Former foreign minister and Gambian ambassador to Dakar, Sidi Sanneh , has adopted a strident tone in his criticism of the coalition government led by Adama Barrow.
Until recently, Sidi Sanneh had been one of the most ardent supporters of the coalition , despite initial expression of misgivings about the competence of the man who is now the president of the tiniest country in mainland Africa.
Sidi Sanneh recently spent some time in the Senegalese capital in the lead up to and aftermath of the fall of Jammeh regime. Since his return to his base in the United States, his writings on social media have been tinged with bitter disappointment .This has excited feverish speculation as to what might have gone awry during his visit that left him less enamored of the politicians behind whom he once threw his gargantuan political weight.
"It is going to be a challenge covering the Barrow administration. It is one misstep after another", Sidi wrote on his Facebook page.
A recent posting offers a more concrete clue on Sanneh's impressions of the new government ,which supplants Jammeh's 22 years of unremitting tyranny ,when he wrote:
"I pulled down a posting yesterday critical of president Barrow because of what president Barrow's photographer named Alhagie Manka posted as the official response to a photo of the president holding a wad of cash ready to be handed over to someone.
No sooner than Mr. Manka posted the now infamous photo than a wave of criticism descended like torrential rains on Team Barrow. Evidently panicked, the photographer took to his Facebook page to concoct what now appears to be lie to cover up for president Barrow, thinking he was serving his boss's interest when he was betraying his trust and that of his country".
Concluding, Sidi said: "President Barrow must start cracking the whip to show that he has what it takes to lead",.
A close observer of The Gambia's political scene, who declined to be named, speculated:
" Sidi Sanneh was in Dakar to lobby for position in the new government, but he was unsuccessful. He was flip flopping at the outset and seemed to be supporting Mama Kandeh instead of Adama Barrow".
Contacted on his phone to shed light on reports of his allegedly abortive attempt to land a plum job with the new government, a clearly exasperated Sidi Sanneh retorted:
" You cannot expect me to respond to you because you are accusing me. Instead of asking me you are accusing me and you call yourself a journalist. Do you know me? I am 70. I am retired, I don't need a job".
Mr Sanneh was informed that the report doesn't necessarily reflect the view of the writer, hence the effort to get his side of the story . But he seemed determined to duck and dive the issue declaring he felt "insulted".
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
Former Army commander denies involvement in Ello Jallow's death
Gambian deputy ambassador to Turkey, Serigne Modou Njie , has dispelled accusations of involvement in the killing of Ello Jallow who served as body guard to the former First Lady,Zineb Jammeh.
The brother of the deceased ,Pateh Jallow ,revealed in an interview that he was once called by Serign Modou Njie into his office to warn his late brother .
Pateh Jallow alleged in his interview:
"He came from a visit with the First Lady on Monday , but the last day I saw him was Wednesday. He even wanted to marry a lady in Sweden and we were going to start that process. I told him not to come back but he didn't listen. I was very shocked when I came back from a trip to Casamance and was told he had returned to The Gambia against my advice. Prior to that I was called by Serign Modou Njie who asked me to warn him. When I told Ello he replied to me those people were cowards. He said to me he would sacrifice to come because if he didn't I would be in trouble. I told him I was already in enough trouble anyway , but he didn't listen.
" At the death house we were not allowed to have a post mortem. Serigne Modou Njie told me there should not be any post mortem for my brother. He told me if I faced any risks from wanting to do post mortem it would be my own fault. He categorically warned me against post mortem for my brother".
Serigne Modou Njie retorted: " Its not true I called Pateh into my office to tell him about Ello. I know Pateh a long time ago and we were very close. He opened up about financial problems to support the family and I advised him to re-enlist in the force which is why he was taken to the drug squad.
While serving as commander of the State Guard, I had an order from the president to remove Ello from the security detail of the First Lady. This order came after a trip to America by the First Lady, although I don't know what transpired there.Neither Fatou Njie , nor Amadou Joof who was the senior officer in charge would tell me what happened".
Asked about the reaction of the president to the death of his spouse's body guard, former brigadier-general recalled:
"We escorted the president to his office as we did everyday and I told him about Ello's death during the situation briefing. The president asked me what happened and I told him he was involved in an accident. Then he gave me D60,000 to give to his family.I never had a chance to meet them when they came to state house because I was in a meeting, but I left Ansumana Tamba in charge to meet them.
"I loved Ello so much I would never have wanted him to come to any harm. He was the one who started small talk to people of me removing him from the security detail of the First Lady. Ello was such a good soldier and so disciplined. I even made him an instructor for protection training because he was trained by Iranians where he came 3rd place overall. I never would would have wanted to see him dead and it is very painful what Pateh is saying about me concerning Ello's death.
The brother of the deceased ,Pateh Jallow ,revealed in an interview that he was once called by Serign Modou Njie into his office to warn his late brother .
Pateh Jallow alleged in his interview:
"He came from a visit with the First Lady on Monday , but the last day I saw him was Wednesday. He even wanted to marry a lady in Sweden and we were going to start that process. I told him not to come back but he didn't listen. I was very shocked when I came back from a trip to Casamance and was told he had returned to The Gambia against my advice. Prior to that I was called by Serign Modou Njie who asked me to warn him. When I told Ello he replied to me those people were cowards. He said to me he would sacrifice to come because if he didn't I would be in trouble. I told him I was already in enough trouble anyway , but he didn't listen.
" At the death house we were not allowed to have a post mortem. Serigne Modou Njie told me there should not be any post mortem for my brother. He told me if I faced any risks from wanting to do post mortem it would be my own fault. He categorically warned me against post mortem for my brother".
Serigne Modou Njie retorted: " Its not true I called Pateh into my office to tell him about Ello. I know Pateh a long time ago and we were very close. He opened up about financial problems to support the family and I advised him to re-enlist in the force which is why he was taken to the drug squad.
While serving as commander of the State Guard, I had an order from the president to remove Ello from the security detail of the First Lady. This order came after a trip to America by the First Lady, although I don't know what transpired there.Neither Fatou Njie , nor Amadou Joof who was the senior officer in charge would tell me what happened".
Asked about the reaction of the president to the death of his spouse's body guard, former brigadier-general recalled:
"We escorted the president to his office as we did everyday and I told him about Ello's death during the situation briefing. The president asked me what happened and I told him he was involved in an accident. Then he gave me D60,000 to give to his family.I never had a chance to meet them when they came to state house because I was in a meeting, but I left Ansumana Tamba in charge to meet them.
"I loved Ello so much I would never have wanted him to come to any harm. He was the one who started small talk to people of me removing him from the security detail of the First Lady. Ello was such a good soldier and so disciplined. I even made him an instructor for protection training because he was trained by Iranians where he came 3rd place overall. I never would would have wanted to see him dead and it is very painful what Pateh is saying about me concerning Ello's death.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Sanna Manjang flees, as new government takes charge
A key member of Jammeh's assassin team better known as jungulars , Sanna Manjang , has fled the country , according to reliable sources.
Sanna Manajang acquired notoriety with his alleged involvement in the fire-bombing of the Independent newspaper where he sustained burns. He was publicly named and shamed in the National Assembly by politician, Hamat Bah.
