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Momodou
Denmark
11699 Posts |
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Momodou
Denmark
11699 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Feb 2011 : 12:05:53
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Gambia Gov't: Ghadaffi must step down
Friday, February 25, 2011
Author: Daily Observer
The government of The Gambia has made its’ position clear towards the violence in the North African country of Libya, calling on the country’s leader, Colonel Muamarr Ghadaffi to spare the lives of Libyans by stepping down immediately.
The Gambia government equally denounced the ‘unacceptable silence’ of the AU which is giving way to other powers outside Africa to make statements and take decisions affecting and concerning African countries adding the least that the AU could have done is to convene an extraordinary meeting to discuss how Africans can handle the situations in these countries and avert bloodshed and loss of lives. This call was made last Wednesday in an eight-page declaration read on behalf of the Gambia government by Dr Njogu Bah, secretary general and Head of the Civil Service.
Below is the full text of the statement.
The Government of The Gambia hereby informs the General Public of its position in respect of the current situation in Northern Africa. It is a big surprise but a shocking reality that in all the happenings, beginning with the crisis in Tunisia, to that in Egypt, and now Libya and countries in North Africa, the Leadership of the African Union (AU) neither made a Statement nor took action despite the fact that these were uprisings affecting member States of the AU. It is The Gambia Government’s expectation that the least that the AU could have done is to convene an extraordinary meeting to discuss how we as Africans can handle the situations in these countries and avert bloodshed and loss of lives.
The unacceptable silence of the AU is giving way to other powers outside Africa to make Statements and take decisions affecting and concerning African countries. We believe that the AU, and in particular its African Peace and Security Council, whose role is to ensure peaceful settlement of matters, should have been responsible enough to live to its mandate and responsibility, especially in light of the fact that in the AU, we have all the Organs that can be used or applied to handle all situations affecting Member States. The AU cannot shy away from its core responsibilities to the extent that they became blind to the level of bloodshed taking place in Africa. The AU should not and cannot play second fiddle in situations as we now see them happening on the Continent.
Consequently, we are calling on the AU and its leadership to live to its mandate and responsibility by taking the lead to solve these crises and bring peace and stability to Africa. If we fail to take care of our own affairs, people from elsewhere would be obliged, as we are now seeing, to take decisions on our behalf. The fact that the AU has not even called up an emergency meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs since the crisis started in Cote D’Ivoire, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Libya is very worrisome for an institution that is supposed to secure and defend Africa’s interests. If the AU cannot stop the carnage taking place in some of its Member States, then it cannot be in a position to bring a continental Government capable of lifting Africa out of abject poverty and under-development. Whether Black or Arab Africa, we are all Africans without discrimination.
With regards the crisis in Libya, we regret the massive loss of lives, which is uncalled for and unnecessary. Given the unacceptable scale of violence in Libya, we hereby call on Colonel Muamarr Ghadaffi to spare the lives of Libyans by stepping down immediately. Colonel Ghadaffi has been given early warnings for the past 6 years, which he blatantly ignored. Furthermore, not only has he betrayed the trust of the African people, but his own people by working against them.Ghadaffi started showing his true colors that he is A racist and Anti-African immediately after the lifting of sanctions against Libya, and when his relationship with the West started warming up. The first sign of his ungratefulness is his declaration that any passport of any holder that does not bear Arabic writings would not be issued Libyan visa, forgetting the prominent role that Africans played in defending Libya at the United Nations over the Lockerbie case.
He went further to not only sign Anti-Immigration Laws with the West, but offered for Libya to be the holding ground for African deportees, who he describes as starving and ignorant Africans whose migration into the West he compared to Barbarian invasion of the West that would have devastating effect on European culture. At the same time, he urged his hosts to accept Libyans into the West because they have money and are not Blacks. He even further warned that Europe would soon become Black if migrants from Black Africa are not stopped from entering and settling in the West, a statement he repeated during the recently concluded Europe-Africa Summit in Tripoli.
Interestingly enough, the same Africans he vowed to prevent from entering Europe are the same people he is hiring as Mercenaries to kill his own people. Ghadaffi’s only ambition has always been to become the king of the so-called United States of Africa, and sees himself as the Master Ruler of Black Africa. He was openly upset when he was confronted in Sirte, Libya and told that The Gambia would not be colonized twice, and that as far as The Gambia is concerned, the United States of Africa that will eventually emerge must come from the grassroots of the entire African continent irrespective of whether Black, White or Arab. It will be a United States that will be united under a single Continental Federal Government where States, big and small would be equal and respected partners and not a United States of Africa where he would be the supreme leader. This became the turning point in his relationship with us, and this was precisely why, he vehemently opposed The Gambia’s bid to host the 2006 AU Summit up to the point of sending his son to Taiwan to ask the authorities not to sponsor our hosting of the Summit.
