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Momodou
Denmark
11511 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Jun 2021 : 16:14:19
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GAMBIA-L Digest 65
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Re: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
by "Sirra Ndow" <sirra@hotmail.com>
2) Fwd: Warning: could not send message for past 4 hours
by Gunjur@aol.com
3) The gov't bereaucrat I would forvever remember
by KTouray@aol.com
4) Re: MUSA NGUM IN A PLAY-BACK SESSION
by msarr@sprynet.com
5) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
6) Hoax viruses
by momodou@inform-bbs.dk (Momodou Camara)
7) Internet humor
by Ylva Hernlund <yher@u.washington.edu>
8) (PART2) THE CONFUSION ------ SHIA - SUNNI DEVIDE
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
9) RE: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
by "N.JARJU" <CD6C6JNJ@swansea.ac.uk>
10) RE: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
by "hurai betts" <Oneke@msn.com>
11) Re: MUSA NGUM IN A PLAY-BACK SESSION -Reply
by Ndey Fatou Jabbie <NJ173949@gwmail.kysu.edu>
12) Fwd: AFRICA-AGRICULTURE: Drawing Inspiration from the East
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
13) Fwd: AFRICA-FOOD: Prices Rise in Towns as Crops Rot in Fields
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
14) Fwd: AFRICA-AGRICULTURE: Pumping the Way to Food Security
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
15) (PART2) THE CONFUSION ------ SHIA - SUNNI DEVIDE !!!
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
16) irrelevant issues.
by "YAYA S. SISAY" <sisayy@wabash.edu>
17) Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
18) Re: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
by "M'BAI OF" <O.F.M'Bai@icsl.ac.uk>
19) Re: (PART2) THE CONFUSION ------ SHIA - SUNNI DEVIDE !!!
by "SISSOHO EM" <E.M.Sissoho@icsl.ac.uk>
20) Danish DANIDA`s reports on danish-african projects etc..
by =?iso-8859-1?Q?Asbj=F8rn_Nordam?= <asbjorn.nordam@dif.dk>
21) Re: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
by "BEYAI" <P.L.Beyai@newcastle.ac.uk>
22) Re: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
by Ndey Fatou Jabbie <NJ173949@gwmail.kysu.edu>
23) GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE PRESIDENT!!
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
24) Re: observer editorial-justice delay is justice denied
by BASIRU NDOW <bxn4929@omega.uta.edu>
25) 4 All the Lawyers & those interested in Law
by "Dr. S. G. Kamara" <73244.2701@CompuServe.COM>
26) Fwd: Nigeria to be connected to the Internet
by Mbk007@aol.com
27) Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE
PRESIDENT!!
by Tamsir Mbai <mba4224@etbu.edu>
28) Re: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
29) Apology
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
30) Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE
PRESIDENT!!
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
31) Re: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
32) Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
by Andrea Klumpp <klumpp@kar.dec.com>
33) Re: Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
34) Re: Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
35) Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
36) Re: observer editorial-justice delay is justice denied
by Haddijatou Kah <jkah@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
37) Gambians abroad to earn a living
by =?iso-8859-1?Q?Asbj=F8rn_Nordam?= <asbjorn.nordam@dif.dk>
38) Update: Education Group
by Andrea Klumpp <klumpp@kar.dec.com>
39) Fwd:Sub-Saharan Countries Get UNDP Fund for Internet
by Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
40) Temporary unsubscription
by Salifuj@aol.com
41) Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE PRESIDENT!!
by Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
42) Re: Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
by Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
43) POLYGAMMY
by Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
44) Re: POLYGAMMY
by Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
45) Democracy Under Pressure
by "M. Darboe" <mdarboe@fred.net>
46) UDP Reaction to recent Crisis in Parliament
by "M. Darboe" <mdarboe@fred.net>
47) Fwd: Virus Warning!!!!
by TOURAY1@aol.com
48) Re: POLYGAMMY
by "Famara A. Sanyang" <famaraas@amadeus.cmi.no>
49) Re: POLYGAMMY
by "D. Singhateh" <dawdas@u.washington.edu>
50) Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
by mbaldeh@zenithtvl.com
51) Re: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
52) Internet Connectivity for The Gambia
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
53) Greetings to All!
by ASJanneh@aol.com
54) Fwd: Politics This Week (April 18th - April 24th 1997)
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
55) Self Introduction
by Paul Jammeh <st2063@student-mail.jsu.edu>
56) Re: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
by "BEYAI" <P.L.Beyai@newcastle.ac.uk>
57) Resubscribe OMAR SAHO
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
58) RE: Online Services Free (fwd)
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
59) Forwarded posting of Omar Saho
by "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
60) Film Festival
by "William O'Donnell" <billod@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
61)
by sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
62) Jammeh Visits Dakar
by ASJanneh@aol.com
63) Re: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
by "M'BAI OF" <O.F.M'Bai@icsl.ac.uk>
64) Guinea Bissau & the CFA (Response to Mr.
by mbaldeh@zenithtvl.com
65)
by "D. Singhateh" <dawdas@u.washington.edu>
66) Mali wins payback fro Switzerland (fwd)
by Senessie Turay <9210077@talabah.iiu.my>
67) Diouf And Jammeh On Free Movement
by mmjeng@image.dk
68)
by "Bahary Dukuray" <bdukuray@login.eunet.no>
69) New Member
by ABALM@aol.com
70) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
71) Re: New Member
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
72) New Member (Forwarding)
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
73) Re: POLYGAMMY
by Gunjur@aol.com
74) Re: POLYGAMMY
by Gunjur@aol.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 05:42:14 PDT
From: "Sirra Ndow" <sirra@hotmail.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
Message-ID: <199704201242.FAA22688@f36.hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
>Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 23:01:28 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Gunjur@aol.com
>To: GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List
<gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
>Subject: Re: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
>
>Hi everyone,
>I hope l am not stepping on any toes here, but l'd like to address something
>l've been observing. It seems that people tend to get rather emotional and
>in some cases even downright belligerant in responding to comments etc
> concerning the various topics debated on this Gambia-L. Correct me if l am
>wrong, but l am under the impression that this is a forum for us to keep in
>touch as well as engage in intelligent discussion, where everyone is
>entitled to give their opinion. Surely , one can disagree with a statement
>without putting the writer of such statement down.Let us debate with
>intelligent words and a lot of respect for one another. When we disagree, let
>us respond in such a way as to gently pass on some new insight that the
>person we are responding to may have overlooked or didn't know. In this
>manner, we will all continue to learn from one another.
>
>Jabou.
Hi L-ers,
I cannot agree with Jabou more. The kind of "debate" that has been going on on
the L certainly is not what I'd expected. Everyone has their opinion of course
and is entitled to them but that shouldn't mean disrespect to others who happen
to think or see things differently.
I am particularly addresing this to Omar M'bai. If you think a certain topic is
"a waste of (your) time", for God's sake don't pertake in it or if you do, don't
try to force your opinion down people's throat. We understand were you're
coming
from but that doesn't necessary mean everyone has to agree with your POV. These
debates I believe are meant to be intellectual discussion, not personal
name-calling
dramas.
Sirra Ndow
======================================================================
sirra@hotmail.com
======================================================================
---------------------------------------------------------
Get Your *Web-Based* Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 11:38:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gunjur@aol.com
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Fwd: Warning: could not send message for past 4 hours
Message-ID: <970420113824_741166032@emout18.mail.aol.com>
Please forward to Andrea. Thanks.
Jabou
---------------------
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Date: 97-04-20 03:43:13 EDT
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Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 23:32:17 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <970419233216_-1936382212@emout04.mail.aol.com>
To: klumpp@kar.dec.com
Subject: Re: first results of survey
Andrea,
I meant 5 hours per month. I will be happy to help with the evaluation. I did
not save the response from members. Can you re-send the responses for the
comparison? Thanks. I do not know you or the nature of your work. Just
curious. By the way, I am a she.
Jabou.
--JAA08323.861522158/mail.vbo.dec.com--
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 14:54:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: KTouray@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: The gov't bereaucrat I would forvever remember
Message-ID: <970420145453_-734468949@emout19.mail.aol.com>
Government bereaucrats are known the world over for being insepient
foot-draggers who seem to bask at wasting peoples time even for the simplest
of tasks.So pervasive is the problem that most people don't look forward to
doing any kind of business with the government especially when there are time
constraints. You can then imagine my wariness when as a Schedules Assistant
at the Traffic department of GPTC i was assigned to design, coordinate and
impliment the transportation of thousands kids from all the schoolsin Banjul
and kombo St Mary's area to the stadium before 10 am. This was 1990 the
silver jubilee of our Independence. My instructions were to ensure that the
number of students to be transported which my boss meticulously negotiated
at the ministry of Education was not to be increased under any circumstances.
I was also told i could not paralyse the entire national bus services
especially the provincial services that generated almost three quarters of
our revenues. My boss rightly felt that like the school bus service this was
just another gov't mandate our Corporation was saddled with. Like the
previous years we were told the gov't would pay the bills when it came due ,
a statement none us in our right minds believed. Armed with the parameters
set forth by my boss i realised i was up for for an uphill battle with the
headmasters of each of the schools in the region.
