that is why they enjoy that,” he added.

Mr Jatta called on the government to put a stop to some of the political chat groups especially those claiming to be UDP calling on their supporters to attack his party.

“Let me say this, the greatest party in this country is the APRC and let this be the last time that we are attacked. We will not attack anybody but henceforth if we are attacked, we will defend ourselves,” he vowed.

He however encouraged his party members “to continue embracing peace and be cognisant that the crown of leadership is only given by Allah”.

Since the so called “new Gambia” came into existence, we as Gambians have now allowed politics to swallow our humanity and togetherness. Lately, we have become so controversial and intolerant towards those holding different opinions from us which has unfortunately caused the recent incidents in Busumbala and some other parts of the country.

Yes, it is understandable that the previous government is responsible for all the divisions and confusion in the country as we speak however, it is our responsibility as patriotic Gambians to say no to anything that will disunify us and eventually disrupts the peace and tranquility of our beloved nation, Gambia. And that means coming together as Gambians and work towards the development of our country.

Fighting over politicians especially African politicians who have never had the best interest of their people at heart is totally and utterly foolishness and lack of self-worth. For me, i will never sacrifice my precious life for no politician or even fought my brother over a politician, while he sits in his comfortable home with his family and live in peace. It’s totally senseless and a waste of time and energy that one could invest into something meaningful in his or her life.

This is the mentality that every political party supporter in The Gambia should have whether you support APRC, UDP, PPP, PDOIS etc, because after all, you’re all Gambians and coming together to develop your country is what you should all aspire for. Put your country first over your political party leaders because that’s the only way you can feel empowered as citizens, and to tell you the truth, politicians don’t have your best interests at heart, all they want is your votes in order to get into power and enriched themselves. And they will do whatever they can to make that dream come true. One of the tactics they normally use to get into power and stay longer is, ‘Divide and conquer’ because for them that’s the only way they can get into power and stay longer in office, and they don’t care whose going to suffer or lost their lives from it. This is why as Gambians we must be very careful with politics and those that are engaged in it before they set our country on fire, god forbid!

Talking of democracy, as Gambians we have to clearly understand what democracy is all about and how it operates in a society, instead of interpreting it in our own ways by going out there in the streets smashing people’s cars, looting shops, insulting people and setting tires on fire. That’s not democracy, that’s a criminal act which is punishable by the law. The word DEMOCRACY itself is a greek word meaning, DEMO ‘people’ and CRATOS ‘rule’ which basically means people having the right to express their opinions and make decisions, however it must be done in a respectful and peaceful manner. Anything else done outside of the context of democracy is punishable by the law. Therefore as Gambians, we should be respectful and peaceful in the way we express our grievances and understand that with great power comes with great responsibility. We wanted democracy and now we’ve got it, so it is our responsibility protect it in a dignified manner. Let us live by the beautiful lyrics in our national anthem and that is in short:

LET JUSTICE GUIDE OUR ACTIONS TOWARDS THAT COMMON GOOD, AND JOIN OUR DIVERSE PEOPLES TO PROVE MAN’S BROTHERHOOD.WE PLEDGE OUR FIRM ALLEGIANCE
OUR PROMISE WE RENEW;
KEEP US, GREAT GOD OF NATIONS,
TO THE GAMBIA EVER TRUE!!!!!

ONE GAMBIA, ONE PEOPLE
God bless Gambia and its people

Cherno Ibrahim Cham

By Alieu Ceesay

Following political tension between supporters of the former ruling party, APRC and supporters of the UDP in Busumbala on Wednesday and Thursday, Gambian police have launched an investigation into the matter.

In a statement, the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) said it has suspended all permits issued to political parties to conduct political activities.

While urging the general public to adhere to the directives, the police said investigations into the tension is underway and anyone found wanting would face the full force of the law.

“This is a democratic country where all are free to support any political part of their choice,” said the police in a release issued on Thursday.

The incident occurred while the APRC led by its interim Fabakary Tombong Jatta was returning from their first nationwide tour with thousands of supporters since the ousting of former President Jammeh in 2016.

The tension left a one-year old baby injured with properties damaged and vehicles vandalized.

There was a heavy presence of security personnel to calm the situation, as angry residents of Busumbala blocked the main highway leading from the cosmopolitan town of Brikama to Serrekunda.

This latest incident has been widely condemned by fearful Gambians within and outside the country. The Gambia is widely known for being peaceful but the recent spate of political tensions has sparked fear among people asking where the country is heading.

A similar incident occurred when the APRC convoy was allegedly attacked at President Barrow’s home village of Mankamang Kunda in the Upper Region, which left one APRC supporter seriously injured. He was later rushed to Bansang Hospital.