The source who spoke to this medium on condition of anonymity, said:"He fled the country either on Monday or Tuesday.Sulayman Sambou ,the man accused of killing solo sandeng is from the same village of kanmamudu as Sanna Manjang. He was also last seen at the village on Monday. The two are daily visitors to the village but they've not been seen since Monday. Sanna has several kids with many women both in and outside marriage. He has divorced 4 wives.
His current wife is fatou Sambou popularly known as Tuti.She is a native of Jarrol Village . She is a young girl who completed school two years ago at Kalagi Senior Secondary School.They have one kid. Tuti and baby are currently in Jarrol Village.And sadly he got nothing from Jammeh. Sanna lived in his father's house till his departure".
Sanna Manajang acquired notoriety with his alleged involvement in the fire-bombing of the Independent newspaper where he sustained burns. He was publicly named and shamed in the National Assembly by politician, Hamat Bah.
The source who spoke to this medium on condition of anonymity, said:"He fled the country either on Monday or Tuesday.Sulayman Sambou ,the man accused of killing solo sandeng is from the same village of kanmamudu as Sanna Manjang. He was also last seen at the village on Monday. The two are daily visitors to the village but they've not been seen since Monday. Sanna has several kids with many women both in and outside marriage. He has divorced 4 wives.
His current wife is fatou Sambou popularly known as Tuti.She is a native of Jarrol Village . She is a young girl who completed school two years ago at Kalagi Senior Secondary School.They have one kid. Tuti and baby are currently in Jarrol Village.And sadly he got nothing from Jammeh. Sanna lived in his father's house till his departure".
Coalition must do what is right, not expedient
Entrepreneur, Abdoulie Baks Touray, has called on the new government to do what is right rather than expedient with the constitution.
He postulated: "We have moved from Dictatorship to No Ship.If Rosa Parks did not refuse to give up her seat , African Americans would not have been liberated through the civil rights movement and Barack Obama would not have been the first African President.
If Nelson Mandela had not served 27 years in jail , blacks in South Africa would still be living under Apartheid.If Solo Sandeng had not protested (solo) the electoral reforms of Jammeh, there would not have been a coalition which gave Gambian's the opportunity to elect President Barrow".
The constitutional provision of age limit , he observed, was engineered by president Jammeh to proscribe political ambitions of Sheriff Dibba and Assan Musa Camara.He added that Universal Declaration of Human Rights forbids discrimination based on gender, tribe or age, among others.
Mr Touray ploughed on: "The current debate on the constitutionality of the age limit is unconstitutional as it was an expedient input by Jammeh to eliminate Sheriiff Dibba and Assan Musa Camara . The term limit was abrogated by Jammeh unilaterally .What is Expedient is not Right and what is Right is not Expedient- Let's us always do What is Right- Fair and Just.
President Barrow's must be a Leader- Leadership is about doing the Right Things and most importantly making DECISIONS.The unjust provisions under the 1997 constitution should be quickly revised and the question should be asked " Was there a need to introduce the 1997 constitution " that was adulterated.Let our legal luminaries have the last word".
He postulated: "We have moved from Dictatorship to No Ship.If Rosa Parks did not refuse to give up her seat , African Americans would not have been liberated through the civil rights movement and Barack Obama would not have been the first African President.
If Nelson Mandela had not served 27 years in jail , blacks in South Africa would still be living under Apartheid.If Solo Sandeng had not protested (solo) the electoral reforms of Jammeh, there would not have been a coalition which gave Gambian's the opportunity to elect President Barrow".
The constitutional provision of age limit , he observed, was engineered by president Jammeh to proscribe political ambitions of Sheriff Dibba and Assan Musa Camara.He added that Universal Declaration of Human Rights forbids discrimination based on gender, tribe or age, among others.
Mr Touray ploughed on: "The current debate on the constitutionality of the age limit is unconstitutional as it was an expedient input by Jammeh to eliminate Sheriiff Dibba and Assan Musa Camara . The term limit was abrogated by Jammeh unilaterally .What is Expedient is not Right and what is Right is not Expedient- Let's us always do What is Right- Fair and Just.
President Barrow's must be a Leader- Leadership is about doing the Right Things and most importantly making DECISIONS.The unjust provisions under the 1997 constitution should be quickly revised and the question should be asked " Was there a need to introduce the 1997 constitution " that was adulterated.Let our legal luminaries have the last word".
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Coalition urged to respect constitution
A legal practitioner, Lamin J Darboe ,has called on the coalition to adhere to the letter and spirit of the constitution in appointments to cabinet positions despite its repugnance to principles of natural justice.The appointment of Fatoumatta Tambajang as Vice President has sparked frenzied debate about violation of the constitution.
Mr Darboe postulated:"To be eligible for appointment as Vice President, all of the conditions delineated under section 62 must be met. In express terms, the Constitution states that “a person shall be qualified to be appointed as Vice-President if he or she has the qualifications required for the election of the President under section 62 (see section 70(2)). Without prevarication, the legal position is unequivocal. No one above 65 years can contest the presidency, and no one above 65 years can be appointed to the vice-presidency. Age is by no means the only restricting provision on appointment to the vice-presidency. In the due diligence requisite for the Coalition government’s lawful appointing process, 62(1)(c) is crucial, and 62(2) is central. Both are non-negotiable. In my view, these provisions are repugnant to democratic principle but there is no escaping that as matters stand, the Constitution remains the fundamental law of the land".
Despite the unjust provisions of the constitution with the consequence of proscribed ambitions, Darboe insisted:
"In a nutshell, the legal position is that a vice-president above 65 years, and, or, a dual national,or a Minister, with dual nationality, cannot be appointed to the Coalition government, i.e., to the Cabinet of President Adama Barrow.I accept there is a political and philosophical angle to this debate. That Babili Mansa continues to affect Gambia’s processes from his political grave is a matter of great consternation. After nearly a quarter century of fighting for change, is it prudent for the Coalition government to sacrifice process for the temporary fix of convenience? Regarding the questions currently on the table, it must be recognised that our difficulties lie not in the domain of interpretation but on express constitutional commands.
In other words, our new dispensation must adhere to the principle of legality, but it must be emphasised that this means the “existence of legal authority” but not necessarily “the quality of that authority”. As earlier stated, the prohibiting constitutional provisions herein discussed are repugnant but unless they can be lawfully tackled, they remain the law and not even the courts can “impeded or restrict the working” of the Constitution.To reiterate, the legal position is that a vice-president above 65 years, and, or, a dual national, or a Minister, with dual nationality, are prohibited from serving in the Coalition government, i.e., as members of the Executive in the Cabinet of President Adama Barrow.Legality requires that we protect our polity by removing “certain basic and fundamental values out of the reach of transient political majorities”.It requires lawful amendment of repugnant provisions to clear the way for utilising the talents of all of our citizens.I hope we are not about to compete Babili Mansa in his speciality of lawlessness".