As the principal education officer for the greater Banjul area an
affable gentle looking lady by the name of Ms Adelaide Sosseh was designated
as my laison. She was responsible for all the schools in the area and after
my first meeting with her I came out convinced that she was that rare breed
of bereaucrats who can get things done. She had her own plans but she
immediately proposed her offices( which incidentally were just 10 minutes
from our headquaters) be used as a venue for me to both present my plan and
also meet all the headmasters with whom i would deal. I would later realise
that she wanted all those concerned to have a fair hearing to their proposals
and also to leave in the end with a clear understanding of what was required
of them.The first of what became three meetings became somewhat heated with
each headmaster jockeying for large representation in the number of students.
As the chairwoman of the meeting she accomodated each participant only
periodically injecting to ask for clarifications. When the headmasters were
done she invited me to make my presentation. I began by cautioning that
almost each of them would have to significantly scale back on their numbers
because i had only 70 buses to work with and that all the kids would have to
be inline in the stadium at 10am. As a result no specific school was going to
be allocated buses exclusively but rather all 70 buses would be
criss-crossing from one school to the other. At this point some raised
concern that their kids would be arriving piece meal at the stadium instead
of one big trip leading to disorganisation on the stadium grounds. I did not
anticipate the logistics at the stadium ground while the kids are being
ferried in, but the able chairwoman stepped to suggest that one teacher go on
each trip to ensure order once they disembark. I also emphasized that all
buses would be running on exact time schedules effectively ruling out any
waiting time. Any bus that was 5 minutes late for a pick up was to be
immediately reported to operators standing by. By the time the meeting ended
Mrs sosseh made sure that we had infact agreed on all the matters except the
number of kids for each school.She said she would defer the matter to the
next meeting. I noticed that her style was to seek consensus wherever she
could but all of us at the table knew that she was in charge primarily
because she made prompt decisions when the meeting looked like it was winding
in circle. Her approach was both starling and effective.
By the end of the third meeting Mrs Sossehsucceeded in reigning in her
leutenants in terms of their demands if they exceeded what she felt were the
therasold of reason, and in the same token she was able to wrest a few more
buses from a reluctant GPTC mainly through persuation and gentle arm
twisting. The headmasters were quite pleased with there involvement in the
whole process a step Mrs Sosseh could have easily sidesteped by just giving
them quotas. I was the most pleased of all because the whole operation went
without a glitch and i remember looking at the sea of kids in bright colored
uniforms singing the national anthem. None of this could have turned out the
way it did if it were not for the efforts of a very many people especially
Mrs Sosseh who brought order , involvement and ultimate success to what was
at the time a fairly complicated endeavor.Even though this is seven years
later and i have not spoken to Mrs Sosseh and i doubt she remembers me I am
still enormously proud of her. I think she is a quintiessential achiever the
likes of who our nation is clamoring for. It is my sincere hope that she and
those like her are enthrusted the solemn resposibility of leading in some
capacity. I will always remember Mrs Adelaide Sosseh
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 16:55:42 -0700
From: msarr@sprynet.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: MUSA NGUM IN A PLAY-BACK SESSION
Message-ID: <199704202355.QAA04387@m7.sprynet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
He is to be here May 24 & 25th. He will have another playback session on the
24th during the evening party and there is scheduled to be a SAMBASOHO on
Sunday.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 09:19:08 +0200
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970421082225.AAA29718@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Sam Njie has been added to the list. Welcome to the Gambia-l
Sam, please send an introduction of yourself to
gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Regards
Momodou Camara
********************************************
Homepage: http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
Djembe Magazine On-Line: http://www.djembe.dk
DAPAMDA On-line: http://www.djembe.dk/dapamda/
***********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 13:48:05 +0200
From: momodou@inform-bbs.dk (Momodou Camara)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Hoax viruses
Message-ID: <14548958.19068801@inform-bbs.dk>
There has been a sudden increase in warnings about hoax viruses, such as
AOL4FREE, PenPal Greetings, Deeyenda, Irina, and Good Times.
Hoax viruses usually claim to infect your PC just by reading an email
message. There is no known mechanism for a virus to infect your system
in this way. If you receive an e-mail message warning of a disk being
erased just by reading an e-mail message, please DO NOT PASS IT ON.
The spread of the rumors has become a serious problem on the Internet.
More information about hoax viruses is available at the
following URLs: http://kumite.com/myths
http://www.mcafee.com/support/hoax.html
http://www.drsolomon.com/vircen/mailhoax.html
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/
However, you CAN get a virus by reading an attachment in an email
message, such as an MS Word or Excel document, which is infected by a
macro virus. You can also get a virus by running an executable program
(such as *.exe or *.com) someone e-mails you as an attachment. A tiny
program called AOL4FREE.COM has been found, apparently written to
copycat the hoax virus. Do not run this program or click on it as an
attachment. You can safeguard your computer by installing reputable
Anti-Virus software (McAfee, Dr. Solomon's, and Symantec are just
three examples).
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 10:00:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ylva Hernlund <yher@u.washington.edu>
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Internet humor
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.3.95b.970421095920.65096A-100000@dante05.u.washington.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Q: How many internet mail list subscribers does it take
to change a light bulb?
A: 1,331:
1 to change the light bulb and to post to the mail
list that the light bulb has been changed
14 to share similar experiences of changing light
bulbs and how the light bulb could have been
changed differently.
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.
27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about
changing light bulbs.
53 to flame the spell checkers
156 to write to the list administrator complaining about
the light bulb discussion and its inappropriateness
to this mail list.
41 to correct spelling in the spelling/grammar flames.
109 to post that this list is not about light bulbs and
to please take this email exchange to alt.lite.bulb
203 to demand that cross posting to alt.grammar,
alt.spelling and alt.punctuation about changing
light bulbs be stopped.
111 to defend the posting to this list saying that we
all use light bulbs and therefore the posts
**are** relevant to this mail list.
306 to debate which method of changing light
bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs,
what brand of light bulbs work best for this
technique, and what brands are faulty.
27 to post URLs where one can see examples of
different light bulbs
14 to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly, and
to post corrected URLs.
3 to post about links they found from the URLs that
are relevant to this list which makes light bulbs
relevant to this list.
33 to concatenate all posts to date, then quote
them including all headers and footers, and then
add "Me Too."
12 to post to the list that they are unsubscribing
because they cannot handle the light bulb
controversy.
19 to quote the "Me Too's" to say, "Me Three."
4 to suggest that posters request the light bulb FAQ.
1 to propose new alt.change.lite.bulb newsgroup.
47 to say this is just what alt.physic.cold_fusion
was meant for, leave it here.
143 votes for alt.lite.bulb.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 20:57:21 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: (PART2) THE CONFUSION ------ SHIA - SUNNI DEVIDE
Message-ID: <335BAA81.3A9E@QATAR.NET.QA>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
ISLAM AND THE Shia-Sunni CONFUSION
"On the face of it, there is one monolithic Islamic Faith; in essence
each Moslem believes in the Islamic Ideal. But,in practice, political
and historical factors have helped to create differences within the
community.These are essentially of social and cultural nature. .....
There are other shades of opinion within the Sunni and Shia, often based
in cultural factors with little doctrinal significance. In many cases,
there is an overlap between the practice of a sect within the shia and
one within the Sunni."
BY A NOTED SUNNI SCHOLAR
So,we need to clarify this other subject that has cropped up as an
unexpected offshoot to the Farakan controversy,namely, The Shia-Sunni
Devide. Whereas we Gambians have no business getting caught up in the
crossfire of the eternal tribal war between the Arabs and the Persians,
as each one of them struggles for the control of the soul of the Moslem
World, we nonetheless need to have a clear understanding of what and why
they are so intensely and passionately opposed to each other, if for
nothing else because the Gambian and Senegalese Moslems,whether they
know it or not, practise both the Sunni and Shia Traditions,albeit
almost all of them consider themselves Sunnis.
Despite geographical proximity between the Arabs and Iranians and
despite the massive intermarriage between them,the only thing these two
peoples can and do agree on is that The Quran is the true word of God
and that Prophet Mohammad is the last prophet and that there would be a
Last day of Judgement.And the rest,almost anything else,is up for sale!
debateable,I mean.The problem with this situation is that they agree on
the simplest of the issues - issues that even uneducated moslems have no
problems with,which, in short, means that the Arabs and the Iranians
will almost never agree on anything except for the fact that both of
them belong to the same religion.And yet each of them is right to some
extent because each side has substantiated its claims by providing piles
and piles of evidence form the Quran,the Prophetic Sayings and Islamic
Jurisprudence.And in truth, there is nothing wrong with such differences
since the prophet himself said that THE DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS AMONG
HIS FOLLOWERS IS A BLESSING FOR THE MOSLEM UMMAH. So,as we will now see,
the issues involved here are too huge,complex and dangerous to be left
to the narrow interpretations of the amateurs . So,for the sake of
providing unbiased factual knowledge about this subject for all those
GambiaNetters who may have been confused by this whole debate,I will in
the following paragraphs expalin the things that the SHIAS and the
SUNNIS agree on and the things they disagree on and why.And ,along the
way,I will also try to expalin how and why Gambian Moslems are
simultaneously Sunni and Shia.But before doing that I want to add one
very important point here: ONE of the strong points of Islam is that it
has no priesthood and that means that,in theory atleast, every moslem
has the right to open the Quran and read it and interpret it for him- or
herself and that he or she is not bound by the interpretation of any
scholar.This democratic ideal,as great as it is ,is a source of lot of
chaos in the Islamic world;all of us have now become used to seeing half
of our that little Gambia starting the month of Ramadan one day,and the
other half the next day.All of that chaos has its source at the
democratic nature of Islamic Jurisprudence.So, Because of the fact
that the Quran is the most complex and difficult document written in
the Arabic Language,which means that most uninitiated Arabs can't
understand except bits and pieces of it, let alone those people living
in 'For The Gambia ,Our HomeLand'. And characterizing translating the
Quran into the English language as problematic is a gross
understatement.
