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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 06:23:56
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"A Week of Hell" Launched in Minnesota
Folks, please join me in congratulating Papa for his book. Find below a piece on the book launching.
We had a radio interview with him yesterday which you can also listen to on Gainako radio.
The book certainly adds value to Gambia's intellectual class and the growing need for seeing our past history transform from oral naration (Talin-talin) to written naration.
I highly recommend the book to all of you to read with an independent view to form opinion or derive facts. Despite any disagreements that any may have including the Kukoe associates, I just want to say this: I have known Papa to be sincere, honest and dependable especially on Gambia's struggle at stake.
Please read.....and share with your friends as well.
Best always,
Yero
http://gainako.com/?p=559
quote:
By Yero Jallow (Minnesota, USA).
Book author Papa Faal, a nephew of former President Sir Dawda Jawara launched his book titled, “A Week of Hell” in Roseville (Minnesota). In his book, Papa recalled how in July 1981 12 Renegades and civilians shocked the nation in an abortive coup d’état under the leadership of Kukoe Samba Sanyang where an estimated number of over a thousand died mysteriously and scores of others left with trauma and lasting wounds.
Papa, a US military veteran, human rights activists and currently an adjunct professor at Brown College expressed his motivation to share with the younger generation accounts of what his family (Sir Dawda’s family) went through during the 1981 abortive coup d’état. He recalled how those in Brikama including his immediate family were taken to the late Sanjali Bojang’s home in Kembujeh to take refuge while many other arrestees were taken to the Banjul Depot.
While Papa’s work is hailed since very little documentation is out there on account of the 1981 coup d’état, it leaves many questions unanswered especially with recent developments where Kukoe himself, the master minder of the 1981 abortive coup d’état came out from his over three decades of hiding to brand himself as both a PanAfricanist and a freedom fighter. To what Kukoe’s guilt or innocence and his subsequent punishment will be, probably only the courts can establish that, however it remains to be seen that a situation of he-said, he-said is at thunderous ends.
A special guest from Atlanta introduced as one of the book reviewers before its publication, Mr. Kebba Samateh also gave his own account of how his immediate family and thousands of other Gambians were greatly affected to the extent of great economic, structural and human loss.
In reacting to questions from the floor on Kukoe’s recent removal from Senegal to Mali, Samateh and Papa explained that Senegal is a sovereign country with its own laws that a person like Kukoe must abide by or face consequences. In another question from Lamin Sabally as to whether the first family was really tortured, Papa emphatically said “Yes, the first family was tortured.”
The book launching which was well attended and chaired by Papa’s own wife, Mrs. Sainabou Bah-Faal, brought back memories of what happened in 1981 as people whose family members were victimized recounted on what horrors were witnessed. Many in fact drew parallels of Kukoe and Jammeh, arguing that if Jammeh was confronted with any force like Kukoe, we would have witnessed a greater nightmare than seen in 1981. To the history books, we now have two accounts; one told by Kukoe and the other side, book author Papa and the many other Gambians that believe that Kukoe is responsible for all the mayhem that happened in July of 1981.
As we go to press, we couldn’t get Kukoe’s own reaction to the book.
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"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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Edited by - Dalton1 on 22 Apr 2013 15:42:35 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2013 : 01:20:06
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CENSURING DISTORTIONS OF OUR POLITICAL HISTORY, ANY PERSONAL AGENDA, VENDETTA, RETRIBUTION AND MALICIOUS MOTIVATION, FORWARDING SOME INTERESTING FACTS: IN MY OPINION THE FOLLOWING APPEAR TO BE; SO FAR THE BEST COMPILATION, ANALYSIS AND ACCOUNT OF THE 1981 COUP BELOW AND HOPE IT CAN BENEFIT READERS WITH USEFUL INFORMATION AND FACTS?