Mr Darboe postulated:"To be eligible for appointment as Vice President, all of the conditions delineated under section 62 must be met. In express terms, the Constitution states that “a person shall be qualified to be appointed as Vice-President if he or she has the qualifications required for the election of the President under section 62 (see section 70(2)). Without prevarication, the legal position is unequivocal. No one above 65 years can contest the presidency, and no one above 65 years can be appointed to the vice-presidency. Age is by no means the only restricting provision on appointment to the vice-presidency. In the due diligence requisite for the Coalition government’s lawful appointing process, 62(1)(c) is crucial, and 62(2) is central. Both are non-negotiable. In my view, these provisions are repugnant to democratic principle but there is no escaping that as matters stand, the Constitution remains the fundamental law of the land".
Despite the unjust provisions of the constitution with the consequence of proscribed ambitions, Darboe insisted:
"In a nutshell, the legal position is that a vice-president above 65 years, and, or, a dual national,or a Minister, with dual nationality, cannot be appointed to the Coalition government, i.e., to the Cabinet of President Adama Barrow.I accept there is a political and philosophical angle to this debate. That Babili Mansa continues to affect Gambia’s processes from his political grave is a matter of great consternation. After nearly a quarter century of fighting for change, is it prudent for the Coalition government to sacrifice process for the temporary fix of convenience? Regarding the questions currently on the table, it must be recognised that our difficulties lie not in the domain of interpretation but on express constitutional commands.
In other words, our new dispensation must adhere to the principle of legality, but it must be emphasised that this means the “existence of legal authority” but not necessarily “the quality of that authority”. As earlier stated, the prohibiting constitutional provisions herein discussed are repugnant but unless they can be lawfully tackled, they remain the law and not even the courts can “impeded or restrict the working” of the Constitution.To reiterate, the legal position is that a vice-president above 65 years, and, or, a dual national, or a Minister, with dual nationality, are prohibited from serving in the Coalition government, i.e., as members of the Executive in the Cabinet of President Adama Barrow.Legality requires that we protect our polity by removing “certain basic and fundamental values out of the reach of transient political majorities”.It requires lawful amendment of repugnant provisions to clear the way for utilising the talents of all of our citizens.I hope we are not about to compete Babili Mansa in his speciality of lawlessness".
Disturbing revelations of Ello Jallow murder emerge
Former body guard to the First Lady of The Gambia, Ello Jallow, was killed by soldiers loyal to Jammeh due to suspicion of contact with one of Jammeh's enemies and being inordinately close to his wife.
Speaking in an interview with Freedom radio on the line from Banjul, older brother to the deceased , Pateh Jallow ,recalled:
"There was a a security breach at the house in America and they didn't know who it was. It was only Ello who had a spare key and access to the house which I still have . So one day some one called trying to talk to Ello, but he was unfortunately not close to the phone . When they picked up the phone, they drew the conclusion that the person calling was Khalifa Bajinka who fled because Jammeh wanted to kill him. So then they started accusing Ello Jallow of being the one giving away information about Zainab. Ello knew something about the house even during the process of buying it. He was set up by Amadou Joof and Fatou Njie who reported him.
"He came from a visit with the First Lady on Monday , but the last day I saw him was Wednesday. He even wanted to marry a lady in Sweden and we were going to start that process. I told him not to come back but he didn't listen. I was very shocked when I came back from a trip to Casamance and was told he had returned to The Gambia against my advice. Prior to that I was called by Serign Modou Njie who asked me to warn him. When I told Ello he replied to me those people were cowards. He said to me he would sacrifice to come because if he didn't I would be in trouble. I told him I was already in enough trouble anyway , but he didn't listen".
Giving further details of circumstances surrounding the death of his brother, he postulated:
"They called him for a meeting at Cape Point in Bakau. When he arrived they attacked him but he fought with them and injured Solo Bojang. They sprayed him and overpowered him before strangling him to death. He was then put into a car and dumped on a road side in a poorly staged accident.I had a call from the state guard the next day from one Captain Danso of the State Guard informing me of his death. Prior to his death, the last person Ello spoke to was my brother Demba Jallow whom he told Solo Bojang and Borra Colley were calling him constantly and telling him 'fuck you where are you?'
" At the death house we were not allowed to have a post mortem. Serigne Modou Njie told me there should not be any post mortem for my brother. He told me if I faced any risks from wanting to do post mortem it would be my own fault. He categorically warned me against post mortem for my brother. Then later after the burial of my brother, we were told president Jammeh wanted to see the family of Ello Jallow. When we went to the State House we were given 70, 000 Dalasis but we never had a chance to meet the president".
Pressed whether he was ever told by his brother of alleged relationship with the wife of the president, he replied:
" Yes the wife of the president called him to her room a few times but he was reluctant. He never wanted to do anything like that. He called my mum and told her about it while asking for prayers .Ello is a very respectful person and I don't think he will sleep with someone's wife. Even if he did he shouldn't be killed because even the president sleeps with people's wives ".
US-based former State Guard commander , Khalifa Bajinka, was contacted for comments but he didn't reply.
Speaking in an interview with Freedom radio on the line from Banjul, older brother to the deceased , Pateh Jallow ,recalled:
"There was a a security breach at the house in America and they didn't know who it was. It was only Ello who had a spare key and access to the house which I still have . So one day some one called trying to talk to Ello, but he was unfortunately not close to the phone . When they picked up the phone, they drew the conclusion that the person calling was Khalifa Bajinka who fled because Jammeh wanted to kill him. So then they started accusing Ello Jallow of being the one giving away information about Zainab. Ello knew something about the house even during the process of buying it. He was set up by Amadou Joof and Fatou Njie who reported him.
"He came from a visit with the First Lady on Monday , but the last day I saw him was Wednesday. He even wanted to marry a lady in Sweden and we were going to start that process. I told him not to come back but he didn't listen. I was very shocked when I came back from a trip to Casamance and was told he had returned to The Gambia against my advice. Prior to that I was called by Serign Modou Njie who asked me to warn him. When I told Ello he replied to me those people were cowards. He said to me he would sacrifice to come because if he didn't I would be in trouble. I told him I was already in enough trouble anyway , but he didn't listen".
Giving further details of circumstances surrounding the death of his brother, he postulated:
"They called him for a meeting at Cape Point in Bakau. When he arrived they attacked him but he fought with them and injured Solo Bojang. They sprayed him and overpowered him before strangling him to death. He was then put into a car and dumped on a road side in a poorly staged accident.I had a call from the state guard the next day from one Captain Danso of the State Guard informing me of his death. Prior to his death, the last person Ello spoke to was my brother Demba Jallow whom he told Solo Bojang and Borra Colley were calling him constantly and telling him 'fuck you where are you?'
" At the death house we were not allowed to have a post mortem. Serigne Modou Njie told me there should not be any post mortem for my brother. He told me if I faced any risks from wanting to do post mortem it would be my own fault. He categorically warned me against post mortem for my brother. Then later after the burial of my brother, we were told president Jammeh wanted to see the family of Ello Jallow. When we went to the State House we were given 70, 000 Dalasis but we never had a chance to meet the president".
Pressed whether he was ever told by his brother of alleged relationship with the wife of the president, he replied:
" Yes the wife of the president called him to her room a few times but he was reluctant. He never wanted to do anything like that. He called my mum and told her about it while asking for prayers .Ello is a very respectful person and I don't think he will sleep with someone's wife. Even if he did he shouldn't be killed because even the president sleeps with people's wives ".