The government is yet to issue a statement on the matter at the time of filing this report. No arrest was also made as of Thursday.

We, as a people, have gone through something that could be said to be unique in every respect. We perceive ourselves as having been repressed, persecuted, tortured, marginalized, divided into factions – tribal, regional, religious and so on and so forth. We saw a state which was bent on controlling and imprisoning us; bent on making us subdue and submit to its whims and caprices.

We took it for long and then decided to stand our ground and fight back (for lack of a better word) and redeem ourselves, reclaim our self-respect and sovereignty. We came together and campaigned hard and went to the polls with the sole purpose of voting for a change of government. We succeeded at last but only to be plunged back into the abyss by the former president’s refusal to accept the defeat. A lot of push and pull ensued which further widened the lines of division and acrimony.

Ultimately, we had to solicit the help of the International Community to come and render support which finally enabled us swear-in our new president; the former president having been exiled. We breathed a sigh of relief and just wanted to pick up the pieces and continue from where we stopped. The gigantic miscalculation we made was thinking that it was a case of ‘us against him’, but it was not. The country is polarised and we need a serious dialogue to resolve this matter.

We all thought that it was our common enemy, Yahya Jammeh who created the entire problem and that once he is out we will go back to where we were and just move on. This was a mistake as Yahya Jammeh was just one man. He could not have controlled the whole machinery of state on his own. He had helpers and accomplices. He had allies and supporters. He had protégés and patrons. There were those who almost depended on him entirely. Removing him at a go was not going to cut it. The leftovers were bound to try a little comeback or some shake up at least.

The other mistake we made as a nation was to ignore (or shall I say, overlook) the anger of the people who were supposedly wronged during the previous regime. Some claim to have lost loved ones, others claim to have been wrongly imprisoned and some had their properties (mostly landed properties) confiscated by state agents. All these are here in the country, fuming, enraged, so to speak.

Furthermore, the economic situation is not helping. Youth unemployment is at an all-time seventy per cent. Hundreds of young people have been returned to the country from Libya and some other countries. They are jobless and hopeless. They have been returned here on the promise that they will be given something to do and earn a living. They came home to an economic desert, as it were.

Having all these issues at one time and then hoping that it will be rosy and all; is the biggest joke. We must think of ways to remove the tension and harmonise our nation again. The APRC supporters are angry after their president was defenestrated; the UDP supporters saw that president as having insulted and belittled them, the victims of murder, torture, disappearance and their families are angry and waiting. Talk about a ticking time bomb!

We must find ways and means of dealing with all these as soon as possible. This is a serious issue which needs urgent attention. It needs critical thinking and detached planning to reconcile these people. We must manage the anger and frustrations for the sake of our future generations. This does not call for obstinacy or any holier than thou attitude. We must each be ready to give up something, sacrifice something for the reunification of our country. Development will not come unless we unite and join hands in sincere effort to rebuild our country. We must put away all tribal and party sentiments and work sincerely on our ability to forgive and move on.

The APRC, the UDP, GDC, PDOIS, the victims, and all other aggrieved individuals and entities must come together. They must come prepared to sacrifice something for something bigger. No false pride is needed. No desire for vengeance on anyone’s part will do us any good. The fact that there are many angry, frustrated unemployed youth in our country is a serious cause for concern. If we do not address this now, it might come to a head in which case it may be too late.

What has happened in Busumbala and environs should be a wakeup call for urgent action. In the name of a better Gambia, let us come together and seek solutions for these problems before it gets out of hand. Let us call for a National Reconciliation Conference. Every Gambian should be invited to this dialogue forum so we trash out all differences and set a course for the healing of our nation.

O My Compatriots! Let us learn from the mistakes of other nations and seek to prevent any escalation of the tensions in the country!

May Gad be our helper, protector and guide!

For the Gambia Our Homeland!

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned citizen

A concerned Wellingara Nema resident has expressed utmost dissatisfaction and discomfort with Africell, one of the country’s GSM operators.

Fatou Camara (not Fatu Camara of The Fatu Network) said Africell has a network antenna just next to her house, but the generator stationed there is just three meters from her bedroom. She said the noise of the generator gives her and the family sleepless nights.

“At some point when I was sick I had to moved to my relative’s house in Manjai as I could not bear the loud noise of the generator. Sometimes it will go on for five days especially if there is power outages,” she told The Fatu Network.

The old woman, who lives with her family pleads with Africell to find a silencer for their generator. “The smoke from the generator all come into my room through the window. Sometimes when their cash power finishes it takes them 5 days to be on generator before they could buy cash power again,” she bitterly complained.