1. SOURCE 1- “A PERSPECTIVE ON 1981 COUP DETAT” The attempted Gambian coup d’etat of 30 July 1981 A 1991 Paper By Arnold Hughes
“Three decades have passed since the abortive coup d’etat in The Gambia, yet, surprisingly, little has been written about this momentous as well as tragic event in its history. The abortive coup was not merely a singular occurrence in Gambian politics; it was also unusual in the annals of coup-making in Africa in that it was plotted and in part executed by civilians rather than soldiers. Yet, contemporary accounts and subsequent commentary on the coup, such as they are, are incomplete and often inaccurate. Neither the Gambian nor the Senegalese Governments published any account of the coup, apart from press releases and interview statements given during or in the immediate wake of the insurrection; while the accounts of those extremist groups which fought the Government, when not attacking each other over their alleged role in the uprising, are also sparse and given to mythologising the coup rather than establishing the truth.
Most accounts of the coup are little more than short, frequently sensationalist and inaccurate news reports written while the fighting was taking place or soon after the insurrection was put down. Gamble (1982) has done an admirable job of tracking them down. Though themselves written within a few months of the uprising, the short accounts by Hughes (1981a,b) and Wiseman (1981, 1982) attempt a more reflective approach. However, their accuracy and detail are constrained by the reliability and extent of the information available in the autumn of 1981. A pro-government account of the rebellion is that of Swaebou Conateh (1982), Director of Broadcasting and Information Services. Despite his position, Conateh attempts a scholarly presentation of the subject, unlike S.A. Bakarr (1981), whose approach is unrepentently propagandist. However, notwithstanding his pro-Government stance and idiosyncratic English, Bakarr did all serious scholars of the coup a great service in collecting and transcribing radio broadcast material tape-recorded at the time. Neither should we forget Nana Humasi’s (1987) fictional account of what life was like for ordinary Gambians during the insurrection.
Radical opponents of the Gambian Government have yet to produce anything more than highly-slanted interviews or brief discussions of the uprising as part of more general polemics against the government or each other. Typical are the interviews in West Africa given by ‘Koro’ Sallah (22 and 29 March 1982); and by Kukoi Samba Sanyang (28 March 1988) and the correspondence in subsequent issues of the journal. Adams’ (1987) discussion of the coup is disappointing, being very brief, derivative and often inaccurate.
Essential to a reconstruction of events in The Gambia in 1981 are the records of the two key trials of those accused of taking part in the coup (Gambia Court of Appeal, Criminal Appeal No. 5-11/81 and Criminal Appeal No. 29/82). Though the testimony needs to be interpreted cautiously, it does provide new and revealing information both on the planning of the coup and its execution. Additional information was obtained from numerous interviews with Gambians of all walks of life, including several senior officals who must remain anonymous. It is against this unsatisfactory background that the present reconstruction is attempted.” By Arnold Hughes
MORE FROM THE FULL PAPER BY ARNORLD HUGHES VISIT THESE LINKS WITH SAME ARTICLE COURTESY;
-MAAFANTA A PERSPECTIVE ON 1981 COUP DETAT - A 1991 Paper By Arnold Hughes
- SAME WITH MYBASSE.ORG A PERSPECTIVE ON 1981 COUP DETAT - A 1991 Paper By Arnold Hughes
ALSO SIGNIFICANT HIGHLIGHTS, REVELATIONS AND AUTHENTIC SOURCES OF REFERENCES IN PAPER BY ARNORLD HUGHES INCLUDED THESE NOTES;
- "Trial evidence led to the conviction of Pap Cheyassin Secka as the eminence grise of the rebellion. Evidence was offered of meetings between Secka and other conspirators in Senegal and at Somita in the Fonis. A crucial letter recovered from the rebel 'headquarters' in Talinding Kunjang (Serekunda) convinced the trial judge (a Nigerian) that Secka was in league with Kukoi and had prepared the speech used by the latter to announce the 'revolution' (Secka to 'Samba' [Kukoi], Exhibit "W", Criminal Appeal No 29/82, 106). The authorship of rebel broadcasts remains to be determined. While their composition does not suggest a well-educated writer, such phrases as 'the iron law of oligarchy', as well as more familiar Marxist expressions indicate a level of political sophistication and literary expression greater than might be expected of the group that launched the coup from Talinding Kunjang. The actual draft speech was never recovered and Secka's plea of innocence was rejected. "