US-based former State Guard commander , Khalifa Bajinka, was contacted for comments but he didn't reply.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Minister reveals why Jammeh reversed decision to accept results
With the defection of more ministers as Jammeh's cabinet implodes, Ministers who were once part of Yahya Jammeh's inner sanctum have begun giving details of events leading to his reversal of decision to concede December elections.
Less than 24 hours before the legal mandate of the president of one of the last bastions of tyranny in West Africa expires , his cabinet has been hit by a wave of resignations. To extend his rule, the National Assembly has passed a bill imposing a state of emergency for three months, while extending the mandate of the vanquished dictator for the same length of time .
A former minister in president Jammeh's cabinet, who resigned and sought sanctuary in Senegal , has been making disturbing revelations of the state of political play in the regime.
Jammeh, he said, accepted results without pressure from any member of his cabinet or security top brass , contrary wide-spread media reports in the immediate aftermath of his decision to accept the results.
"Jammeh made the decision to accept results without pressure from anybody. He was willing to step down at that point, but then some people with vested interests would not have it", said the minister who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In the interest of further disclosure, he said one one Jammeh's close military aides, Saul Badjie, was so infuriated over Jammeh's decision to step down he started weeping uncontrollably .
" His military chiefs Saul Badjie and Musa Savage clearly told Jammeh they faced a bleak future if he stood down.They categorically advised him to stay on because there was nowhere for them to go".
Then came further pressure from the civilian ministers. The issue of discrepancy in figures from polls in Basse, he said, was magnified and blown out of proportion by Minister of Tourism, Benjamin Roberts, Minister of Works, Construction and Infrastructure , Balla Garba Jahumpa and Minister of health Omar Sey.
"Those are the ministers who started the argument about electoral fraud and even went to
Basse on a so-called fact-finding mission.Jammeh would have left but he was being used by those people for their selfish interests and now they are abandoning him at the last minute", concluded the former minister who pleaded for anonymity.
Less than 24 hours before the legal mandate of the president of one of the last bastions of tyranny in West Africa expires , his cabinet has been hit by a wave of resignations. To extend his rule, the National Assembly has passed a bill imposing a state of emergency for three months, while extending the mandate of the vanquished dictator for the same length of time .
A former minister in president Jammeh's cabinet, who resigned and sought sanctuary in Senegal , has been making disturbing revelations of the state of political play in the regime.
Jammeh, he said, accepted results without pressure from any member of his cabinet or security top brass , contrary wide-spread media reports in the immediate aftermath of his decision to accept the results.
"Jammeh made the decision to accept results without pressure from anybody. He was willing to step down at that point, but then some people with vested interests would not have it", said the minister who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In the interest of further disclosure, he said one one Jammeh's close military aides, Saul Badjie, was so infuriated over Jammeh's decision to step down he started weeping uncontrollably .
" His military chiefs Saul Badjie and Musa Savage clearly told Jammeh they faced a bleak future if he stood down.They categorically advised him to stay on because there was nowhere for them to go".
Then came further pressure from the civilian ministers. The issue of discrepancy in figures from polls in Basse, he said, was magnified and blown out of proportion by Minister of Tourism, Benjamin Roberts, Minister of Works, Construction and Infrastructure , Balla Garba Jahumpa and Minister of health Omar Sey.
"Those are the ministers who started the argument about electoral fraud and even went to
Basse on a so-called fact-finding mission.Jammeh would have left but he was being used by those people for their selfish interests and now they are abandoning him at the last minute", concluded the former minister who pleaded for anonymity.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Former Jammeh ADC calls on security chiefs to stop recognizing Jammeh
Former ADC to outgoing president, Lamin Gano, has called on heads of security chief to put out a joint communique declaring they wouldn't recognize Jammeh as president upon midnight January 19th.
Writing on his blog, former close Jammeh ally posited:
"According to the 01 Dec 2016 Gambian presidential election statistics, the incumbent President Yahya Jammeh got 208, 487 votes. This is equivalent to 23.5% of the total registered voters of 886, 578. This is a man who has been in power for 22 years; who maintained a firm and autocratic control of all the institutions of the state; and who bastardized all the electoral laws to favour his re-election. Therefore, for Jammeh to have less than a quater of the registered votes and still have the audacity to challenging the results is simply ridiculous especially coming from a sitting president who claims to have brought his country from the dark ages to the modern world.
Therefore, it is irrelevant whether or not there were irregularities in the Dec polls. The bottom line is that 76.5% of Gambians have unequivocally rejected Jammeh as their President and a billion fresh elections cannot change that verdict. Jammeh has simply lost all legitimacy to rule the country and when his mandate expires at midnight on 18 January 2017, he becomes an ordinary citizen and it will be totally illegally for any security personnel to receive/execute any orders/instructions from Jammeh".
Proffering a solution to the current political stalemate, former Lieutenant, Gano postulated:
"Here is a simple and peaceful way out. All Service Chiefs must come together and immediately make a joint communiqué that they will stop recognizing Jammeh as their Commander-in-Chief with effect from the 19th January. In this communiqué, they must make it absolutely clear to Jammeh that by midnight of the 18th January, all the military checkpoints and fighting positions that are established around the country will be completely dismantled and all military personnel ordered to report back to their respective bases from where they would await further orders from the President-elect and new Commander-in-Chief".
Writing on his blog, former close Jammeh ally posited:
"According to the 01 Dec 2016 Gambian presidential election statistics, the incumbent President Yahya Jammeh got 208, 487 votes. This is equivalent to 23.5% of the total registered voters of 886, 578. This is a man who has been in power for 22 years; who maintained a firm and autocratic control of all the institutions of the state; and who bastardized all the electoral laws to favour his re-election. Therefore, for Jammeh to have less than a quater of the registered votes and still have the audacity to challenging the results is simply ridiculous especially coming from a sitting president who claims to have brought his country from the dark ages to the modern world.
Therefore, it is irrelevant whether or not there were irregularities in the Dec polls. The bottom line is that 76.5% of Gambians have unequivocally rejected Jammeh as their President and a billion fresh elections cannot change that verdict. Jammeh has simply lost all legitimacy to rule the country and when his mandate expires at midnight on 18 January 2017, he becomes an ordinary citizen and it will be totally illegally for any security personnel to receive/execute any orders/instructions from Jammeh".
Proffering a solution to the current political stalemate, former Lieutenant, Gano postulated:
"Here is a simple and peaceful way out. All Service Chiefs must come together and immediately make a joint communiqué that they will stop recognizing Jammeh as their Commander-in-Chief with effect from the 19th January. In this communiqué, they must make it absolutely clear to Jammeh that by midnight of the 18th January, all the military checkpoints and fighting positions that are established around the country will be completely dismantled and all military personnel ordered to report back to their respective bases from where they would await further orders from the President-elect and new Commander-in-Chief".
Friday, January 13, 2017
Bar Association says term of president can't be extended, interference with constitution treason
The Gambia Bar Association has declared that president Jammeh cannot extend his term in office except by the express will of Gambian people ,while calling on the security apparatus to protect and respect the will of the people.