The first person to enter Islam is ,of course,Khadija,the Prophet's
employer,financial backer and wife, the wealthiest lady of Quraish, the
Prophet's clan. And the second person to enter was was Ali, the
prophet's cousin and later on Son-in-law;because Ali married Fatima, the
daughter of Khadija and the Prophet. Ali's charisma, strong personality,
integrity and intelligence is well documented in both Islamic History
and Jurisprudence and undisputed by both the Sunni's and Shia.The
Prophet himself was so impressed of his intelligence one day that he
said of him: " I Am The City Of Knowledge, And Ali Is Its Gate." The
Sticking Point between the Shias and the Sunnis is Ali, the prophet's
son-in-law; Fatima,the prophet's first daughter; Hassan &Huaain, the
twins of Ali and Fatima and Grandchildren of the Prophet.And these
people are called in Arabic and the Quran as THE AHL ALBAYT (the people
of the House/family) and lets listen to the Quran: "And stay quietly in
your houses,
and make not a dazzling,display like that of the former times of
ignorance; and establish regular prayer, and give regular charity; and
obey God and his Apostle.And God only wishes to remove all abominations
from you, Ye the Members of the Family and to make you Pure
Spotless."The key word here is PURE and SPOTLESS.The Shia argument goes
like this: If Ali is the gate to the city of knowledge,pure,spotless and
cousin,confidant,and a very good friend of the Prophet and saying
nothing of the fact that he and his mother in-law were the first people
to enter Islam,then there was no one in Quraish as remotely spiritually
qualified as he was to take the prophet's place,and that all these
things could not have happened by accident: it was preordained by God
that he was the heir to the prophet,and that he was infact once told by
the prophet to take his place after his death.And one of the major
events that helped confirm their suspicion was that immediately after
the Prophet had died, the elders of Quraish hastily organised a secret
meeting in which Ali was deliberately left out even though he was in
town, a characteristic Arab intrigue,out of which Abubakr, a powerful
Quraish businessman and father of the prophet's second wife,Aisha, was
elected.So, for the Shia,all of the three Caliphs that preceded Ali
(Abubakr,Omar and Uthman) are fakes because they conspired and intrigued
their way to the Caliphate as a result of hunger for power and a clear
violation of the wishes of the prophet and an insult to the people of
the house.And because of this, only a minority among the Shias recognize
these three caliphs.
The Sunnis very strongly disagree on this point.They argue that the
Caliph,the elected successor of the prophet succeeds him only
politically and militarily but does not have the religious authority of
the prophet, and because of that,the moslem community reserves the right
to elect anyone who has good leadership qualities,regardless of whether
that person has specialized religious knowledge.And the Shias are
adamant.They quote a verse in chapter(4):"He Who Obeys The Apostle,Obeys
God"And they interpret this verse to mean that the only way you can get
through to God is through the Prophet, and since the Prophet is the city
of knowledge and Ali is the Gate to that city, there is no way you can
get into that city without getting through the gate.And they go on to
say that the Imams and Islamic Scholars are the successors to the people
of the House,and therefore are the natural leaders of the Islaimic
Community.And they base that argument on a verse in chapter(4) "O Ye who
believe,Obey God,and obey the Apostle and those charged with authority
among you; if you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to God
and His Apostle,if you do believe in God and the last day,that is the
best and most suitable for final determination." So,for the
Shias,leadership of the Moslem Community is vested in the Imam(Religious
Leader) who although not a prophet,is a devine inspired
religio-political leader.And Because the Imam must be a distinguished
scholar and jurist, he is the final authoritative interpreter of the
islamic law.
The Sunni, on the other hand, believe that since the Prophet's role in
revealing god's laws in the Quran and guiding people to God in the
Sunnah ended with his death,therefore, the difficult task of
interpreting Islam,especially,those issues not explicitly mentioned in
the Quran, lies in consensus(Ijmaa) or collective judgement or ruling of
the traditional religious scholars.But the Shias don't believe that God
would leave the moslems without guidance,and because there are lots of
hidden meanings,and lots of abreviations in the quran that still nobody
knows their meanings,only devine inspiration could reveal those
things,thus the role of the Imam.But, as far as the Sunnis are
concerned, the moslem community can do just fine,by just interpreting
the Quran literally.Because God and humans have a direct relationship,so
that Saints and Sholars cannot be intermediaries to God.They are only
the formal interpreters of the religion.That is why the Sunni
Orthodoxy,the group most hostile to the Shias,views belief in shrines
and saints as heretical and a dangerous deviation from the true worship
of God.
The Shias, backed by lots of evidence from the Quran,are neither
appologetic nor repentant.They argue forcefully, that intercession is an
integral part of the devine plan for salvation.For them, Ali and the
other main Imams were devinely inspired people who because of their
spirituality were intermediaries between God and the believers. And that
,in the absence of an Imam, a distinguished Islamic Scholar can act as
the supreme guide and authority on Islamic Law and thus becomes the
paragon of Islamic behaviour.And in chapter (16), the Quran says: "God
sets forth(another) parable of two men: one of them dumb, with no power
of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master; whichever way he
directs him, he brings no good; Is such a man equal with one who
commands justice, and is on a straight way?" and again in chapter (39)
the Quran says: "Is one who worships devoutly during during the hours of
the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed
of the hereafter, and he who places his hope in the mercy of his Lord
(like one who does not)? Say: are those equal, those who know and those
who do not know. It is those who are endued with understanding that
receive admonotion."
Another important difference between the Shias and the Sunnis is their
interpretation of Islamic history. For the Sunnis,because of their
majority status - ninety percent of moslems throughout the world are
sunnis - and becuse they pschologically feel like the winners, atleast
numerically, they tend to interpret early islamic History and even
recent ones with regards to their success and power as sign of God's
guidance and reward to the faithful and validation of their belief and
claims. As for the Shias,because of their minority status in the Moslem
world, in addition to the manner in which they were traumatized by the
assassination of Ali and his two children, Hassan and Hussein by the
families and supporters of the first three Caliphs, interpret history as
the enactment of the struggle and sacrifice of an oppressed and
disinherited minority community endevouring to restore God's rule on
earth of the entire community - the Moslem Ummah. And such a struggle
must be led by the imam.It is a struggle in God's way, irrespective of
the forces of evil personified by satan ranged against them.The lives of
the Imams are seen as embodying this struggle; and their martyrdom esp.
that of Ali, Hassan and Hussein give them a model. These two attitudes
towards history basically accounts for the difference between the
international behaviour of Saudi Arabia and Iran.
So,in conclusion,we can now say that both the Shias and the Sunnis
believe in the same five pillars of Islam. But whereas the Sunnis
perform the five daily prayers in five separate sessions, the Shias
perform them in three different sessions instead. And whereas the Sunnis
would eat when on travel during the month of ramadan but pay back in
full the number of days spent on the journey after the Ramadan, the
Shias, when travelling in the month of ramadan, fast until mid-day and
would not pay anything back. In the Shia tradition, it is perfectly
acceptable for a male and a female moslem adults to agree to marry only
temporary, esp. when both of them meet in a distant land where they
don't want to commit adultery. This has not been acceptable to the
Saudis. But a couple of months ago, some distinguished Islamic Scholars
there said that such an arragement should be legalised, since it had
been at one time or the other been legalised by the Prophet.Becaus that
would help reduce the unacceptably high number of unmarried women in the
kingdom. These basically are the similarities and differences between
the shias and Sunnis, so that the antagonism between the Arabs and the
Iranian have very little to do with Islamic theology as such, but
everything to do with their tribal hatred for each other , that in
addition to their divergent and often hostile geo-political ambitions.
So, it is just a propaganda that the Shias believe that Ali is a Prophet
or that God made a mistake in sending Prophet Mohammad instead of him.
But it is perfectly understandable why the uninitiated would confuse the
shade for the substance.
IN THE NEXT AND FINAL EPISODE, WE WILL SAY A COUPLE THINGS ABOUT WHY THE
SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN THE SUNNI AND SHIA TRADITIONS SUIT THE SENEGAMBIANS
BETTER THAN OPTING FOR ONE OR THE OTHER. AND UNTIL THEN
..................................
REGARDS BASSSS!! .
.
--
SZDDˆð'3Af¨
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 20:59:58 GMT0BST
From: "N.JARJU" <CD6C6JNJ@swansea.ac.uk>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
Message-ID: <30BB80B251F@CCUGRAD2.SWAN.AC.UK>
> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 22:34:15 -0400 (EDT)
> Reply-to: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
> From: Gunjur@aol.com
> To: GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List
> <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: RE: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
> Mr. Betts wrote about Gambian lawyers' fear of marabouts etc. I think that
> aside from this, there is also the fact that a Gambian magistrate would
> probably be subject to a lot of finger pointing if they preside over a case
> and "God forbid" send someone's son or daughter to prison. The nature of
> our society is such that some of the people would find it hard to view
> such situations objectively and just accept that one is merely doing one's
> job. This is unfortunately true of our society.
