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burangconteh
12 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Apr 2006 : 21:56:07
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A Message to Gambians and Friends of The Gambia:
Compatriots and friends of The Gambia, as we commemorate for the sixth year the brutal murder of peacefully demonstrating Gambians on April 10th and 11th 2000,we urge you all not only to pray for the souls of our fallen comrades, but also for the rapid introduction of Truth and Justice in public life in The Gambia. The demands on the basis of which students went out six years ago, merely constituted a request for justice. April 10th/11th 2000 were indeed days during which Gambian students took to the streets to protest against rape and murder, with a clear call for justice to be done. Rape and murder are not only repugnant in the eyes of all faiths, but laws in all civilized jurisdictions prescribe stringent punitive measures against them. Similarly, all our national cultures in The Gambia denounce them in the strongest possible terms. As a result, one should easily understand the reasoning which led to the decision to peacefully demonstrate against these heinous crimes against two members of the national student movement six years ago.
At the time of the demonstrations, we thought that all civilized and law abiding persons would support us. The criticisms that were subsequently levelled against us by some members of the ruling cabal in Banjul and Kandinlai, were therefore great sources of surprise to us. But all their criticisms against us have since proven futile, and they had to effect a shift in strategy by directing their energies at making a deal which has since resulted in an infamous reconciliation. Once more we totally reject the so-called reconciliation on the basis that it failed to discuss and resolve the relevant issues at stake. Issues such as the conditions of the victims of the incidents and the loss and pain of their parents would be key to any meaningful reconciliation.
After six years, it is now obvious that the political leadership in The Gambia is too arrogant to accept its blatant errors as a prelude to resolving the issues that divide us. There have been other horrendous blunders since which have created a pattern of acts of brutality on the side of the ruling A(F)PRC and its cohorts whenever conflict scenarios appear in The Gambia. It was in cognisance of these negative tendencies that last year we called on the combattants of April 10th/11th 2000 to prepare themselves by getting the vote for this year's presidential poll. Since the A(F)PRC government will never react to our quest for Truth and Justice positively, we must maximally contribute towards efforts to vote them out of power. We can now say with confidence that it was President Yaya Jammeh who gave the order for the security forces to open fire on us, and his hands a smeared with the blood of our fallen comrades. As a matter of principle he should have resigned from his position the moment it became obvious to him that he had made a horrendous blunder. As a matter of honour and duty to our fallen comrades, we must make sure that if he stands in the next presidential poll, he is put to the disgrace as he deserves in view of his persistent arrogance. We therefore urge you all to vote massively against him, as a way of restoring the honour of those raped and murderred under his regime. You should also make sure that all your parents and sisters vote in similar manner.
However, it is unfortunate to note that some elements have broken away from The National Alliance for Democracy and Development(NADD) perhaps with intentions to form their own grouping. Though the current political cilmate in the country requires unity among the opposition, we should not waste vital time over this, as it could have been anticipated. Our priority at the moment, as a group that has justice denied it for six years, is to remove the stumbling block tothe realization of our goal. That stumbling block is Yaya Jammeh and his cohorts. Presently, NADD is explicit enough in its agenda to remove the latter. In the person of its flag bearer( Mr Halifa Sallah), we see someone who can, if elected president, implement the rectification programme of the alliance in accordance with its letter and spirit.We call on those who have broken away from the alliance to return to its folds in the name of our shared passion for Truth and Justice. We wish to remind you that NADD is here for clearly stipulated purposes that would be worked out in merely five years. Indeed some of you may be destroying your own chances for becoming president of the country. As we beg you not to rock the boat, we call on all to vote for NADD's cadidate in the forthcoming presidential poll. A NADD victory has all the potentials for introducing a culture of change in the body politics of The Gambia.
To the leadership of The Supreme Islamic Council(SIC), who are enabling preisdent Jammeh to use Islam in enhancing his political standings,we appeal for caution and restraint. You cannot call yourselves religious scholars when you cannot decipher pagan cultural representations and totems in The Gambia. In his original appearances and mannerisms, Yaya Jammeh represents nothing muslim. " Yahya Abdul Azziz Jammeh", as far as Islam and muslims in The Gambia are concerned, is a freak! Nobody of credence remembers this name anywhere in The Gambia before July 22nd 1994. A thorough look at the background of the person who claims this name from Kandinlai to Bwiam, Serrekunda and Banjul shows nothing muslim. it is indeed sad to note that you have allowed yourselves to be used by a pagan cabal of weed smoking and peddling drunkards called The A(F)PRC. We know most of you and we have no doubts that you are good persons, but we are baffled at how low you have allowed yourselves to fall low in your dealings with Jammeh and his cohorts. We wish you immediately take off your blinkers to see through the mist around you so as to understand the biggest political conspiracy of our times in The Gambia.
To the genuine friends of The Gambia, we wish to argue that the urgency of the need to democratically change the political leadership of the country at the moment, cannot be exaggerated. When president Jammeh took over the reigns of power in the country, he made a solemn promise to Gambians that thenceforth, nobody would be president of the country for more that two four year terms; when he set up a commission to probe the April 10th/11th 2000 student demonstrations, he made a pledge that he would comply with the findings and recommendations of the commission.These are two very important promises he made in completely different circumstances, but president Jammeh woefully failed to deliver on both.Jammeh has been president for more than ten years now. Secondly, he did not only dismiss the findings and recommendation of The April 10th/11th 2000 commission, but he also sacked the Secretary of State fo Justice at the time. He has clearly shown on numerous occasion that he cannot be taken for his word, and a person who cannot be taken for his word should not occupy the highest office in any country. We urge you all to join efforts to give peaceful democratic change of government a chance in The Gambia. For example we are aware that thousands of Senegalese nationals not even resident in The Gambia, have been given The Gambian voter's card solely to enable them to vote for Yaya Jammeh in the forthcoming presidential poll. We urge the Senegalese government and human rights NGOS based in the country to make sure such persons do not take part in Gambian elections. It would not be to the betterment of relations between the two sisterly republics, if Gambians realized that an unpopular regime they are trying to bring down is indeed being prop up by illegal Senegalese voters.The negative ramifications from this can affect the entire sub-region.
To the parents and relatives of our fallen comrades, we once more give assurances that until Truth and Justice are rendered, we will not give up the struggle. to the rest of the citizenry of The Gambia, we have this to say:
dont wait until the brutalities of a dictator reaches you, before joining efforts to get rid of him. learn from the lessons of those already victimized.
THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!
Omar Joof,
exiled ex-student prexy,
GAMSU.
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2006 : 22:08:33
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| Just to add, he sacked the Coroner of the April 10/11, Ousman Jammeh then Master of the Supreme Court. I am happy to state that Ousman has international appointment at the war crimes tribunal in Arusha. The brain drain will affect all of us. Sometimes you hear around that educated africans need to go home. Unfortunately in the Gambia we are exporting them. We seem to have enough of the technocrats and that is why we will wallow in poverty and continue to bury our dead as often as dictated by Junkung. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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