In a statement, the lawyers’ body said:
“The Gambia Bar Association (GBA) acknowledges the ExecutiveDirective of Outgoing President Jammeh issued on the 10th day of January 2017 to the effect that no arrests should be carried out for“acts or omissions in the pre and post election period, effective from 1st November 2016 to 31st January 2017”.
The Executive Directive is a reminder that the Security Forces have a sacred duty to protect the public and uphold the rule of lawand freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. All citizens and residents of The Gambia are entitled to exercise their freedom of assembly, association and expression of political will without fear of arrest and intimidation.The GBA notes with concern the statements of Hon. Seedy Njie,the Minister of Information Communication and Infrastructure, and Mr Edward Gomez, Legal Counsel for APRC and the Outgoing President as petitioners before the Supreme Court in the Election Petitions SC 005/2016 and SC 001/2017.The said Mr Njie and Mr Gomez have publicly stated that the scheduled inauguration of President Elect Barrow shall not take place and that Outgoing President Jammeh shall stay in power until the Supreme Court hears the said petitions”.
For the avoidance of doubt on the legal position regarding the impact of of the petition on the presidency,the Bar Association added:
“The Term of the current Outgoing President Jammeh ends on the 18th of January 2017. This term cannot be extendedby any authority apart from the Gambian people through areferendum authorizing the amendment of the Constitution.Therefore the outgoing President shall cease to hold
executive office by midnight of the 18th January 2017.
The petition before the Supreme Court is an independent
process. The pendency of said petition does not have the effect of extending the term of office of outgoing President
Jammeh. Furthermore, the pendency of the petition does nothave the effect of preventing the inauguration of incoming President Barrow. Any attempt to interfere with the constitutional end of one presidential term and the beginning of another will be an abrogation of the Constitution and an act of Treason by virtue of Section 6 of the Constitution”.
In a statement, the lawyers’ body said:
“The Gambia Bar Association (GBA) acknowledges the ExecutiveDirective of Outgoing President Jammeh issued on the 10th day of January 2017 to the effect that no arrests should be carried out for“acts or omissions in the pre and post election period, effective from 1st November 2016 to 31st January 2017”.
The Executive Directive is a reminder that the Security Forces have a sacred duty to protect the public and uphold the rule of lawand freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. All citizens and residents of The Gambia are entitled to exercise their freedom of assembly, association and expression of political will without fear of arrest and intimidation.The GBA notes with concern the statements of Hon. Seedy Njie,the Minister of Information Communication and Infrastructure, and Mr Edward Gomez, Legal Counsel for APRC and the Outgoing President as petitioners before the Supreme Court in the Election Petitions SC 005/2016 and SC 001/2017.The said Mr Njie and Mr Gomez have publicly stated that the scheduled inauguration of President Elect Barrow shall not take place and that Outgoing President Jammeh shall stay in power until the Supreme Court hears the said petitions”.
For the avoidance of doubt on the legal position regarding the impact of of the petition on the presidency,the Bar Association added:
“The Term of the current Outgoing President Jammeh ends on the 18th of January 2017. This term cannot be extendedby any authority apart from the Gambian people through areferendum authorizing the amendment of the Constitution.Therefore the outgoing President shall cease to hold
executive office by midnight of the 18th January 2017.
The petition before the Supreme Court is an independent
process. The pendency of said petition does not have the effect of extending the term of office of outgoing President
Jammeh. Furthermore, the pendency of the petition does nothave the effect of preventing the inauguration of incoming President Barrow. Any attempt to interfere with the constitutional end of one presidential term and the beginning of another will be an abrogation of the Constitution and an act of Treason by virtue of Section 6 of the Constitution”.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Jammeh accuses sacked minister of 'disastrous failures'
The outgoing president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, has made a stinging indictment of the former Minister of Youth and Sports who recently tendered his letter of resignation prior to announcement of his sacking by state media.
The erstwhile Minister, Alieu K Jammeh,has since arrived in the Senegalese capital as the plot thickens on the political stalemate in the smallest country in mainland Africa.
President Jammeh lost elections to real estate developer,Adama Barrow, and conceded defeat only to alter his decision a week later.
During the swearing-in ceremony of his replacement at State House, Jammeh disclosed:
“We have seen disastrous failures in programmes that were meant to help the youth; we have seen the erosion of confidence between the Ministry and the GFF and let me make it very clear that the GFF is not opposed to Gambia government, but an arm of The Gambia Government with specified responsibilities.
"Unless the Minister of Youth and Sports and GFF president and staff work together, sports will not do overwhelmingly in the country especially football. The government has continued to invest hugely in the development of sports and football in particular".
The erstwhile Minister, Alieu K Jammeh,has since arrived in the Senegalese capital as the plot thickens on the political stalemate in the smallest country in mainland Africa.
President Jammeh lost elections to real estate developer,Adama Barrow, and conceded defeat only to alter his decision a week later.
During the swearing-in ceremony of his replacement at State House, Jammeh disclosed:
“We have seen disastrous failures in programmes that were meant to help the youth; we have seen the erosion of confidence between the Ministry and the GFF and let me make it very clear that the GFF is not opposed to Gambia government, but an arm of The Gambia Government with specified responsibilities.
"Unless the Minister of Youth and Sports and GFF president and staff work together, sports will not do overwhelmingly in the country especially football. The government has continued to invest hugely in the development of sports and football in particular".
Monday, January 9, 2017
Information Minister jumps ship, releasing statement soon
The Gambia’s information Minister, Sheriff Bojang, is not within the territorial confines of The Gambia, corroborating wide-spread online media reports.
Contacted by this medium to shed light on reports of the alleged flight to Dakar, Jammeh’s former image- maker revealed: "Definitely I am in Dakar. I will be putting out a statement soon .It is indeed true".
Several online media outfits reported the alleged flight of Sheriff Bojang to neighboring Senegal over the weekend, as the noose tightens on the neck of Gambia’s long-serving tyrant, Yahya Jammeh.
Sheriff Bojang used to be the proprietor of the independent newspaper, The Standard, prior to his appointment as Information Minister following a botched coup launched in the dying days of 2014.He has served in the post from 2015 to date despite calls on him to switch loyalty following vitriolic verbal attack by president Jammeh on the majority Mandingo tribe, as well as a refusal to accept December election results which he initially conceded.
Former high court judge: Gambian judiciary politicized, foreign intervention legal
A former high court judge in The Gambia, Emmanuel Nkea, has declared the judiciary of the Gambia “politicized” ,while declaring planned military intervention to oust Jammeh “legal”.
Writing in an opinion piece made available to this medium, he postulated:
“Popular and professional discontent against the judiciary has exposed the deep politicization and patronization of the judiciary in the Gambia. This has deeply eroded the independence of the judiciary, and in politically charged cases, the courts are seen merely as adjuncts to the incumbent.In a widely heralded Press Statement dated 12 December, 2016, the Gambia Bar Association highlighted some of the aspects of the politicization of the judiciary when they accused the Nigerian born Chief Justice Fagbenle of waving and dancing in support of the incumbent Presidential convoy, and for attending political rallies and for attending political rallies and wearing apparels of the incumbent APRC party on the Court premises, as well as distributing APRC party apparel to the Court staff, and making preparations for the victory celebration of the incumbent President.