>
> Jabou.
> Please my comment on the issue of Marabouts and pointing of
fingers are inevitable; but my advise to we the young is that, let us
not fear these things at the detriment of our societies. When we
practice justice without fear, I am of the opinion that nothing will
happen to us.
Could you believe that many cases are taken to Marabouts that are yet
to materialise? Secondly, whether a Gambian sentences your son /
daughter or not another person will do it if he /she deserves to be
sentenced.
Please Jabou, in many cases Marabouts' action never act if the person
is innocent. Allah is there for us all, and Allah loves Justice over
everything else. Let all young people interested in law read and go
home to practice it, if not we shall continue to depend on foreign
labour. Allah is the best Judge and whosoever harms you unjustly
shall pay for the price in the Hereafter. Please fear less about
Marabout business ( THEY DO NOT HAVE INDEPENDENT POWERS
BUT DEPEND ON ALLAH ).
May Allah give us the Will to practise justice.
Thanx
Nyaks.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 97 19:36:10 UT
From: "hurai betts" <Oneke@msn.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
Message-ID: <UPMAIL15.199704212020490850@msn.com>
Just a note of correction, it's Ms Betts, not Mr., and your point is well
stated.
Hurai
-----Original Message-----
From: GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu On Behalf Of Gunjur@AOL.COM
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 1997 9:34 PM
To: GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List
Subject: RE: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
Mr. Betts wrote about Gambian lawyers' fear of marabouts etc. I think that
aside from this, there is also the fact that a Gambian magistrate would
probably be subject to a lot of finger pointing if they preside over a case
and "God forbid" send someone's son or daughter to prison. The nature of
our society is such that some of the people would find it hard to view
such situations objectively and just accept that one is merely doing one's
job. This is unfortunately true of our society.
Jabou.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 17:05:04 -0400
From: Ndey Fatou Jabbie <NJ173949@gwmail.kysu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: MUSA NGUM IN A PLAY-BACK SESSION -Reply
Message-ID: <s35b9e4a.032@gwmail.kysu.edu>
HELLO,
CAN YOU PLEASE SPECIFY WHERE MUSA
NGUM WILL BE HAVING A PLAY-BACK SESSION
THIS COMING MAY.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 23:48:23 +0200
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Fwd: AFRICA-AGRICULTURE: Drawing Inspiration from the East
Message-ID: <19970421225147.AAA39298@LOCALNAME>
Copyright 1997 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
*** 17-Apr-97 ***
Title: AFRICA-AGRICULTURE: Drawing Inspiration from the East
by Josephine Masimba
HARARE, Apr 17 (IPS) - Much of China receives less than 50 mm of
rain each year, a fate shared by many countries in sub-Saharan
Africa, but China grows enough food for its 1.2 billion people
whereas some African nations do not.
One of the things that has enabled China to feed its people is
the use of irrigation technology developed in the country,
according to Zhou Weiping of the irrigation and drainage
corporation of China's Ministry of Water Resources.
''The main reason for the success in the development of
irrigation technology in China is the involvement of government,''
Zhou told IPS here at an Apr. 14-17 East and Southern African Workshop
on Technology Transfer in Support of Food Security.
The encounter was organised by the U.N Food and Agricultural
Organisation (FAO) and the International Programme for Technology
Research on Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID) to look at ways to make
irrigation technology accessible to African small farmers.
It brought together experts, governmental officials, farmers
and representatives of non-governmental organisations from 15
countries, including Asian and African ones, as well as delegates from
multilateral institutions.
According to Zhou, who presented a paper at the meeting, in
1995 there were 10,286,000 mechanical irrigation and drainage
machines in China, whose Ministry of Machinery was managing 166
irrigation-equipment companies with a total staff of 65,000 by
that year.
Explaining China's irrigation takeoff, Zhou said: ''A rather
complete system including product research and development,
quality control, after-sales service, marketing and numerous
enterprises (has) been formed. It is very convenient for farmers
to purchase and use small irrigation equipment in China.''
The 41 percent of China's arable land that is irrigated
produces 80 percent of total national grain output. Sub-Saharan
Africa, in contrast, irrigates only four percent of its farmland
and this has had an effect on its performance in agriculture.
Factors such as inefficient water use, a poor resource base and
lack of land titles have impeded the improvement of farming in
Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, according to a 1996 FAO/IPTRID survey on
the three countries plus Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Moreover, irrigation is expensive in the first three nations.
''The cost of irrigation equipment, either manufactured and or
assembled locally or imported was 2 to 10 times higher than in
Asian countries, depending on the equipment,'' noted the FAO'S
Arumugam Kandiah. ''For example, the cost of locally manufactured
treadle pumps in Malawi and in Zambia was respectively 100 and 400
percent more than in Asia.''
''However, in Zimbabwe the situation is relatively better and
there is clear evidence of succesful smallholder irrigation. For
example, sprinkler irrigation is used in about 10 percent of the
8500 ha smallholder irrigation,'' said Kandiah. He attributed this to
the close links between Zimbabwe's commercial farming sector and that
of neighbouring South Africa, whose technology is relatively advanced.
According to F.H Koegelenberg, irrigation engineer in the
department of agriculture of South Africa's Western Cape province,
''South African companies have the capacity to manufacture relevant
and suitable equipment for small-scale farmers in other parts of
Africa.''
However, ''export of products to other African countries is
diificult due to design, knowledge and financial shortcomings,''
he said. ''Suitable dealers, irrigation merchants and extension
officers with the expertise to handle even conventional irrigation
systems are hard to find.''
This week's workshop promoted the transfer of irrigation
technology both within the continent and to Africa from Asia,
where countries such as China and India have developed low-cost,
watering methods.
According to Kandiah, treadle pumps like those used in Asia are
suitable for lifting water from shallow water bodies and can be
used by individual farmers in parts of East and Southern African.
Groups of farmers, he said, could also benefit from the small
tanks that have been used successfully in Sri Lanka and India, for
example. Most of these tanks have a storage capacity of 100,000 to
500,000 m3 and they cost about 800 to 1,000 U.S. dollars per ha.
There is also scope for exchanges within the continent.
In Kenya, the non-governmental Appropriate Technologies for
Enterprise Creation (APPROTEC), has been helping to develop the
manufacture of irrigation equipment, according to its technical
director, Martin Fisher.
His institution designs the equipment and ''the whole business
package required,'' Fisher told IPS. ''Then we train private
sector manufacturers to produce that machinery and equipment.
''We see small-scale irrigation as a very high-potential small
business, because if you own a hectare of land and you start
growing high-value cash crops, specially fruits and vegetables,
you can make a lot of money,'' he said.
''In Kenya, if you take a hectare of land and start growing for
the local market, maybe tomato, or kales or cabbages, you can make an
increased income of about 2,500 U.S. dollars per year,'' Fisher added.
''But if you start supplying vegetables for the export markets ... you
can make as much as 25,000 dollars in additional income per year from
having two additional planting seasons on that one hectare.''
But for Zhou, the bottom line is that governments have to take
the responsibility to identify and promote appropriate
technologies for their peoples. ''Manufacturers are not interested in
increasing farmers' income. It's the profit (that motivates them),''
he said. (END/IPS/JM/KB/97)
Origin: Harare/AFRICA-AGRICULTURE/
----
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 23:48:23 +0200
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Fwd: AFRICA-FOOD: Prices Rise in Towns as Crops Rot in Fields
Message-ID: <19970421225147.AAB39298@LOCALNAME>
Copyright 1997 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
*** 15-Apr-97 ***
Title: AFRICA-FOOD: Prices Rise in Towns as Crops Rot in Fields
By David Hecht
DAKAR, Apr 15 (IPS) -- Mountains of food are left to rot in parts of
Africa because of inefficient delivery systems to the urban areas and,
as a result, city dwellers pay high prices for local produce or
consume more imported goods.
Experts who have gathered this week in Dakar to address the
issue of food security in African cities, say that, with the rapid
growth of the continent's towns, the already fragile infrastructure
needed to deliver local produce is breaking down. The cost of
inefficient supply and distribution systems, they add, is paid for by
African consumers.
''Seventy percent of the cost of food items in some cities is
from marketing rather than production,'' says UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) expert Richard Roberts.
The result is that consumers become poorer because their
purchasing power drops. Moreover, the local produce loses its
competitiveness against imports.
Development efforts in Africa have long focused on increasing
food production but ''we have come to realise that more and more
of the food that is being produced is going spoilt,'' says
Roberts, who heads the Agricultural Marketing and Rural Finance
Service division (AGSM) which organised Apr. 14-18 sub-regional
meeting for Francophone Africa.
The problem has a direct impact on poverty and malnutrition in
urban areas, says Olivio Argenti, who co-ordinators FAO's
programme to improve food supply and distribution systems.
According to an FAO case study on the deterioration of food
delivery to Dakar, 12 percent of infants aged from 1 to 5 years
are severely malnourishied. That's double what the figure was six
years ago.
