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Biraago
Gambia
173 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Aug 2006 : 00:20:13
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An appeal for general vigilance
By Biraago
The Senegambian region has never been under such threat as at thin moment in time. The volotile situation in the sub-region is degrading by the day and demands extra vigilance by its inhabitants.
The mounting strides in the Casamance are the most complicated conflict in the sub-region. The ethnic nature of he conflict has rendered the area into a high fluid enviroment. We all are cognisant of the fact that the mojority of the population at present is not composed of the ethnic group that compose the largest portion of the separatist organisation MFDC (Movement for the Democratic Forces of Casamance) but on the same token, the Senegalese army has no chance of aquiring a military defeat of the MFDC in general or the slinter group that is not part of the peace negotiations with the gouvernment.
We have witnessed the involvement of both the Guinea Bissau army and civilian elements of its population throughout the exixtence of this conflict leading to civil war and still that cloud of danger is hanging above the heads of Guinea Bissaueans thus prompting the general support that Nino vierra has enjoyed from many quarters in the recent presidential election. This was done by bring back the strong military leader from his exil in Lisbon in order to stabilise the Guinean part of the conflict.
The biggest problem facing the fighters is that general populations has now become war-weary and are listening to the legendary and historical leader of the movement, L’Abbé Augustin Diamakoun Senghore who together with a faction of the movement has been engaged in the protracted negotiations with the Abdoulaye Wade government for some time now. There are agreements on cirtain economic development projects for the region with some foreign partner willing to foot the bill including a harbour and the prospective oil exploration and extraction.
We can all recall that even if it has never been an open agenda of the Jammmeh government, some supporters of the AFPRC Junter have been promoting a polico-military agender involving The Gambia, Casamance and Guinea Bissau. Jammeh realising that this could cost him his totalitarian grip on power in the Gambia, never wanted to be identified with such a scheme. Nevertheless, there are elements in the Gambian army and civilians who still harbour these sentiments.
In the past twelve years, Jammeh, just as the former President of Guinea Bissau has been involved in the ethnicisation of the leadership of certain state institutions like the armed and security forces and the economy. His loyalists from one so-called ethnic group now head all the branches of these institutions.
In the past year, tentions between the Jammeh and the Selegalese leader have been growing. There is multiple attempts to create a direct conflict between the sisterly nations but there are forces who are consciously stuggling to defuse the situation whenever it is manipulated to the level of exposion.
The attitude of most members to the UDP (United Democratic Party) in the Gambia is not helping the situation either. Not as a party policy but many among the UDP supporters see the Gambian situation as a Jalo (majority of the fighters in the Casamance MFDC) against the Mandinka (a major ethnic group in the Gambia) struggle for for leadership. There are also a few supporters of NADD who are falling prey to this deadly and reactionary evil that could just serve to sink all of us.
The history of this conflict lies in the power struggle that has its genesis in the overthrown PPP (People’s Progrssive Party) government. The last days of the PPP reign was highly infected by a struggle between the elite of the Gambian society who were backwardly using ethnicity as in many african countries to gain political and economic power. The masses that were used in this artificial conflict gained a little from the benefits.
Jammeh’s condemnation of the elite that had the reign of power with an ethnic orientation (by pronoucing that, they will never be in the position of power again in the Gambia, not for hundred years) has prompted, although not all but many Mandinka speaking Gambians to see this as an un-warranted provocation and incitement of ethnic division in the country and begin to regard their political engagement as a struggle to prove him wrong no matter what it takes. Unfortunately, this has been reflected in the NADD coalition.
The arrest and later accusation of Halifa Sallah and his colleagues in 2005 is a testimony to mature nature of the progressive forces in the Gambia by not allowing themselves to be provoked and be used as excuse to explode the situation.
The recent battles involving Guinea Bissau and against a splinter group within the MFDC lead by the former military chief of the group Salif Sarjo and now against the senegalese army near the Gambian border has ushered in a new phase in the conflict.
It is alledged that the OC at Sibanor police station have been involved in assisting wounded fighter from casamance in a Gambian hospital. This should not have been a national problem if the woulded fighters approached the OC and he then refers them to the Red Cross, which is usual practice in a war situation. But unfortunately, the Gambian security forces are not sufficiently educated in these issues. Testimony to their incompetence is the declarations made recently by the group of army and security officers who were accused of plotting to overthrow the Jammeh government. They came out so childish and lack the maturity that may be attached to their institutional reponsibilities.
In this volotile situation, the statements by Mr Ousainou Darboe (UDP Leader) and Mr Hamat Bah (NRP leader) relating to and underpinning their tribal background cannot but add and the recent march to a shrine that is claimed by a clan is a particular tribe cannot but aggravate the situation.
Some Senegalese newspapers have been very active in spreading false information both in English and French to the population with the aim of hightening the tension. Some of them have just claimed that Jammeh is at a center of a Jola conspiracy in which many Jalo speaking people in Dakar (the Senegalese capital) are engaged in a migration exercise towards different towns and villages in the Gambia. Ofcourse, these stories though not to be dissmissed are never subtanstiated by the same sources.
The un-warranted statement by the commander of the Gambian national army just shows the nature of general in-competence by the leadership in the armed forces. He said and I quote from the Daily Observer: “The GAF CDS Col Tamba indicated that any attempt to overthrow the government will never be accepted, noting that the quest for presidency should be democratic.
All Gambians are not blinded to the fect that neither Ousainou Darboe nor Halifa Sallah would ever call upon the people to overthrow the Jammeh gouvernment learning from their political and personal records. So we hope thet CPT: Lang Tombong Tamda appologies to these leaders fortwith.
The head of the national inteligence services could’nt help to demonstrate in-competence from his side: “Harry Sambou, Director General of NIA, said the NIA is mandated by Degree 45 to look into crime, especially security related matters. Pointing out that the NIA has the right to invite anyone on matters of security, Mr Sambou assured that facts concerning the detention of Buba Sanyang, detained NADD supporter will be relayed to the public, when they are found.”
This is a clear indication that people are first arrested and then a charge would be worked out in due cause as in the case of Mariama Jack-Denton, Lamin Waa Juwara, Halifa Sallah, M C Cham, Ousainou Darboe, Amie Sillah, Sam Sarr, Sidia Jatta, Pa Sallah Jeng among others in the past twelve years.
I therefore appeal to all Gambians both in the APRC, the opposition, members of the armed and security forces and civilians not to create a situation in which the conflict mongers would see as an excuse to ignite an armed conflict in the sub-region.
Whatever language we may speak or whichever organisation we may support, the fact is that:
We all are Gambians in peace or turmoil.
The nominations have now taken place and the three aspirants to the office of President of the Gambia have each presented a political Manifesto which we all should study and asses according to their potential implimentation and thus decide from among them based on these manifestos and political record of each candidate, the one we see most fit to carry the mantle of leadership for the coming five years. The political parties that are backing these contestants are not new to us either. So the future of our nation is in our hands as sovereign people. Only we can determine our future.
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