They also accused him of interfering with judicial officials, and transferring cases to specific courts with a view to predetermine their outcomes, and for causing the dismissal of judges who handed down judgments which were deemed to be against the State’s interest.By section 49 of the 1997 Constitution and section 100 of the Elections Act, an election petition is the legal pathway to determine any election dispute in the Gambia. So normatively, the petition filed by Jammeh is within the ambit of the law. Historically, in the case of Lamin Kebba Saho - PPP v Sheriff M Dibba - NCP (Suit No EP/2/1992), the Gambia Supreme Court laid an important precedence on the legal effect of an irregular election petition. Election petitions are sui generis actions which must be determined in accordance with the local realities. Thus, rather than rely on Nigerian case law, recourse must be had to Gambian case law and jurisprudence. If the principle in Kebba Saho is properly applied to the current election petition by the APRC, then the omission of Adama Barrow as a party would prove fatal to the action and the petition would be dismissed. Seen from this standpoint, the APRC election petition is simply a spent force”.
He further added that an ECOWAS led military intervention would mitigate the loss in human life and property, and remains the only plausible option to uphold the election results in the Gambia.
“The legality of the intended intervention to inaugurate the democratically elected government of President-elect Adama Barrow must be weighed in light of the general prohibition on the use of force in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and the broader principle of non-intervention, recognized under customary international law.However, military intervention aimed at restoring or upholding a democratically elected government does not fall within the scope of the prohibition on the use of force contained in Article 2(4). The ECOWAS pro-democratic intervention would rather support the territorial sovereignty of the Gambia by enforcing the political will and sovereignty of Gambians, which would otherwise be violated by the hold on power”.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Host of political radio show laments closure, vows to persist
The host of a popular radio political talk show on Paradise FM, Kebba Camara aka DJ Kepz, has criticized the closure of the station characterizing it as an assault on freedom of expression.
The shut down followed an interview with a member of the Coalition, Halifa Sallah, who criticized the stinging dearth of adherence to the letter and spirit of the constitution by the outgoing government .
Speaking in an interview with this medium, he said:
"Gambians will be confused and there will be information black out. My platform was really enlightening people from Banjul to Koina. They will just be confusing people as they will be forced to watch only GRTS. This is an assault on freedom of expression. My show was for everyone including APRC, the Coalition and the GDC".
Prodded on what course his show will take following the order for closure of the radio station, the popular journalist declared:
"I wish to continue my show ,but other stations might fear closure. However, I will persist through innovative use of social media".
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Gambia UN rep reacts to sex audio , denounces campaign of distraction
The deputy representative of The Gambia to the United Nations, Samsudeen Sarr, has distanced himself from a sexually explicit audio and Facebook chat screenshot being attributed to him.
In an interview with this medium, the former military colonel who was recently identified as the new Gambian ambassador to the United States, retorted:
"Talking about this issue is a serious distraction to the political issues at stake. And to dignify them with a response will give them
the relevance they are after.It's all false.
The rumors are opposition generated campaign. Even if it was true I don't see it's relevance to the political issues being discussed.
The main intent of it, as they are saying, is for me change my political position".
Mr Sarr further revealed that he would not invest more time countering an assault on his character by people who have not proven to be more superior morally, positing :
"If the person claiming to be the woman I have been talking to, whom they say is a Gambian protecting her identity, what sense does it make arguing with those forwarding her messages? If she is morally superior to me, why hiding? My case is rested. I can't be distracted unnecessarily".
Friday, January 6, 2017
Kombo South Chief hurt in “serious car accident”
The chief of Kombo South, Ajeh Janneh, has been “seriously injured” in a car accident involving collision with a truck, according to sources reaching this medium .The accident occurred on Sifoe-Brikama high way in the morning.
Sources further revealed that he suffered a head injury and fractured leg. He was rushed to Sifoe health center prior to onward referral to Royal Victoria Hospital in Banjul.
Ajeh Janneh had served as chief of the sprawling coastal town of Gunjur for over two decades with brief terminations and rehiring by president Jammeh .He is a hotel worker by profession and a staunch APRC supporter since the inception of Jammeh regime.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Why Senegal matters for peace and security in The Gambia:Interview with Senegalese diplomat(Part two)
In the aftermath of an opposition victory in December elections, which have been disputed by incumbent Yahya Jammeh amid calls for military intervention to be led by Senegal if negotiations fail; I go down memory lane with Senegalese diplomat to discuss pros and cons of his government’s involvement with The Gambia in the past.
Nourou Ba is a career diplomat who served as the last executive secretary of the Senegambia Secretariat in The Gambia. He was in The Gambia at the time of the 1981 abortive coup and was held hostage with his family by the rebels led by the late Kukoi Samba Sanyang. In this penultimate installment of the interview he granted to this writer, he ploughed on from where he left off.
“I would say that the trade unions in The Gambia and Senegal are part of our countries. In any country, you have people who are for something and you have people who are against something. You cannot put focus on negative things, as I mentioned earlier.”
Sainey Darboe: Which brings me to your point of the need for closer ties between The Gambia and Senegal. This has sadly not been the case with frequent border closures. Some months ago, Gambia closed the border citing the unruly behaviour of the Senegalese Transport Union which arbitrarily closed it earlier?
Ambassador Ba: I do not have all the details but I can say that within a family and even between couples disputes are sometimes very frequent. When you share the same bedroom, the same lunch and the same cup even the way you have your breakfast can cause disturbance or the way you sleep. This is very frequent but you resolve those problems in a family way. That is very important. It is important to resolve those disputes in a family way instead of going outside and saying what your wife told you or your husband. It should be a close family.
But the Gambian government postulates that the problem always emanates from the Senegalese end?
It is the responsibility of each government to monitor its borders but do you think Gambians with relatives won’t find a way to visit their families even if the borders are closed? They can go into Senegal by not crossing the official border. Likewise, if The Gambia closes its border, I am sure we cannot have policemen at each kilometer of the border and people will enter. I am sure if we discuss any kind of problem, we can solve it. The coup d’etat just blocked the secretariat but the confederation lived for nine years after which it was dissolved and we came back to the secretariat which means 30 years ago the way the confederation was built might not be the best way. It was a ready made suit instead of being a tailor-made suit.
What informed that opinion of yours?
Because if the two countries have been making progress since 1967 up to 1981, which is 14 years during which we were doing good things and some small bad things this would not happen. But in general we were really improving and all of a sudden the coup happened which led to a shift in the confederation. The question I would like to ask is what are the positive and negative things done by the secretariat? That is what I mean by tailor-made suit rather than a ready-made suit.
But at the time there was the pervasive perception that Senegal wanted to annex Gambia.