This week's meeting represents the first time FAO has brought
together high-level experts and policy-makers specifically to
address food security from the point of consumption rather than
production. The aim, says Argenti, is to help African governments
better ''link urban and rural issues into agricultural policy.''
Food security ''means more than just providing food,'' says
Roberts. It has to be delivered ''at the right time, in the right form
and to the right place.'' He adds that many producers and marketers
lack basic information about consumption patterns, the availability of
storage facilities, transport schedules and the spaces available where
their goods can be sold.
Africa's rapid urbanisation has exacerbated the problem in
several ways. As cities expand, surrounding farmlands are replaced by
new settlements populated by people from the rural areas. They,
ironically have often just given up farming to look for more
profitable work in the urban areas. In the meantime, the demand for
food in the cities grows.
The problem is most acute in Sahelian countries where much of
the land is too arid to farm. In Dakar, whose population doubles
every 25 years, the 'green belt' around the city is disappearing. Now
the food is coming from hundred of kilometres away.
Many of the former farmers around Dakar have become what people
here pejoratively call 'bana bana', or middlemen. The government
has tried to break up some of the bana bana's transport network
claiming they are extorting huge profits. But the FAO case study
concludes that, as most of the bana bana's vehicles are old, their
prices are high to cover the costs of frequent breakdowns.
The more inefficient and expensive the delivery of local food
becomes, the more urban markets open up to imports. And this has
largely remained true despite high import tariffs and, in the
countries of francophone Africa, a 50 percent devaluation in 1994 of
the CFA franc, their common currency, which doubled the price of
imports.
The co-ordinator of the Dakar case study, Papa Seck, says he
was ''astonished'' to find out how many food items are still
imported that could be produced within the country. Ninety-eight
percent of all milk produces are imported, he says. ''Even though the
quality is not as good as local milk, it just works out cheaper.''
Dakar also imports 95 percent of its rice, the main staple,
even though the French government has invested millions of francs into
local rice production while the Senegalese government has imposed
taxes of up to 46.8 percent on imported rice to protect the local
product.
The FAO officials co-ordinating this week's meeting stress that
bringing the local rice to market is only part of the problem. The
quality of production is poor and the irrigation needed in Sahelian
region is expensive. Also at issue is the lack of a cohesive rice
policy with the United States pushing the Senegalese government into
export crops instead of rice, while the French continue to finance the
latter.
''We cannot address all the issues of food security at this
week's meeting,'' says Argenti, although he recognises that they
are interrelated. To consider the food supply and distribution
aspect, the FAO officials have called on agriculturists,
nutritionists, economists, geographers, and urban planners to meet
with national and local policy makers.
Food delivery requires a multidisciplinary approach, says
Argenti: ''When a nutritionist in the ministry of health wants to
promote the consumption of a particular diet, she needs to check with
the agriculture ministry what foods they are trying to produce and
with the commerce ministry as to what imports are being discouraged.''
Experts say the first step is to create an enabling environment
for food delivery through appropriate legislation. Laws should aim to
''structure market interactions'' says FAO consultant Carmac Cullinan,
rather than ''regulate conduct'' or ''seeking specific results''.
The FAO also plans to offer training programs to the actual
deliverers and suppliers of food, to help them reduce overheads.
Seck cautions against grand schemes since they can ''cause more
problems than they solve''.
Many of the supply and distribution systems in Africa operate
outside of government control, often within families, or ethnic
and religious groups. These informal businesses have ''a logic of
their own which we still mostly do not understand,'' says Seck. ''How
then can we tell them what to do?'' (END/IPS/DH/KB/97)
Origin: Harare/AFRICA-FOOD/
----
[c] 1997, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
All rights reserved
May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or
service outside of the APC networks, without specific
permission from IPS. This limitation includes distribution
via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists,
print media and broadcast. For information about cross-
posting, send a message to <online@ips.org>. For
information about print or broadcast reproduction please
contact the IPS coordinator at <online@ips.org>.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 23:48:24 +0200
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Fwd: AFRICA-AGRICULTURE: Pumping the Way to Food Security
Message-ID: <19970421225147.AAC39298@LOCALNAME>
Copyright 1997 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
*** 16-Apr-97 ***
Title: AFRICA-AGRICULTURE: Pumping the Way to Food Security
by Josephine Masimba
HARARE, Apr 16 (IPS) - Promoting small-scale irrigation is the key to
food security in Africa, where only a small percentage of farmland
gets enough water, according to experts.
''We know that in African countries at this stage of
development, small-scale irrigation probably is more reliable and more
resilient than large-scale irrigation,'' Hans Wolter, of the UN Food
and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) told IPS.
Wolter was one of the speakers at an Apr. 14-17 Southern
African workshop on irrigation technology transfers, held in
Harare.
Underscribing the importance of irrigation in food production,
Arumugam Kandiah, senior officer of the FAO's Agriculture
Department in Rome, said: ''Between 30 to 40 percent of the
world's food comes from the irrigated 16 percent (about 250
million ha) of the total cultivated land.''
However, he said, ''there are wide regional variations in the
proportion of agricultural land that receives irrigation: 38
percent in Asia, 15 percent in Latin America; and 4 percent in sub-
Saharan Africa.''
Within Africa itself, where most people are subsistence farmers
vulnerable to unreliable rains, natural disaster, political and
economic instability, access to irrigation differs immensely.
''Six countries (Egypt, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and
Sudan) account for nearly 75 percent of the total irrigated land in
Africa,'' Kandiah said.
According to Kandiah, many sub-Saharan African states have
realised the importance of irrigation in food production, but its
development is still hobbled by factors such as the ''relatively high
cost of irrigation development, inadequate physical infrastructure and
markets, poor investments in irrigation, lack of access to improved
irrigation technologies and lack of cheap and readily available water
supplies.''
The main thrusts of this week's workshop included making
cheaper and appropriate irrigation technology used in parts of
Asia available to Africa's farmers.
''We have found that the cost of a small diesel pump in India
is three or four times less than on the market in African
countries,'' said Wolter. ''In addition, the on-farm productivity of a
water pump is about half for African countries, so it's not surprising
that irrigation is not developing as fast as we would want it to.''
Missions to Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia organised last year by
the FAO and the International Programme for Technology Research on
Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID), found that improved irrigation
technologies and crop husbandry practices could transform 80 to 85
percent of food producers there from small-scale and mostly dry- land
subsistence farmers into economically viable, substantive farmers.
''There are three elements involved,'' Wolter told IPS, ''one
is how to make it (technology) available on the market. Second,
how to promote local manufacture and local services so that the
problems of spare parts' supply and repairs and so forth do not
arise. The third is how to create an enabling environment that
would address questions of taxes and tariffs, knowledge generation and
know-how transfer, and perhaps credit and marketing.''
The answer, according to Wolter, lies in ''the transfer of
technology from other developing countries, for example India and
China, who are perhaps a bit more advanced in manufacturing and they
have developed technologies which we think are very suitable for
application in African countries and they are much cheaper.''
The FAO/IPTRID meeting was convened to review the findings of
the missions taken by these two bodies in Tanzania, Malawi,
Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Kenya and to discuss the
opportunities to transfer improved, low-cost, water-saving
technologies within and among African and other countries.
The experts also came to Harare to identify mechanisms for
irrigation technology transfer and adoption, including ''an
enabling environment'' for local manufacture and supply of
irrigation equipment and services to small-scale farmers
(including marketing, credit and extention.
The ultimate goal is to recommend actions to be taken at the
national and sub-regional levels to promote small-scale irrigation
development through the transfer and adoption of appropriate
technologies.
The list of participants included high-level representatives of
research and training institutions, governments, non-governmental
organisations (NGOS), bi-lateral and multilateral agencies, sub-
regional and regional agencies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers
and private investors from 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and
North America. (end/ips/jm/kb/97)
Origin: Harare/AFRICA-AGRICULTURE/
----
[c] 1997, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
All rights reserved
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 21:47:34 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Subject: (PART2) THE CONFUSION ------ SHIA - SUNNI DEVIDE !!!
Message-ID: <335BB646.2D4@QATAR.NET.QA>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
ISLAM AND THE Shia-Sunni CONFUSION
"On the face of it, there is one monolithic Islamic Faith; in essence
each Moslem believes in the Islamic Ideal. But,in practice, political
and historical factors have helped to create differences within the
community.These are essentially of social and cultural nature. .....
There are other shades of opinion within the Sunni and Shia, often based
in cultural factors with little doctrinal significance. In many cases,
there is an overlap between the practice of a sect within the shia and
one within the Sunni."
BY A NOTED SUNNI SCHOLAR
So,we need to clarify this other subject that has cropped up as an
unexpected offshoot to the Farakan controversy,namely, The Shia-Sunni
Devide. Whereas we Gambians have no business getting caught up in the
crossfire of the eternal tribal war between the Arabs and the Persians,
as each one of them struggles for the control of the soul of the Moslem
World, we nonetheless need to have a clear understanding of what and why
they are so intensely and passionately opposed to each other, if for
nothing else because the Gambian and Senegalese Moslems,whether they
know it or not, practise both the Sunni and Shia Traditions,albeit
almost all of them consider themselves Sunnis.