- "More controversial was the testimony of captured rebels that ten civilians and 36 policemen swore an oath on the Koran at Gibril George's house to carry out the coup. Not only were Secka and Ousman Bojang's names on this alleged list (which was never produced in court) but also those of 'Koro' Sallah and Ousman Manjang. These MOJA leaders later claimed from exile that they joined the coup after witnessing security forces firing on 'innocent' civilians. Their explanation seems no more convincing than the prosecution's charge. It does not seem hard to accept, at the least, that MOJA militants acted opportunistically to spread revolution, mis-judging in the early hours of the coup, Jawara's determination to fight back and Senegal's willingness to back him." "Even supporters of the coup, such as MOJA, were later to denounce Kukoi as a naive adventurer (Sallah interview, West Africa 22 and 29 March 1982). "
-"Kukoi relied on a small group of eleven persons, all fellow-Jola residents of Talinding-Kunjang, the Jola quarter of Serekunda, and most of whom were illiterate, to carry out the action. According to Appai Sonko's evidence (Criminal Appeal No 5-11/81, 28-42), these were Kukoi S. Sanyang, Appai Sonko, Jerreh Colley, Junkung Sawo, Dembo Jammeh, Ousman Jawo, Taffa Camara, Simon T. Sanneh, Mbemba Camara, Kantong Fatty and Kambani B. Badji. Apart from being Jola, they were largely illiterates, ex- Field Force or connected with the taxi trade."
- " However, as public order collapsed, so did that of the rebels, furthered by the general exodus of convicts from Mile Two prison outside Banjul, following the release of Mustapha Danso, gaoled after the October 1980 incidents. Lacking any but the most general plans for dealing with the consequences of their action, Kukoi and his fellow-conspirators lost control. Their coup degenerated into a series of localised initiatives, characterised by much confusion, and sparked-off widespread looting, robbery and killing. Divisions within the rebel ranks also appeared, for on 31 July Gibril George was shot dead at the Depot."
2. SOURCE 2 – July 30th, 1981 (by Saul Saidykhan, from maafanta archives, July 30th 2012)
“-a man identified as Kukoi Samba Sanyang. (Kukoi literally means “something clear” or “something solid” in the Manden languages.) I was to later learn from a former NCP colleague of his that he had acquired the sobriquet because anytime he discussed something with people, he would insist on “Kuma Koyo” – something clear, something solid! So they nick-named him Kukoi. ” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
“By his words and action, Kukoi Samba Sanyang had grabbed himself a spot in Gambian history. For good or bad.” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
“Rumors were circulating about revenge killings and torture going on. (There is no evidence that Kukoi himself sanctioned much of the random acts of cruelty that Gambians visited on each other that week, though as catalyst, he bears responsibility for lighting the fire.) Police Superintendent Sonny Nickle, notorious for his mean treatment of wayward youths, was arrested by some armed young men, and given the kind of treatment he gave so many. There were allegations that the young men also took liberties with his spouse. And Nickle wasn’t the only one given mob justice. July 30th, 1981 was a day that brought out in many Gambians, the ugliness that simmered beneath what was deceptively regarded as a gentle and tranquil society – something that should give any thoughtful person pause given the state of affairs in present day Gambia. The fact is, we Gambians tend to be a lot angrier than we let on. And it is a given that state brutality pre-Kukoi is nothing compared to what we see, read about, or hear of, nowadays. If Gambians could do what they did to each other in 1981, what would the day of Yaya Jammeh’s fall be like? I hate pondering the answer to this question.” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