No. In my understanding if we go back to history to the empire of Kaabu we were all the same people sharing the same culture, wealth and poverty because we were interrelated. This is a fact but when the colonial system came Senegambia ceased to exist for us and we have The Gambia colonised first of all by the Portuguese and then the British while Senegal was colonized by France. The colonialists came and said we are not the same people. The Portuguese went to Guinea Bissau and said the same thing. So, in a small area we had to manage three different colonial systems which is very complicated. For example, in France you drive right hand and in the UK you drive left hand and the Gambia and Senegal followed that. So if you are used to driving in Senegal and come to The Gambia and have to drive left you get confused. That confusion is also mainly the source of misunderstanding between the police in The Gambia and Senegalese drivers. The same misunderstanding happens between Gambian drivers and Senegalese police. I am not saying all our problems derived from colonisation but most of our problems derived from different forms of colonisation. But after over fifty years of independence, we cannot say the colonial system is responsible up to now.
Why is it that when Gambians go to Senegal their goods are confiscated in breach of Ecowas protocols, while The Gambia accords better treatment to your citizens?
We did better before Ecowas. The way Gambians complain of harassment in Senegal is the same way Senegalese citizens complain of harassment in The Gambia. As I said earlier, if you are neighbours and share the same room, bed, lunch and breakfast after a long time problems come up. At the end of the day, what is important is what is in the interest of the majority of Gambian and Senegalese people. If we follow what the colonialists have drawn on the map we will divide a mosque, house and a bed. When I visited the border once with Gambian and Senegalese counterparts I said this cannot happen. The people asked us what we were doing and then they said ‘after 50 years of independence you want to divide us?’ The people of the two countries are far ahead of their governments in terms of integration of Senegambia. I am glad that the two countries are now on the path of building new Senegambia relations.
With all due respect, the progress you are talking about is not manifested in reality.
If you go into details you go into negative things. Why don’t we go into positive things which is much bigger than negative details. For example, the first visit of Macky Sall as an elected head of state was to The Gambia. He did not go to France, Mauritania, Guinea or Mali but The Gambia which was a very good and big sign. When we had the Senegambia socio-cultural integration conference, I am sure it had the blessing of the president himself. The vice president was supposed to be there but because Women’s Day was being celebrated she was in charge of matters as the minister and it was also the birthday of President Jammeh which was why he could not come. Even if there was a negative aspect we should learn from the lesson.
Don’t you think the choice of The Gambia as his first destination by Macky Sall was all sushi no substance because afterwards he could not bring himself to call the transport union to order who arbitrarily closed the border?
I would say that the trade unions in The Gambia and Senegal are part of our countries. In any country, you have people who are for something and you have people who are against something. You cannot put focus on negative things, as I mentioned earlier. Why don’t you recall that from 1967 to 1981 we had good relations. We had cooperation at a parliamentary committee, private sector, youth and intellectual levels. Even if we have dark spots we have lit the way where we should go. We have a shared space of peace, stability and prosperity. The Gambia cannot move next to Europe and Senegal cannot move next to Japan. I am not saying that we are condemned to live together because there is no condemnation; we have to live together as brothers and sisters. That is what is in the interest of the majority of Gambians and Senegalese.
The former Gambian president, Sir Dawda Jawara, ascribed the failure of the confederation in his book Kairaba to the Senegalese propensity to dominate?
That is what I told you before that it was a ready-made suit rather than a tailor-made suit. It was not meant to be run in a way that somebody felt dominated. Gambia is a small country but there are no small people. If you have one million inhabitants and the other has hundred million you should not have the impression that the amount of population is a sign of domination. I respect the former president but I do not share his point of view entirely in my own analysis. I share his point of view but I can’t share it all the way. In a common way of life solidarity means if I have I should share with you. When you put together your eggs you should be managing the basket because if one eggs scrambles the whole baskets scrambles. We should be interrelated and interdependent. It is not about who is dominating and who is dominated.
What’s your take on former president Jawara?
I have full respect for President Jawara. My wife had the honour to visit his wife and they were very close. When he comes from golf and I come from tennis we used to meet at a supermarket in Bakau. He gave me the honour to speak to him. He is a big man but very simple. The last time I visited The Gambia I was very impressed when I went to the mosque on Friday and I saw him come to the mosque as a former president. That he is able to move in the country freely as a former president is really good. So I have a great respect for him. We need enlightenment from wise people like him.
Finally, if you were a future teller what future do you see for Senegambia?
I am proud and confident of the future of Senegambia because what presidents Jammeh and Sall are doing need the support of everybody, especially the press.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Supreme Islamic Council president sacked, official car seized
The president of Supreme Islamic Council, Mommodou Lamin Touray ,has been relieved of his duties with his official car seized.
The move followed a meeting between a group of religious leaders led by Mr Touray in which they urged president Jammeh to step down.
The president of The Gambia ,who has ruled with an iron fist for 21 years , lost elections to real estate developer Adama Barrow and conceded defeat only to repudiate his own words a week later calling for "fresh elections".
Speaking to this medium, a family source who spoke on condition of strict confidentiality revealed: "I can confirm that he has been removed by the president.I can also confirm that his official car has been seized".
Gunjur born and Saudi trained cleric , Mommodou Lamin Touray, had been perceived as subservient to political machinations of Yahya Jammeh who is accused of wide-spread human rights violations.
The move followed a meeting between a group of religious leaders led by Mr Touray in which they urged president Jammeh to step down.
The president of The Gambia ,who has ruled with an iron fist for 21 years , lost elections to real estate developer Adama Barrow and conceded defeat only to repudiate his own words a week later calling for "fresh elections".
Speaking to this medium, a family source who spoke on condition of strict confidentiality revealed: "I can confirm that he has been removed by the president.I can also confirm that his official car has been seized".
Gunjur born and Saudi trained cleric , Mommodou Lamin Touray, had been perceived as subservient to political machinations of Yahya Jammeh who is accused of wide-spread human rights violations.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Sam Sarr dispels reports of Jammeh exit, clears air about ambassadorial appointment
The Gambian deputy ambassador to the UN and the man identified as the next Gambian ambassador to the US ,Samsudeen Sarr, has dispelled swirling rumors that Jammeh has fled to Guinea Conakry.Senegalese journalist, Adama Gaye, reported in a facebook posting that the Gambian president has fled the country to seek sanctuary in Guinea Conakry .However, in a telephone interview with this writer Samsudeen Sarr reacted to such reports with a dismissive wave of the hand.
He revealed: “I am just hearing that from you .If it happened I am not yet aware of it .I don’t see that happening and nobody has told me about it. Even if it happened, it is Allah’s will but I have doubts about the authenticity of that information. There is a lot of fake news published on social media which a lot of people believe before they come to know the truth. So many things that are being said or reported on social media is false information”.
Ambassadorial appointment
Further prodded about reports of his appointment as the Gambian ambassador to the US to supplant Sheikh Omar Faye who has been recalled after calling on President Jammeh to step down, former army colonel Samsudeen Sarr postulated:
“I wouldn’t say that I am the ambassador yet .I have just been notified but I have not received the letter yet .I can say I have just been nominated and this will be sent to the country I am supposed to serve in for approval before it takes place .I have seen reports of it being shared on social media, but it is not just done like that as there is a process to be followed before you become an ambassador”.
Threat of regional conflagration
Asked about his expectations and anticipations for the electoral petition filed before the supreme court of The Gambia, Samsudeen declared there is “compelling evidence to take to the court which shows there have been questionable elections”.