Despite geographical proximity between the Arabs and Iranians and
despite the massive intermarriage between them,the only thing these two
peoples can and do agree on is that The Quran is the true word of God
and that Prophet Mohammad is the last prophet, and that there would be a
Last day of Judgement.And the rest,almost anything else,is up for sale!
debateable,I mean.The problem with this situation is that they agree on
the simplest of the issues - issues that even uneducated moslems have no
problems with,which, in short, means that the Arabs and the Iranians
will almost never agree on anything except for the fact that both of
them belong to the same religion.And yet, each of them is right to some
extent because each side has substantiated its claims by providing piles
and piles of evidence from the Quran,the Prophetic Sayings and Islamic
Jurisprudence.And in truth, there is nothing wrong with such differences
since the prophet himself said that THE DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS AMONG
HIS FOLLOWERS IS A BLESSING FOR THE MOSLEM UMMAH. So,as we will now see,
the issues involved here are too huge,complex and dangerous to be left
to the narrow interpretations of the amateurs . So,for the sake of
providing unbiased factual knowledge about this subject for all those
GambiaNetters who may have been confused by this whole debate,I will in
the following paragraphs expalin the things that the SHIAS and the
SUNNIS agree on and the things they disagree on and why.And ,along the
way,I will also try to expalin how and why Gambian Moslems are
simultaneously Sunni and Shia.But ,before doing that, I want to add one
very important point here: ONE of the strong points of Islam is that it
has no priesthood and that means that,in theory atleast, every moslem
has the right to open the Quran and read it and interpret it for him or
herself and that he or she is not bound by the interpretation of any
scholar.This democratic ideal,as great as it is ,is a source of lot of
chaos in the Islamic world;all of us have now become used to seeing half
of our that little Gambia starting the month of Ramadan one day,and the
other half the next day.All of that chaos has its source at the
democratic nature of Islamic Jurisprudence.So, Because of the fact
that the Quran is the most complex and difficult document written in
the Arabic Language,which means that most uninitiated Arabs can't
understand except bits and pieces of it, let alone those people living
in 'For The Gambia ,Our HomeLand'. And characterizing translating the
Quran into the English language as problematic is a gross
understatement!
The first person to enter Islam is ,of course,Khadija,the Prophet's
employer,financial backer and wife, the wealthiest lady of Quraish, the
Prophet's clan. And the second person to enter was Ali, the prophet's
cousin and later on Son-in-law;because Ali married Fatima, the daughter
of Khadija and the Prophet. Ali's charisma, strong personality,
integrity and intelligence is well documented in both Islamic History
and Jurisprudence and undisputed by both the Sunnis and Shias.The
Prophet himself was so impressed by his intelligence one day that he
said of him: " I Am The City Of Knowledge, And Ali Is Its Gate." The
Sticking Point between the Shias and the Sunnis is Ali, the prophet's
son-in-law; Fatima,the prophet's first daughter; Hassan & Hussain, the
twins of Ali and Fatima and Grandchildren of the Prophet.And these
people are called in Arabic and the Quran as THE AHL ALBAYT (the people
of the House/family) and lets listen to the Quran: "And stay quietly in
your houses,and make not a dazzling,display like that of the former
times of ignorance; and establish regular prayer, and give regular
charity; and obey God and his Apostle.And God only wishes to remove all
abominations from you, Ye the Members of the Family and to make you Pure
Spotless." The key word here is PURE and SPOTLESS.The Shia argument goes
like this: If Ali is the gate to the city of knowledge,pure,spotless and
cousin,confidant,and a very good friend of the Prophet and saying
nothing of the fact that he and his mother in-law were the first people
to enter Islam,then there was no one in Quraish as remotely spiritually
qualified as he was to take the prophet's place,and that all these
things could not have happened by accident: it was preordained by God
that he was the heir to the prophet,and that he was infact once told by
the prophet to take his place after his death.And one of the major
events that helped confirm their suspicion was that immediately after
the Prophet had died, the elders of Quraish hastily organised a secret
meeting in which Ali was deliberately left out even though he was in
town, a characteristic Arab intrigue,out of which Abubakr, a powerful
Quraish businessman and father of the prophet's second wife,Aisha, was
elected.So, for the Shia,all of the three Caliphs that preceded Ali
(Abubakr,Omar and Uthman) are fakes because they conspired and intrigued
their way to the Caliphate as a result of hunger for power and a clear
violation of the wishes of the prophet and an insult to the people of
the house.And because of this, only a minority among the Shias recognize
these three caliphs.
The Sunnis very strongly disagree on this point.They argue that the
Caliph,the elected successor of the prophet succeeds him only
politically and militarily but does not have the religious authority of
the prophet, and because of that,the moslem community reserves the right
to elect anyone who has good leadership qualities,regardless of whether
that person has specialized religious knowledge.And the Shias are
adamant.They quote a verse in chapter(4):"He Who Obeys The Apostle,Obeys
God"And they interpret this verse to mean that the only way you can get
through to God is through the Prophet, and since the Prophet is the city
of knowledge and Ali is the Gate to that city, there is no way you can
get into that city without getting through the gate.And they go on to
say that the Imams and Islamic Scholars are the successors to the people
of the House,and therefore are the natural leaders of the Islaimic
Community.And they base that argument on a verse in chapter(4) "O Ye who
believe,Obey God,and obey the Apostle and those charged with authority
among you; if you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to God
and His Apostle,if you do believe in God and the last day,that is the
best and most suitable for final determination." So,for the
Shias,leadership of the Moslem Community is vested in the Imam(Religious
Leader) who although not a prophet,is a devine inspired
religio-political leader.And Because the Imam must be a distinguished
scholar and jurist, he is the final authoritative interpreter of the
islamic law.
The Sunni, on the other hand, believe that since the Prophet's role in
revealing god's laws in the Quran and guiding people to God in the
Sunnah ended with his death,therefore, the difficult task of
interpreting Islam,especially,those issues not explicitly mentioned in
the Quran, lies in consensus(Ijmaa) or collective judgement or ruling of
the traditional religious scholars.But the Shias don't believe that God
would leave the moslems without guidance,and because there are lots of
hidden meanings,and lots of abreviations in the quran that still nobody
knows their meanings,only devine inspiration could reveal those
things,thus the role of the Imam.But, as far as the Sunnis are
concerned, the moslem community can do just fine,by just interpreting
the Quran literally.Because God and humans have a direct relationship,so
that Saints and Sholars cannot be intermediaries to God.They are only
the formal interpreters of the religion.That is why the Sunni
Orthodoxy,the group most hostile to the Shias,views belief in shrines
and saints as heretical and a dangerous deviation from the true worship
of God.
The Shias, backed by lots of evidence from the Quran,are neither
appologetic nor repentant.They argue forcefully, that intercession is an
integral part of the devine plan for salvation.For them, Ali and the
other main Imams were devinely inspired people who because of their
spirituality were intermediaries between God and the believers. And that
,in the absence of an Imam, a distinguished Islamic Scholar can act as
the supreme guide and authority on Islamic Law and thus becomes the
paragon of Islamic behaviour.And in chapter (16), the Quran says: "God
sets forth(another) parable of two men: one of them dumb, with no power
of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master; whichever way he
directs him, he brings no good; Is such a man equal with one who
commands justice, and is on a straight way?" and again in chapter (39)
the Quran says: "Is one who worships devoutly during during the hours of
the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed
of the hereafter, and he who places his hope in the mercy of his Lord
(like one who does not)? Say: are those equal, those who know and those
who do not know. It is those who are endued with understanding that
receive admonition."
Another important difference between the Shias and the Sunnis is their
interpretation of Islamic history. For the Sunnis,because of their
majority status - ninety percent of moslems throughout the world are
sunnis - and because they pschologically feel like the winners, atleast
numerically, they tend to interpret early islamic History and even
recent ones with regards to their success and power as sign of God's
guidance and reward to the faithful and validation of their belief and
claims. As for the Shias,because of their minority status in the Moslem
world, in addition to the manner in which they were traumatized by the
assassination of Ali and his two children, Hassan and Hussein by the
families and supporters of the first three Caliphs, interpret history as
the enactment of the struggle and sacrifice of an oppressed and
disinherited minority community endeavouring to restore God's rule on
earth of the entire community - the Moslem Ummah. And such a struggle
must be led by the Imam.It is a struggle in God's way, irrespective of
the forces of evil personified by satan ranged against them.The lives of
the Imams are seen as embodying this struggle; and their martyrdom esp.
that of Ali, Hassan and Hussein give them a model. These two attitudes
towards history basically account for the difference between the
international behaviour of Saudi Arabia and Iran.
So,in conclusion,we can now say that both the Shias and the Sunnis
believe in the same five pillars of Islam. But whereas the Sunnis
perform the five daily prayers in five separate sessions, the Shias
perform them in three different sessions instead. And whereas the Sunnis
would eat when on travel during the month of ramadan but pay back in
full the number of days spent on the journey after the Ramadan, the
Shias, when travelling in the month of ramadan, fast until mid-day and
would not pay anything back. In the Shia tradition, it is perfectly
acceptable for a male and a female moslem adults to agree to marry only
temporary, esp. when both of them meet in a distant land where they
don't want to commit adultery. This has not been acceptable to the
Saudis. But a couple of months ago, some distinguished Islamic Scholars
there said that such an arragement should be legalised, since it had
been at one time or the other been legalised by the Prophet;Because that
would help reduce the unacceptably high number of unmarried women in the
kingdom. These basically are the similarities and differences between
the shias and Sunnis, so that the antagonism between the Arabs and the
Iranian have very little to do with Islamic theology as such, but
everything to do with their tribal hatred for each other , that in
addition to their divergent and often hostile geo-political ambitions.