Dodou Ndow, a Denmark-based Gambian who is also the landlord of the said house, added that he is very much worried about the welfare of his tenants, noting that the Africell generator is making life so unbearable for the people.

“This is really not safe here and it has health implication with the smoke from the generator.”

He suggested that the GSM operators should not be allowed to have their antennas in the middle of residential areas. Ndow has since lodged a complaint at Africell, the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) and wants to lay the same  complaint to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

“Something should be done about this because the residents here are not really happy,” said Ndow, who has also reported the matter to the Wellingara Police Station.

While we await the report of the investigation into the violence in Mankamang Kunda involving APRC supporters and villagers, it is important that we speak to all those involved that violence and extremism are not options in a democratic dispensation. The right of all citizens to political participation has been guaranteed by the Constitution hence all Gambians have a right to freely, peaceably and openly engage in political activities without let or hindrance from any quarter.

The unconfirmed reports that APRC supporters were attacked because they were releasing unsavory words and messages against Pres. Barrow and the Government is untenable. Citizens have a right to speak their opinion so long as such speech is not fomenting violence or promoting hate against any tribe or group, race or individual. As an opposition party, APRC has a right to vilify their opponents to the displeasure of those opponents just as those opponents also have a right to vilify the APRC to their satisfaction. Yet all must do so in peace and non-violence.

All Gambians must recognize that political participation goes with freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is the right to express your opinion or ideas that can be sometimes offensive but not necessarily hate or violence. Hence APRC, so long as it is a registered political party has a right to participation and to use messages that could sound unpleasant to supporters of their opponents. But those opponents must not use stones and sticks or any form of violence to respond to APRC. Rather these opponents must in like manner also release ideas and opinions against the APRC in retaliation.

Hence the acts of violence in Mankamang Kunda and Busumbala must be thoroughly investigated so that all those individuals, regardless of party affiliation who perpetrated violence must be held to account. The Gambia Police must exercise utmost professionalism and impartiality in dealing with the matter in a speedy and efficient manner.

The people of Mankamang Kunda and Busumbala and indeed other political parties opposed to APRC must therefore sensitize their members to know that they must have the ability to engage without resorting to violence. It is no excuse to claim that your opponent insulted your party or its leaders hence you must also use violence in retaliation. While all must endeavor to refrain from the use of unnecessarily offensive or profane languages in our political discourse, yet all must also understand that citizens have a right to freedom of expression hence we must all exercise peace and non-violence.

Having said that it is also important to highlight to the members of APRC that this party is no ordinary party. APRC is not like PDOIS or UDP or NRP or PPP among others. This is because APRC was the party in charge of the Gambia Government for 20 odd years during which it inflicted untold suffering on all other political parties and leaders with impunity. Not just that but APRC had indeed inflicted direct and irreparable harm to uncountable citizens while at the same time pillaging national resources and bastardising public wealth. Until today thousands of Gambians remain in physical and psychological incapacity while many more have lost lives and livelihoods because of the corrupt and brutal misrule of that APRC.

Therefore APRC members may not find the need to apologize to Gambians but they certainly must not mock Gambians by seeking to deny their track record and worse of all to try to dishonor the verdict of Gambians on 1 December 2016. The Gambia has decided that Adama Barrow is the elected president and Yaya Jammeh is a former president who must face justice for crimes he committed as president in total contravention of the Constitution. APRC must recognize and accept that it was a party that had indeed harmed the Gambia.

We expect that APRC supporters are Gambians who know that there are uncountable victims of the APRC Tyranny in every village and town of this country. While the party and its supports have a right to political participation yet they must not forget that their party presided over the most detestable period of Gambian history. Hence it is necessary that the leadership of the party enlightens their supporters to exercise decorum and civility in their political activities and not to seek to scratch the wounds of already traumatized citizens because of their atrocious bad governance.

We hope that the investigation into these disturbances will conclude soonest and the report made public while necessary legal action takes place against all perpetrators. In the meantime, it is utterly urgent and necessary that Pres. Barrow speaks to the nation on the need for citizens to exercise their political rights without resort to violence in anyway and promote unity and peace.

For the Gambia, Our Homeland!

The biggest beneficiary of democracy in The Gambia is APRC! As a party that mismanaged our resources for a generation during which they also maimed and killed Gambians with impunity not to mention the blatant stealing of private and community lands and properties today APRC is crisscrossing The Gambia with outrageous comments freely and openly. If we rewind back to 1994 the Criminal Gang AFPRC had banned PPP, NCP and GPP while denying any Gambian to promote any ideas other than their criminal ideology! Even PDOIS was denied to produce and sell Foroyaa Newspaper!