In the interest of further disclosure, the Gambian representative at the UN posited he is possessed of a sense of “mushrooming tension that can break the sub-region apart .I hope for an amicable solution to preserve the peace and tranquility that Gambians enjoy”.
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Sunday, January 1, 2017
Why Senegal matters for peace and security in The Gambia:Interview with former Senegalese diplomat(Part1)
My name is Ambassador Saidou Nourou Ba. I am a career diplomat and I was posted in many countries including Russia, England, Belgium, The Gambia, United States, the United Nations and Algeria. Algeria was my last posting where I served as ambassador of Senegal. For 16 years, I was dean of the diplomatic corps. Since I retired some years ago, I have been a consultant on cooperation and international relations. I was in The Gambia as the third and last executive secretary of the Senegambian Secretariat.
Before the current one resumed in 2011, I was here from 1978 to 1981. I also served as a special adviser to the minister of foreign affairs some years ago and the deputy permanent representative of Senegal to the United Nations. This was from 1987 to 1989. At that time, Senegal was a member of the Security Council and there are only 15 members in the Security Council - 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members covering over 90 states. So if you have the chance like Senegal to be selected, and to have a chance like myself to be there, you should be grateful to God. This is because since Senegal gained independence, it is only twice that it got the chance to be a Security Council member. It has been a symbolic moment in my career to represent Senegal at such high-level.
Between The Gambia and Senegal, we have special relations. This is because we have three structures to monitor our relations. The normal structure is that you have embassies and we have an ambassadors in both countries but what is specific from the two countries is that these ambassadors are named high commissioners.” (citaat in the koptekst)
To get to such high levels in the diplomatic service does not happen by mere chance, how did you do it?
Well, after my graduation from university where I studied law and political science, I went to a school called ‘Ecole Nationale d’Administration’ which forms the highest level for civil servants in Senegal. Thanks to God I was the best in my class but it was not because I was better than the others. It was a very tough selection and I had the honour to teach at that school up till now even though on a time-to-time basis. As I mentioned, I was a representative at the United Nations Security Council which of course is a milestone in my career. But the biggest achievement is when I was in The Gambia. I am not saying that because you are here but because I think the best diplomacy is what I call diplomatique geographie.
You have to get the best relations with your neighboring countries because we are the same people living in the same house but with two doors of entry. You can enter by The Gambia or Senegal but the same people who share the same culture and languages. I think it is easier to be a diplomat elsewhere than to be a diplomat between neighboring African countries. This is because everything is sensitive. Even if you are going to the market, they will think you are going to do so and so. Everything you do is sensitive but it gives you a high level of satisfaction that you have contributed more or less into the relations of the countries. It is also a principle for African countries especially The Gambia and Senegal to work towards African unity. This is a constant in the process of diplomacy but how to do it depends on the countries.
What did your work involve when you served in The Gambia?
When I was in The Gambia from 1978 to 1981, I was the executive secretary of the Permanent Secretariat. Between The Gambia and Senegal, we have special relations. This is because we have three structures to monitor our relations. The normal structure is that you have embassies and we have an ambassador in both countries but what is specific from the two countries is that these ambassadors are named high commissioners. Senegal had this only with France and The Gambia but we cancelled the one with France many years ago. We just keep our ambassador in the name of a high commissioner which is a distinctive role. The third structure we have is the Senegambia Secretariat. You don’t see this often between two countries. Why we came to that structure is because long before the independence of The Gambia, I believe this was in 1964, the two governors in The Gambia and Senegal decided to go to the United Nations to ask the body to make a report proposing to The Gambia and Senegal for a kind of structure for cooperation.
There were a lot of factors. It was called The Van Muke Report and they made a very good fact-finding. The report was presented I believe in 1966 and in April 1967 but even before that, when they adopted the report, it gave three ways of cooperation. Firstly, the report proposed a complete cooperation. The second one was something that looked like a confederation and the third one is what is called a basket of convention in all areas. The governments decided for the third proposal and so they signed it here in Banjul. It was then called Bathurst when the first Senegalese president Leopold Sedar Senghor made an official visit.
I think it was signed in April 1967. This was an international bilateral convention and we set up the permanent secretariat of the Senegambia committee which was based in The Gambia and the executive secretary to be a Senegalese national just to balance things. His deputy should be Gambian and of course, the local staff mainly Gambian. So that structure was set up in 1967 and the first executive secretary was Seidina Oumar Sy who stayed here for a term of five years. From here, he was appointed as ambassador to Brussels in Belgium. In 1973, when he left, another ambassador called Ibra Deguene Ka became the second executive secretary up to 1978. The third one was me from 1978 to 1981. This was the year when a coup d’état happened in The Gambia led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang. I was held hostage with my whole family. This was because I believed in the concept of Senegambian unity. People ran away but I decided to stay and the risks.
So, you were held hostage with your family?
Yes I was held hostage with my family including my wife, children and children of my friends. We were about eight in number. Because I was young and brave, I said even if we were to die, we would rather have a bullet in our hearts than in our backs. We never ran away. This is because the cause I was serving was a good one. Even Senegal wanted me to go back but I said no because I was monitoring relations between the two countries. Thank God we were freed by soldiers.
In what conditions were you arrested and kept hostage?
I was in my residence one day after the coup - I said I will not move from my residence - I did not want to move from The Gambia and so they (the rebels) came heavily armed with a battalion led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang himself. I was expecting them anytime. It is time to really pay tribute to my wife because I asked her to go to the UNDP ambassador’s residence with the children and to leave me alone because maybe they will shoot me or something like that. She said no, because if she goes with the children and after when I had been shot, the whole of Senegal and The Gambia would say she had abandoned me. She decided to stay and said we should all die together. This was very moving and so when they came, I introduced myself to them. They told me they didn’t want me and Senegal to be involved because it was an internal issue. I told them that Senegal could not isolate The Gambia when its peace and stability are concerned and I told him likewise, that if it was Senegal The Gambia would be concerned as well.
That’s very intrepid of you in a moment of great danger. Did you really say that?
Why not? Because I was young, I said I was not moving. When I said that, he (Kukoi) said he wanted me to be a facilitator and wanted me to negotiate with the Senegalese army to tell them to go away from The Gambia. So we went to the airport with them with their guns all over my head. I am writing a book and I am not supposed to say all what I should write in the book.
Can you give me a gist of what you are going to put in the book?
Let me finish with the book and then you will know the details. But then, there was heavy shooting over there between the Senegalese army and the rebels. Many people were killed and thank God I am alive. I left my family over there but I said no, I was going back to them.
But why did they take you to the airport?
This was because the paratroopers from Senegal took the airport. They were airlifted there during the night together with a very special team of the army in Senegal because we had an agreement on security and defense between Senegal and The Gambia. That was how Senegal intervened. If it was just internal politics where such an agreement is absent, Senegal would not have interned but this was not the case.
You must have felt very intimidated and fearful of the worst, weren’t you?
I was very young and because I used to hunt, I was used to guns and bullets. And then, I was a pan-African militant which I am still. I believe in Africa and if you are a pan-Africanist, neighbouring countries’ relations should be really important to you. You can have good relations with say South Africa without having better relations with neighbouring countries.
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