“First, I find it heartening that Kukoi has shunned Yaya Jammeh and his open ethnic baiting politics. Anyone with eyes to see, or a heart to accept the truth knows the fastest way to progress in Gambia today is to jump on to Yaya Jammeh’s anti-Mandinka bandwagon. Countless people have been, and continue to be, rewarded handsomely for no other reason than the fact that they’re playing that dirty game. Kukoi, to his credit, refused flat out to join forces with Jammeh. And one of the great ironies of this era is that Kukoi has a better understanding of Jammeh than most Gambian commentators that are in the business of analyzing the man. On most topics, Kukoi rambles on as if in Esperanto, but on Jammeh, he almost always hits the bull’s eye. And If Kukoi were your average Gambian, he’d be by Jammeh’s side now pounding his chest for being “vindicated,” or “celebrating our time to enjoy,” as they “move the country forward.” No matter what one thinks of him, this is commendable.” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
“He was a young man in too much of a hurry to right what was obviously wrong with Jawara’s governance style.” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
“The Pinks issue, and many others, are all fodder for speculation, which brings me to my concluding topic: when will Kukoi Samba Sanyang speak for himself on the this one topic that Gambians are actually dying to hear him?” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
“Without your (I.E. KUKOI’S) input, all they have are mostly speculation, and half-truths. And the rest of us are forced to tell that 1981 story our way” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
“Since his re-emergence, I have observed Kukoi – his postings, his reaction to questions, insults, condemnation, criticism, taunts, or non-reaction to them. Kukoi will forever be one of the most controversial figures in Gambian history. In the eyes of many, he is a criminal, a murderer, and a coward, and will always be one. My own opinion of Kukoi is kinder.” by SAUL SAIDYKHAN
MORE ON “JULY 30TH, 1981; BY SAUL SAIDYKHAN FOR SAME ARTICLE WITH COURTESY FROM THESE LINKS;
-MAAFANTA.COM July 30th, 1981 (by Saul Saidykhan, from maafanta archives, July 30th 2012)
-KIBAARO NEWS Saul’s Recollection Of July 30th, 1981 - Challenges Kukoi To Come From Hiding
3. SOURCE 3- The politics of Senegambian integration, 1958-1994 By Jeggan Colley Senghor (Chapter Six The Senegambia Confederation: Its Rise and Demise - Pages 212 - 306)
4. OTHER SOURCES 4: INCLUDING FOROYAA FOCUS ON POLITICS ARCHIVES ON 1981 EVENTS AMONGST OTHERS |
Edited by - kobo on 29 Apr 2013 04:07:29 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2013 : 05:54:55
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AS ON-LINE GAMBIAN MEDIA IS CHRONICLING RESURGENCE OF KUKOI; CAPITALISING ON JAMMEH'S BATTERED IMAGE, HIS DEFIANCE THAT HE IS NOT A "TERRORIST" BUT A "REVOLUTIONARY", HEARD JUSTIFYING 1981 REVOLUTIONARY CAUSE, SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY TO VINDICATE HIMSELF, OPENING A NEW REVOLUTIONARY FRONT IN THE CAMPAIGN TO TOPPLE JAMMEH "THROUGH ANY MEANS NECESSARY"; WITH INTENSE DEBATE ON-GOING ON-LINE, WE REVIEW THESE INTERESTING CONSPIRACY THEORIES, MIXED-REACTIONS, VIEWS AND OPINIONS IN CONTRAST; STRONG IDEAS CONCEIVED ON KUKOI BY ITS PROPONENT RESPECTIVELY BASED ON HIS POLITICAL RECORDS AS PERCEIVED; ESPECIALLY THE 1981 FOILED COUP, THAT MAY BE OR MIGHT NOT BE CONVINCING BUT VERY USEFUL FOR REFLECTION ON THEM 
1. HELLO GAMBIA ON-LINE NEWS;
2. MAAFANTA.COM;
3. GAINAKO NEWS;
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Edited by - kobo on 30 Apr 2013 09:59:46 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2013 : 00:29:58
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I listened Kibaaro News radio this week Monday 13th May, 2013 and Papa Faal as the guest on Gambia Experience Programme; author of "A Week of Hell" mentioned in the conversation; this special letter he wrote in Freedom News: "Response to Mr. Sulayman Kebbeh's posting" to condemn Kukoi; searched from the archives available for interesting read here
"Response to Mr. Sulayman Kebbeh's posting
Friday, June 15, 2012
Dear Freedom News,
I cannot express enough the deep disappointment and anger I felt after reading Mr. Sulayman Kebbeh’s piece titled “THIS IS AN OPEN LETTER TO MR KUKOI SAMBA SANYANG”, published on your website June 14th, 2012 (Read Mr. Kebbeh's letter to Kukoi). Mr. Kebbeh seems to suggest in his piece that our only hope for change in the Gambia lies in the hands of the very murderous criminal that brought devastation to our doorsteps in 1981. I believe Mr. Kebbeh may be too young to understand or even fathom the atrocity Kukoi and his 12 –member rebels reaped on our great nation in that hot summer day of July 30, 1981. No Gambian in their right mind would suggest that Kukoi has a duty to deliver the Gambia from the stranglehold of Yaya Jammeh.