So, it is just a propaganda that the Shias believe that Ali is a Prophet
or that God made a mistake in sending Prophet Mohammad instead of him.
But it is perfectly understandable why the uninitiated would confuse the
shade for the substance.
IN THE NEXT AND FINAL EPISODE, WE WILL SAY A COUPLE THINGS ABOUT WHY THE
SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN THE SUNNI AND SHIA TRADITIONS SUIT THE SENEGAMBIANS
BETTER THAN OPTING FOR ONE OR THE OTHER. AND UNTIL THEN
..................................
REGARDS
BASSSS!! .
.
--
SZDDˆð'3Af¨
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 23:16:45 -0500 (EST)
From: "YAYA S. SISAY" <sisayy@wabash.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: irrelevant issues.
Message-ID: <1F9CF006258@scholar.wabash.edu>
Why don't we all just leave peoples businesses and try to talk about
Gambian related issues. People are sick of reading a bunch of
unnecessary mails. A lot of people don't have time to read about
30 messages everyday. Come on yall. This is rediculous.
I don't mean to offend anybody but this is getting to be too much.
The only reason why some of us joined the List was to help each other
with current issues in the Gambia and have contacts with other
Gambian students. Please use personal addresses if you wanna talk to
somebody about somethin' else.
Yaya.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 10:45:44 +0200
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970422084544.0069e6e8@golf.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
HI G-LERS! THIS MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO SOME OF YOU. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT
IMPLICATION DOES THIS HAVE ON THE STRENGTH OF ECOWAS....IS THIS NOT YET A
MORE VULNERABLE POSITION, AUTONOMY WISE, OF THIS CRUCIAL ORGANIZATION OF OUR
REGION?????? WHAT DO YOU THINK??
REGARDS,
::)))Abdou Oujimai
FORWARD:
Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
-------------------------------------------
April 18, 1997=20
by Ali Idrissou Toure, PANA Correspondent=20
COTONOU, Benin (PANA) - Guinea-Bissau was officially admitted as a member of
the CFA Franc Zone at a two-day meeting of the Council of Ministers of
Finance of France and French-speaking African countries which ended on
Thursday in Cotonou, Benin.=20
The French Minister of Finance, Jean Arthuis, and the Guinea-Bissau
delegation signed the additional clause to the existing agreement enabling
France to extend its
monetary co-operation with the West African Economic and Monetary Union to
Bissau.=20
As from May 2, the CFA Franc is expected to replace the Peso as the official
currency of Guinea-Bissau, according to a statement issued at the end of the
meeting.=20
The Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), Charles
Konan Banny, said Guinea-Bissau's transition to the CFA Franc zone involved=
"a
heavy financial transaction" necessitating the injection of some 6 billion
CFA Francs (about 12 million U.S. dollars into the country's economy .=20
Guinea-Bissau has therefore become the 15th member of the Franc Zone which
already comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Senegal
and Togo.=20
In a related development, the statement said "the replacement of the French
franc by the Euro (the European single currency) in 1999 will not affect the
exchange
rate of the CFA franc and the existing monetary co-operation between France
and the African member countries of the Franc Zone".=20
The French franc has been linked to the CFA (African Finance Community) used
by the African countries at a fixed exchange rate which now stands at 100=
CFA
for one French franc after the devaluation of the CFA franc by 50 percent at
a high-level meeting held in Dakar (Senegal) in January 1994.=20
Previously the exchange rate was 50 CFA =3D 1FF.=20
The French Minister told reporters in Cotonou that "the Euro will be a
world-wide reserve currency against which the value of the CFA Franc will be
determined".=20
According to the statement, the ministers of finance of the Franc Zone
expressed satisfaction at the progressive economic growth rate recorded in
the UEMOA
countries (around 5 percent) and at similar developments in the member
States of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC ).=20
In a Declaration adopted at the end of their meeting, the ministers called
for increased private investment in the countries of the Franc Zone in order
to maintain high
growth on a long-term basis.=20
According to the Declaration, the commitments made by the Governments,
particularly in their structural adjustment programmes, are aimed at
"fostering a more
stable macro-economic environment".=20
Among other things, the ministers recommended the harmonization of budgetary
and monetary policies, taxation and customs services in a regional framework=
as
well as increased consultation with the private sector on matters concerning
the formulation of economic policies".=20
The Declaration further stressed the need for security of investment,
improved infrastructures and state disengagement from productive sectors.=20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
Copyright =A9 1997 Panafrican News Agency. Distributed via Africa News=
Online.
All rights reserved. May not be redistributed, posted to any other location,
published or used for broadcast without prior written authorization from
Africa News Service.=20
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 13:59:51 +0000
From: "M'BAI OF" <O.F.M'Bai@icsl.ac.uk>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
Message-ID: <199704221258.NAA13315@netmail.city.ac.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Sirra Ndow, I could have replied to your mail but I have chosen
not , not that I can't because I've got an answer to any allegations
against me but its simply because I don't think I should for so many
reasons . Its up to you to find out what those reasons are .
thanks.
omar
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 13:58:50 +0000
From: "SISSOHO EM" <E.M.Sissoho@icsl.ac.uk>
To: KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA
Cc: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: (PART2) THE CONFUSION ------ SHIA - SUNNI DEVIDE !!!
Message-ID: <199704221257.NAA13118@netmail.city.ac.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
SIR,
Thank you once again for a well researched and lucidly presented
piece on a difficult subjet for many moslims. Please help me with
my will of god conondrum. should muslims be fatalists? can we change
our destiny with prayers?
respecfully, Edrisa
Edrisa M.sissoho
*********************
London House
Mecklenburgh Square
London WC 1N 2AB
0171 837 888 ext 2349
***************************
"ALLIS VOLANS PROPRIS*
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 16:04:43 +0200
From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Asbj=F8rn_Nordam?= <asbjorn.nordam@dif.dk>
To: "'gambia'" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Danish DANIDA`s reports on danish-african projects etc..
Message-ID: <c=DK%a=_%p=DIF%l=DKDIFS02-970422140443Z-1668@dkdifs02.dif.dk>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Friends, after reading the news/reports on Africa-food/agriculture put
forward by Momodou Camara, I should like to introduce for those of you,
who are interested, the reports from DANIDA. DANIDA is the danish
governments department for development-programmes all over the world.
Many of the reports are right now being published on the internet. If
you go to:
http://www.ingenioren.dk/danida/danida.html
you will find access to lots of officials report on topics like:=20
technology, education programmes, transport, fisheries, poverty, social
infrastructure, economic, veterinary medicine, Bilharziasis, primary
health care, production sectors, dairy, forestry etc.
There are also reports like: "Lessons from the Rwanda Experience" - The
Report of the international response to conflict and genocide in Rwada.
You can download the reports, and read or print them afterwards. The
reports are from Asia, Africa, South and Central America. Most of the
african reports are from countries where Denmark runs most of the
activities over the years (Tanzania, Zambia, Kenye etc). But here you
have a chance of reading the "cards/hands" and opinion of the
donor-country so to say. Maybe you will not agree on all you find there,
but it=B4s sometimes interesting to know how the so-called "partner"
thinks or evaluate the "partnership".
Asbj=F8rn Nordam
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 16:58:20 GMT0BST
From: "BEYAI" <P.L.Beyai@newcastle.ac.uk>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
Message-ID: <20109A3096A@TOWN9.ncl.ac.uk>
> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 10:45:44 +0200
> Reply-to: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
> From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
Mr. Gibba,
My question is what strength has ECOWAS that will be eroded by this
action of Guinea- Bissau? For many years that organisation
could not even become a credible customs union let alone achieve the status of a
free trade area. Unless we try to drop our much cherish nationalistic views,
we have no future in the World economy.
Countries like Gambia did not success in attracting FDI(foreign
direct interest) because of her small size, location, poor infrastructure etc.
Could you imagine big companies like Nissan or Toyota investing in the Gambia?
How many of us buy new vehicles in a year? It might be difficult to tackle some of these
problems right way but we can surely forge a good relationship with
our ECOWAS neighbours which will help open and widen our market.
How many treaties and protocols have been signed and not implemented?
No amount of the tax-holidays and other incentives can attract
foreign investors if there is no market to sell their products.
I am sorry that I do have time to elaborate but the main benefits of
the said action by Guinea-Bissau is the ease in terms of foreign
exchange difficulties they have been facing. Furthermore, people do
not have to declare their currencies at the ports of entry in both
Bissau and Senegal.
Although the cold -war is over, the new war is an economic one. Since
the French have lost their influence in Rwanda and are about to in Zaire,
they have no alternative but to look for new allies in Africa.
If we Africans cannot unite, outsiders will use economic inducement to pave their way.
Some people might blame lack of political stability as the reason for low FDI in West Africa.
But could they equally explain the reasons for the continuous presence of Shell and other
multinationals in Nigeria and the signing of new contracts with the rebel leader in Zaire?
