It is painfully evident that, the repeated harm and humiliation of Gambians at the hands of Yahya Jammeh is getting worst each time. Not so long ago, Ebrima Solo Sandeng was murdered in cold blood and yet again, Gambians are dissolved into tears and hanging our heads in shame when we learnt about the death of Solo kurumah — one of the jail UDP sympathizers under states custody. Yet again, we have witnessed one of a string of extraordinarily and increasingly brazen attacks on Gambians at state institutions such as hospitals, many of which bear the mark of regimes responsibility. The reality can’t be altered anymore because our country is in the hands of our adversary. As Pressure cranks up on Yahya Jammeh, he averted his anger against UDP by indiscriminately continuing to kill its supports, jailing its leaders and he is already setting a lousy example by schooling Gambians about what is to come next if he is allowed to lead Gambia again.
It’s innately unhuman to have a thirst of killing of your citizens, let alone cease your opponent’s dead bodies or deny people burial but— those are the things which thrills Yaya Jammeh to happiness. It’s hard to imagine when what Yahya Jammeh wants is impossible or things doesn’t palpitate to his likings, he tosses his tantrum on the defenseless Gambians by murdering them, thinking that will solve his problems. What is more strange about this man is — he extols killings, he is the archetype of tribalist and he grew significantly more intolerant of Gambia culture. He continues to exploit Gambians by selling them the theme “Development” in exchange for patriotism and legitimizing dictatorship. This is a stark sign of how flat-footed some Gambians are in buying in his theme and still trusting him despite his failed performance or not delivering on his promises.
it is worthwhile for Gambians to apply some common sense to abandon Yahya Jammeh but so far, fear and milquetoast response of world leaders has unable them to caught up with that trend. We have seen string of systemic targeting of renowned popular people at the very highest level in their party and little unknown in the opposition for sacrifice. Abandoning his party is treated as a crime and we have seen clear an example in the case of Tina Faal — whose bail was revoked by the regime without knowledge of the presiding magistrate or prosecutor. This leads to the conversation about the new Party GDC. I am sure they are working diligently to earn the freedom of their colleague behind the scene with the best way they thing possible. However, most Gambians are very concerned of another woman in the hands of the dictator. They want the leaders of GDC party to project confidence and competence in forcefully condemning Yaya Jammeh, communicate a clear compelling message to challenged Yaya Jammeh to end this business of arbitrary arrest of all citizens. The failure of communicating the message clearly is particularly galling to many Gambians because GDC still continues to campaign for elections despite Tina is in state custody.
With Ousainou Darboe and most of his party executives in Jail, some Gambian see the election route as means of taking on the dictatorship even though they know very well he will rig the elections. The urgency of ending dictatorship is making some Gambians willing to skip the screenings of the new candidates torridly and willing to do away their reservations of Mama Kandeh. Maybe this is why GDC arrival on the political scene have been welcomed with unanimous “thumbs up” and allowed to shoulder its way into the political scene without rigorous evaluations of their leader or stamp of approval of his policies. Some people asked questions about rushing towards someone we don’t know enough about and his ethical lapse of working with regime in tandem whiles in the parliament. Others say Mama Kandeh is willing to step up to draw the line against Yahya Jammeh for a good reason whiles people with academic abilities or charismatic personal characteristics are watching on sidelines.
What is clear to our nation and the world is— Yayha Jammeh isn’t looking for legitimacy through elections because predictably, his crimes already indicted him. Nevertheless, self-congratulatory tributes in the campaign trails, speaking in vague understatements often to hide unpleasant words such as a “Dictator”, or putting every statement for reconsideration and revision before it is uttered will not make him stop his violence or incomprehensible hatred of Gambians. What Gambians want to hear is —release all our political prisoners, release our fallen heroes’ dead bodies, release all our women in prison and the final red line drawn on dictatorship.
By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)h