Those of us who lived through the havoc still bear the scars, physically and mentally; That old man in Kembujeh whom God blessed with a beautiful wife and a child after years of praying for them just to have them both gunned down in broad daylight; those industrious people who struggled throughout their youth to amass their hard-earned wealth for the betterment of their family just to lose all in matter of days; those families who ran from house to house, compound to compound seeking refuge to save their own lives from the rebel whose only mission was to annihilate them from the surface of this earth; and the parents of the over a thousand civilians who lost their lives in the rebellion would weep upon reading his posting.
I am not a fan of Yaya Jammeh. Nor am I suggesting the continuation of the status quo. However, to say that Kukoi is our God- ordained savior show ignorance of apex proportion and quite frankly, insulting to all Gambians. I think every Gambian must speak out against such rhetoric. Encouraging such is to open ourselves to a repeat of 1981 incident, something our great nation does not need at this time. Coup d’états must never be endorsed by any African nation, especially not Gambia for it brings nothing but an endless cycle to bad government and more coup d’états.
I want to let Mr. Kebbeh and all citizens of our great nation know that our destiny lies not in Kukoi’s hands, nor in the hands of any individual or group that is thinking of conducting a coup in the country. Our destiny lies squarely on the shoulders of the mass population of the Gambia including all of us in the diaspora. Our destiny lies in our ability to mobilize mass exodus to the polls and vote for change. We must not sit on the sidelines and expect a miracle to come down from the heavens. If we want change we must effect it ourselves through political process in which every Gambian is involved.
The Arab spring is a perfect example of a population rising and taking its destiny into its own hands with unimaginable results. No tyrant is too big and no tyrant is too strong against the will of the mass. Let’s honestly look into our hearts and ask ourselves what kind of Gambia we would want for ourselves, our children, and grandchildren, and strive to achieve that for the sake of our motherland. The time for sitting on the sideline waiting for someone else to do our dirty work is over. Freedom is not cheap nor is it free. It costs blood and sweat. Kukoi has been a fugitive for over 30 years for good reason, because he will face justice someday. His patron, Gaddafi is no more, for he has faced the thug justice he brought on his own people for 40 years.
If our only solution to our plight is abandoning our nation into the hands of the delusional Kukoi, then I weep for the motherland.
Let’s stand together and effect the change we deserve. Let’s begin an honest dialogue for a better Gambia and forgo the idea of forceful takeovers by rogue individuals.
Sincerely,
Papa Faal" |
Edited by - kobo on 15 May 2013 00:43:15 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2013 : 00:58:18
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1. THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR WITH A VERY GOOD REPORT OF 1981 COUP UNDER;
2. FREEDOM NEWS ("Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 (Archive on Thursday, September 30, 2010)") ON KUKOI'S 1981 MANIFESTO UNDER;
3. FREEDOM NEWS ("Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 (Archive on Wednesday, September 30, 2009)") ON KUKOI'S 1981 MANIFESTO UNDER;
4. RELATED BANTABA TOPIC (ARCHIVED): WITH THE INTERESTING INTERVIEW FROM THE GAMBIA JOURNAL FORWARDED UNDER POINT 3.;
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Edited by - kobo on 15 May 2013 07:27:32 |
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