Despite the several warnings of dire consequences if he does not change his attitude towards Black Africa, that were conveyed to him directly or through his emissaries, he was defiant, deaf and ignorant. We wish Ghadaffi has heeded these warnings but he did not. We are appealing to all young Africans not to be used as mercenaries to kill the Libyan people. They risk dying without returning home because what is happening in Libya is an unstoppable revolution. We are also calling on the Libyan Armed Forces to intervene to bring about a smooth and peaceful transition in Libya. The most honourable act that Ghadaffi owes to the Libyan people is the sacred duty to step down immediately and let the valiant Libyan people take charge of their affairs and their country’s destiny.
Third World countries, especially African must be mindful of the fact that any disorderly change of Government could lead countries falling into the wrong hands; that is in hands of leaders who will only serve foreign interests and bring about more exploitation, poverty and entrenched destitution. We are calling on all Gambians in Libya and around the world not to be used as mercenaries by Colonel Muammar Ghadaffi because the current revolution taking place in Libya is one that will not fail Allah Willing. Any Gambian that is captured as a Mercenary in Libya should not expect any intervention or support from The Gambia Government. No noble Black African should stand on the side of Ghadaffi after he compared Blacks to Barbarians, which is an unacceptable insult.
To conclude, we again call on the AU to take immediate and concrete steps to save African countries from Anarchy. We owe it to the Libyan people to intervene to stop the carnage. The African leaders should remember that if we do not live up to our duties and the expectation of our people, we are opening up avenues to outside powers to speak and decide on our behalf as if there is no authority in Africa. We hereby condemn the unprecedented level of violence being meted out by Ghadaffi and his henchmen. We hereby again call on the Libyan Army to intervene. Libyans have reached a Point of No Return and no amount of violence can stop them. Today it is interesting that, Col. Ghadaffi who compared African migrants to Barbarians, is now calling his own people rats in the streets. This show of ingratitude for the love and support they gave him for 42 years warrants that he must go.
On Tunisia, we are hereby appealing to the Tunisian people to reconcile and settle their remaining differences peacefully. Tunisians should know that not all the issues can be solved by violence. We call on Tunisians to give the Interim Government a chance to reconcile the people and organize elections. On Egypt, we praise the Armed Forces for stepping in, thereby avoiding what could have become a nasty bloodbath in Egypt. We also praise the Egyptian people for accepting the intervention of the Army thereby bringing an end to violence and unrest.
In both Egypt and Tunisia, continuous demonstrations would kill one of the most important sectors of their economies, namely Tourism on which countless number of people depends for survival. Now that the Governments they disliked and revolted against have fallen, they should exercise patience and restraint. With regards to Algeria, we are appealing to both sides to use dialogue and exercise restraint lest they will destroy the economy, which will take them many years to rebuild. We believe that Dialogue is the best solution in Algeria and elsewhere.
Finally, we are wondering why some African leaders who were calling for military intervention to solve an electoral issue in Cote D’Ivoire are eerily quiet on the situation in Libya despite the killings. African Leaders and Africans must be in total control of our own continent’s affairs; failure to do so will lead to other people outside of Africa to take control of our affairs and destiny. All that can be deduced from what is going around is failure of the leadership to serve and protect the interest of their people, share the national cake equally, and lift them from abject poverty. Instead they enriched themselves and their close associates at the expense and to the detriment of the masses, citizens and the grassroots.
To the West and their Banks, all these massive funds that are being frozen should be defrozen and sent back to the countries of origin, once a new government that represents the interest of the people is in place. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that even the ice at the Polar Ice Caps melt from time to time, assets of deposed Third World Leaders, especially African that are frozen and are being frozen allegedly for having been stolen from the people of the countries of origin, have never been de-frozen and sent back despite the fact that new elected governments are in place in these countries. Therefore, all these powers that are holding onto stolen properties and assets must defreeze and return them immediately; otherwise they will be guilty of counter-robbery.
The billions they talk about yield interests, and these interests alone can be used to build schools, health centres and other projects of benefit to the people. We are not appealing but telling these Western powers to return all stolen wealth back to their rightful owners. It is simply a moral obligation to send these billions back to their countries of origin, where they are alleged to have been stolen from the people. Finally, we are praying that Almighty Allah puts an end to these crises in the best interest of Africa, and that henceforth, we will see the emergence of a new generation of patriotic African leaders that are sincere, honest and caring that will defend the interest of their people, country and Mother Africa.
