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Momodou
Denmark
11723 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Mar 2010 : 17:05:18
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Youths Decry Soldier “Brutality” in Tourism Area
Beach Bars, "Bumsters" Under Siege
By Sanna Camara & Saikou Jammeh
A section of Gambian youths whose livelihood are dependent on tourism activities (Bumsters) have decried as brutal the treatment meted to them by members of the Tourism Security Unit of the Gambia Armed Forces.
This situation came on the heels of "directives" from authorities for the soldiers to rid the beach of these youths, whom many tourism stakeholders see as "the menace" to the success of the tourism industry. However, when The Daily News visited the beach on Wednesday 17th March, the scenario looked like the tourism area is generally under siege from the public, except for few.
From Kotu Beach to Senegambia Beach, extraordinary "solitude," and "boring" is what could fittingly describe this usually-enlivening and busy pleasing spot, our reporters gathered on Wednesday.
This area, which affords tourists a unique place for relaxation under the sun; birth and bask amid cool sea breeze, as well as mingle with the locals, or playing football and other games, is almost deserted. An employee at Jula’s Bar said to The Daily News, pointing at the empty beach: "Look here [at the beach] … It is like dead".
And most, if not all the people The Daily News talked to, ranging from waiters to beach bar owners, expressed outrage at the situation, blaming it on the presence of military personnel on the beach. The Daily News has learnt that the militarization of the beach follows President Jammeh’s declaration of "no tolerance to bumsters".
As a result, those who have evidently become the target of the soldiers have protested that they are not in fact bumsters but legitimate employees of Beach bars. "We do not come here to play, but to work", said Baba, a guy in his mid-twenties. "Here is our source of livelihood. We work to help our families."
Mr. Ebrima Singhateh of Jula’s Bar complained that he was mal-handled by the soldiers. He said he was going to the shop to buy breakfast when he met with a tourist friend whom he greeted and was sharing pleasantries when soldiers came and started assaulting him. Similar ordeals were recounted by many other workers our reporters found at Beach bars.
They talked of an almost hopeless situation in the face of such acts from soldiers who were supposed to protect them as citizens of the Gambia on their "legitimate" businesses.
Notwithstanding such harassment by the soldiers, majority of them showed Identity Cards issued by the Gambia Tourism Authority to legitimize their presence on the beaches.
Some tourists approached by our reporters, admitted that they have witnessed instances when soldiers beat-up some youths. "The other day here was disgusting," an old tourist woman, who claimed to be on her sixth holiday in the country said to our reporters: "They ordered the boys to plunge into the river with their clothing."
Another couple argued that as tourists, they do not see these youths as nuisance, "so why should the government see them as such?" Asked where she is residing and why she comes down to the beach, she explained that she is a guest at Dunes Hotel but comes down to the beach to mingle with locals. "I think they are a bunch of lovely lads", his wife, both wished not to be named, said.
"They are very nice," another tourist we found basking on a sun bed said. "The Gambia is called Smiling Coast because of these people. But if you say hello to a soldier, he would look as if to ask if you are really referring to him", another tourist woman said. They say they view the presence of soldiers on the beach as "intimidating" and "scary", and treatment of youths as "humiliating".
Meanwhile, this situation is not helping the business of beach bar owners, who rely on the services of their employees to woo tourists to their beach bars for drinks. The Beach Bar owners said they are no longer having business as usual, because their employees are not allowed to lure tourists to come to the restaurants. They are also claiming that the presence of soldiers on the beach is what is responsible of keeping tourists in the hotels.
An employee at one of the bars on the beach said tourists usually come out and peep to see if there are any soldiers around the beach. "Once they see them, they rush back to the hotel", he said.
"Here is my country… the tourists cannot come [here] without talking to the people," he added. "We need to give business to our employees because that is why we are here."
Source: Dailynews
Related Topics:
1. Tourism Development Area Should Be Demilitarized
2. Soldiers Detain Daily News Reporters
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2010 : 19:35:38
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I have commented on this situation before. But here goes again!
The Gambia's best assest is the friendliness of local people and the beautiful beaches and sunshine.
If people see soldiers on the beach they will presume it isnt safe to be there!!!
Also the beach BELONGS to the local people. They shouldnt be band from walking on their own sand!!!
However if someone harrasses someone or steals something they should be arrested and taken to court.