Source: Daily Observer |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11699 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2011 : 12:39:36
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The Implications of Jammeh’s Call for Qaddafi’s Resignation
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Once again, through the Secretary General and head of the civil service, Njogu Bah, President Yahya Jammeh has surprised everyone with his call for the resignation of his mentor, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi for over-staying his welcome and not respecting the will of the Libyan people.
However, although everyone was surprised by the call, especially considering how Jammeh was seen by many Gambians as a mere protégé of Colonel Qaddafi, but Njogu Bah’s speech on TV on Wednesday night was certainly not taken with the seriousness that it deserved, because most Gambians saw it just as another of President Jammeh’s usual comedies being casted by Njogu Bah, who has recently been transformed into an actor/comedian. It is quite hard to imagine how any reasonable Gambian would take Jammeh’s call with seriousness because it is hard to see any fundamental difference between what obtains in Libya and the present system in The Gambia. Just like Qaddafi has virtually closed the door on any legitimate opposition to his regime, so has Jammeh also made life extremely hard for opponents of his regime as well as all those with different views, including journalists.
While there have been several examples of the harassment of journalists and opposition elements by the Jammeh regime, but a good recent case in point was the one year imprisonment of the former UDP Propaganda Secretary Femi Peters, whose only crime was organizing a political meeting without permission, when the police had consistently refused the UDP permits to hold meetings. That of course was a good example of how the regime has created the most unleveled political playing field, especially considering the fact that Jammeh’s own ruling APRC not only holds meetings wherever and whenever they want to, but they also do not seek permission from the police. In fact, which crazy policeman would even have the guts to refuse them a permit even if they were to apply for it as a formality?
We can all vividly recall what happened to the innocent school children who attempted to stage a peaceful demonstration in April 2000. No less than 14 of the unarmed children were shot to death in cold blood by the security forces, apparently on ‘orders from above’, and instead of prosecuting those responsible for such a horrible crime, the regime rushed in an indemnity clause through the National Assembly in order to indemnify those who committed such a crime against humanity.
We can recall that when President Jammeh first assumed power through a coup d’état in 1994, he said no one would ever again be allowed to rule the Gambia for more than two terms of five years, “In fact 10 years is too long for anyone to be in power,” he was quoted saying. And yet, here we are, more than 16 years after, Yahya Jammeh is still in power and he does not seem to have any intention of ever stepping down. In fact, his military junta even had to remove a clause of the draft constitution which called for a term limit before it was put to the people in a referendum.
Later, we also witnessed how he used the subservient National Assembly to repeal the section of the constitution which called for run-off elections in the event of any candidate failing to obtain more than 50 per cent of the vote in the first round, after he realized that his share of the vote was being reduced at every election. He therefore had to do that in order to forestall any possibility of being forced to a run-off vote. This is no doubt yet another machination by the regime to cling on to power forever at whatever cost.
Therefore, it is quite interesting to hear President Jammeh calling on his fellow African leaders to start respecting the will of their people, calling on them to put public interest ahead of personal interest.
Obviously, it is this sit-tight attitude of Muammar Qaddafi and his refusal to create a conducive atmosphere for his opponents to even exercise their constitutional rights to manifest their opposition to his regime which has angered ordinary Libyans to rise up against him. It is however quite a similar situation operating in The Gambia. There is constant harassment of the opposition and they are quite often refused police permit to hold meetings when the ruling party constantly organizes meetings and other activities without any police interference.
Also, the very fact that President Jammeh is not only now involved in almost every business activity, no doubt unfairly competing with the business community, but he has also acquired large tracks of prime land in various parts of the country, most of which may no doubt have been given to him through coercion of the local villagers against their will. While at the same time compelling those same villagers and civil servants to go and provide “voluntary” labour on his farms.
Now that President Jammeh has publicly acknowledged that African leaders should respect the will of their people, this is an opportunity for the besieged Gambian opposition to test the waters by organizing rallies and even peaceful protests and see how President Jammeh’s state machinery would react. In the past, they had never entertained such prospects, but we can only hope and pray that he has taken a cue from recent happenings in North Africa and he would respect the constitutional rights of those with different points of view to also express those views without being harassed or being subjected to similar brutalities that were meted out to the students in April 2000.
Sourec: Dailynews |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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