I object to soldiers taking the law into their own hands and punishing people. These people could be guilty of NOTHING!!! |
Edited by - gambiabev on 19 Mar 2010 19:36:30 |
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inez
279 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2010 : 19:53:59
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| I agree in everything Bev! For me soldiers means war, if there is to be some kind of security on the beach, they should only act if something happens, if violence, stealing or so. I´ve seen soldiers stop small boys from going to beach at Cape point, force them to do exercise for long long time. There were no people on the beach by that time so I guess the soldiers were bored...It´s so bad, I know many tourists don´t want to see gambians being tortured because of them! If there are some tourists who don´t want to mix with locals, they can stay around the pools or there can be small parts of the beach that are fenced for them. Gambians should be able to be at beaches! It´s boring when only few tourists and the beaches are empty, then it´s a bit scary too.... |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2010 : 12:03:49
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bev and inez you are right it is boring when there is no life, but bumsters present a problem.
How to solve it, arrest those that harras the tourist, zero tolerance for harrassment. but if you have a business then show some sort of visible id. stallholders and business in other places wear or carry some sort of id. it needs to be done in an acceptable way. BUT THAT IS THE PROBLEM what is acceptable to one person is unacceptable to another.
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inez
279 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2010 : 19:20:14
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| I would not accept if police/soldiers told me to carry my id showing I have a business on the beach when the only thing I wanted to do is to go to beach and swim/play football/fish/run/exercise! Do you have that system where you come from Jambo and you feel it´s ok? I don´t mind if criminells are arrested but this is misused and people are arested as soon as they walk on the beach, this is good business for soldiers, people can bribe their way out of arrest and it´s not the poor guy who just went out for swim who can pay, it´s the bumster who can afford it. |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2010 : 20:25:01
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There needs to be a sensible and consistent policy implemented for once and for all to balance the needs of all the stakeholders involved within the Tourist Development Area. Instead of knee jerk reactions based on Tourist opinion polls which result in reactionary heavy handed practices by the Military. Bumsters who presistently harrass visitors need to have a deterent to stop them being a nuisiance.In fact this should start from the airport. I agree with Jambo that people working officially on behalf of GTA and TDA should be registered and it should be made complusory for them to wear a mandatory photo ID card at all times within their working hours on Health & Safety grounds. With this compliance TDA and GTA registered members should be exempt from any military invention because they have legitimate business on the beach. The other stakeholders are of cause residents who have every right to visit the beach without harrassment from the military.
More of the unemployed need to engaged into to more legitimate activities and therefore as the President has mentioned that he's created training schemes for them then they need to be signposted to them, so that they can find alternative ways to make a living.
As for the military they could also be put to better us surveillancing the coastline for people and drug traffickers, reinforcing sea defences, cleaning up the environment, doing civil engineering and training these Bumsters with skills. Instead of brutalising the youth, the armed forces could be training them and giving them more skills that could physically benefit the country.
Let's face it a lot of these Youth are just following the examples of thousands of ex- Bumsters who have hooked up with Tourist its and made new lives abroad or have been sponsored by others to gain certain benefits. As Gambia isn't currently at war then the militiary can share some of their training with the civilian population ie. civil engineering, electrican, plumbers, bridge construction, remote sensing, chef work, mechanics, welding etc.
The GTA and TDA also need to more honest with the President by conveying the message to him that a high military presence on the beach will only deter visitors from Gambia rather than attracting visitors there.Let's
face it a military presence only arouses and heightens uneasy attention and false smilies are easily seen through. After all the beach is a place for all to enjoy, if Tourist want a secluded beach then they will book one preferrably without a military presence. They will not go all the way to Gambia to see public humiliation!
This Bumster problem needs to be dealt with a win/win situation not a lose/win situation because in the long-term this is unsustainable and will deliver negative results. Bumsters are an effect of the uneven distribution of wealth in Gambia, and they provide a service for market traders who often send these guys out on the beach to get them customers and split the profits with them. They also guide Tourist to the night spots and bring in revenue within the local community. They are delivering a service and obviously, if they are prevented from doing this service altogether the Tourist Sector will suffer. So, it's important for the GTA and TDA to acknowledge the work that they do, and bring that work from out of the Informal sector into the Formal, if they want o collect the tax from it. But at present this reactionary policy of flooding the beaches with soliders will continue to keep the beaches empty, and also the airplanes if it continues.
The GTA and TDA need to remember that in this Global Downturn with the Tourist market share shrinking the last thing a lot of Western Tourists embarking on the holidays want to witness in a predominantly Muslim country are a lot of armed soldiers patrolling the beaches. Come on Guys what type of PR exercise is this? What's needed is some commonsense an inclusive approach where all the stakeholders including the stall holders, Bumsters, Hoteliers, Bed & Breakfast owners, GTA,TDA Airport Authorities, Army, Police, Youth and Training Service work out a sustainable policy to find a solution to the problem. Thereby removing the continued high presence of the military on the beach.
Peace
Sister Omega
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Sister Omega |
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