Political stability is normally use for convenience but
multinationals look for their interest first before anything else.
Their interest in our area lies in a wider market.
So to avoid loosing more members, we have to move forward otherwise
we might also be forced to join the CFA zone.
Cheers,
PLB
>
>
> FORWARD:
>
> Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
> -------------------------------------------
> April 18, 1997
> by Ali Idrissou Toure, PANA Correspondent
>
> COTONOU, Benin (PANA) - Guinea-Bissau was officially admitted as a member of
> the CFA Franc Zone at a two-day meeting of the Council of Ministers of
> Finance of France and French-speaking African countries which ended on
> Thursday in Cotonou, Benin.
>
> The French Minister of Finance, Jean Arthuis, and the Guinea-Bissau
> delegation signed the additional clause to the existing agreement enabling
> France to extend its
> monetary co-operation with the West African Economic and Monetary Union to
> Bissau.
>
> As from May 2, the CFA Franc is expected to replace the Peso as the official
> currency of Guinea-Bissau, according to a statement issued at the end of the
> meeting.
>
> The Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), Charles
> Konan Banny, said Guinea-Bissau's transition to the CFA Franc zone involved "a
> heavy financial transaction" necessitating the injection of some 6 billion
> CFA Francs (about 12 million U.S. dollars into the country's economy .
>
> Guinea-Bissau has therefore become the 15th member of the Franc Zone which
> already comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
> Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Senegal
> and Togo.
>
> In a related development, the statement said "the replacement of the French
> franc by the Euro (the European single currency) in 1999 will not affect the
> exchange
> rate of the CFA franc and the existing monetary co-operation between France
> and the African member countries of the Franc Zone".
>
> The French franc has been linked to the CFA (African Finance Community) used
> by the African countries at a fixed exchange rate which now stands at 100 CFA
> for one French franc after the devaluation of the CFA franc by 50 percent at
> a high-level meeting held in Dakar (Senegal) in January 1994.
>
> Previously the exchange rate was 50 CFA = 1FF.
>
> The French Minister told reporters in Cotonou that "the Euro will be a
> world-wide reserve currency against which the value of the CFA Franc will be
> determined".
>
> According to the statement, the ministers of finance of the Franc Zone
> expressed satisfaction at the progressive economic growth rate recorded in
> the UEMOA
> countries (around 5 percent) and at similar developments in the member
> States of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC ).
>
> In a Declaration adopted at the end of their meeting, the ministers called
> for increased private investment in the countries of the Franc Zone in order
> to maintain high
> growth on a long-term basis.
>
> According to the Declaration, the commitments made by the Governments,
> particularly in their structural adjustment programmes, are aimed at
> "fostering a more
> stable macro-economic environment".
>
> Among other things, the ministers recommended the harmonization of budgetary
> and monetary policies, taxation and customs services in a regional framework as
> well as increased consultation with the private sector on matters concerning
> the formulation of economic policies".
>
> The Declaration further stressed the need for security of investment,
> improved infrastructures and state disengagement from productive sectors.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Copyright c 1997 Panafrican News Agency. Distributed via Africa News Online.
> All rights reserved. May not be redistributed, posted to any other location,
> published or used for broadcast without prior written authorization from
> Africa News Service.
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 15:07:09 -0400
From: Ndey Fatou Jabbie <NJ173949@gwmail.kysu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: observer editorial-justice delayed is justice denied
Message-ID: <s35cd42c.082@gwmail.kysu.edu>
DEAR JABOU,
I AM NOW RELIEVED THAT SOMEBODY
FINALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF PEOPLE TAKING
MESSAGES ON THE GAMBIA-L TOO PERSONAL. WE ARE
ALL GAMBIANS ONE AND THE SAME, SO IT IS VERY
WRONG IF WE SHOULD SEND OUR FELLOW CITIZENS VERY
OUTRAGEOUS MESSAGES ON THE GAMBIA-L. THESE KIND
OF MESSAGES CAN MAKE PEOPLE HAVE TWO STATE
THEIR OPINIONS WITHOUT BEING BLASTED CRUDELY ON
THE GAMBIA-L WHERE EVERY "SAMBA",' DEMBA" AND
"PATEH" GETS TO READ IT.
WE SHOULD BE GLAD THAT WE HAVE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE TO ONE ANOTHER AND
SHARE COMMON INTEREST. THEREFORE LET US ALL BE
AND HANDLE MATTERS IN A MORE PROFESSIONAL AND
MATURE MANNER.
I AM SORRY IF MY MESSAGE SHOULD OFFEND
ANYONE ,BUT I JUST THINK THAT IT IS ABOUT TIME FOR
US TO BE ONE IN A NO MAN'S LAND.
THANKS JABOU .
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 22:30:18 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Subject: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE PRESIDENT!!
Message-ID: <335D11C9.5B8D@QATAR.NET.QA>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
A GAMBIAN STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY HERE HAS INFORMED ME THAT A WEST
AFRICAN FRIEND OF HIS HAD TOLD HIM THAT WHEN THE GAMBIAN
PRESIDENT,MR.JAMMEH, VISITED KUWAIT A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THE HAJJ,
WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT SIX GAMBIAN GIRLS HAD EARLIER ARRIVED IN THIS
GULF COUNTRY TO WORK AS DOMESTICS.
AND IN A CHARACTERISTIC JAMMEH FASHION, THE PRESIDENT TOLD THESE GIRLS
THAT FOR GAMBIAN WOMEN TO TAKE UP THIS KIND OF WORK IN SUCH A DISTANT
LAND AWAY FROM HOME,A PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO GAMBIAN EMBASSY TO PROTECT
THEIR INTERESTS INCASE OF PROBLEMS,WAS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE TO HIM OR TO
THE GAMBIAN SENSIBILITY.AND HE THEN TOLD THEM TO GO AND BRING ALL THEIR
BELONGINGS,WHICH THEY DID; AND HE THEN QUICKLY MADE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH
RESULTED IN THEIR IMMEDIATE REPATRIATION BACK HOME.
NOW,WE THE GAMBIANS IN QATAR HERE ARE NOT SURE WHETHER THIS STORY IS
ABSOLUTELY TRUE.BUT I AM PERSONALLY VERY INTRIGUE BY IT AND I HOPE IT
WILL DO THE SAME THING TO ALL OF YOU GUYS AND GIRLS DOWN THERE.AND I
WOULD VERY MUCH LOVE TO HEAR YOUR REACTIONS TO IT!!
THE OTHER REASON FOR BRINGING THIS UP ON THIS LIST IS TO ENQUIRE FROM
OUR APPARENTLY SLEEPING COMMERCIAL PARTNERS AT THE GAMBIA OBSERVER
WHETHER THEY HAVE HEARD ANYTHING TO THIS EFFECT, AND IF SO, COULD THEY
BE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE US THE FULL STORY.WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE
ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:-
1) WHO IN FACT HAD CONTRACTED THESE GILRS, A GAMBIAN OR A KUWAITI?
2) WHO PAID FOR THEIR AIR PASSAGE,THEMSELVES OR THE RECRUITERS?
3)HAS MR. JAMMEH SAID OR DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT SINCE?
REGARDS BASSSS!!
--
SZDDˆð'3Af¨
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 15:53:54 -0500 (CDT)
From: BASIRU NDOW <bxn4929@omega.uta.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: observer editorial-justice delay is justice denied
Message-ID: <199704222053.PAA13390@omega.uta.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Basiru Ndow Section 311
bxn4929@Omega.uta.edu Ian Alexander
086-82-4929
--------------------------------------
hello everyone,
i believe there are dozens of issues that need to be addressed
concerning the future of our government.i honestly will disagree with
most of you that foreigners are occupying positions in our legal system
because gambians don't want to, the isssue here is the authorities will
not allow gambians to occupy these positions because of there own
interest or fear of prosecution of their wrong doings. look at the era
of former regime (jawara's), it has gone to a point where the head of
the arm forces was even a foreigner,was this a cover up for their own
security or because there were no gambians ??.The judicial system in the
gambia is in __serious crisis,how can foreigners like the nigerians
occupy the majority of the positions when nigeria has one of the worst
record of human rights violation in africa. the issue of checks and
balances is totally absent in our judicial system because these foreign
lawyers or judges are pperforming their duti es with directions from the
govt. How can the foreigners occupy the most sensitve positions of a govt.ie
chief justice,..dir of public prosecution etc...Is this a mockery to our
judicial system or a cover up.the former regime did the same thing
during their era and now they are the victims of their own actions.to
support my point ...has any firm actions been taken during the GCDB
crisis. GCU crisis..JAHAPACHA rice project...etc..and in all these cases
large amount of tax payers money is been misused , and is still
happening with the present regime. so for thirty two good years the
gambia is still where it started from. to
The issue of foreign teachers in the gambia ,i believe there are lot
of good gambian teachers in the gambia ,but we the gambians are
discouraging our fellow gambian teachers because considering the fact
that most gambians would prefer to pay lot of money to foreign teacher
than a gambian teacher of the same qualification or even better. the
point is we gambians believe too much on foreigners or foreign diplomats
instead of trying to be selfreliant.
T
The vice presidency issue in the gambia, Did the president ever outline
the duties and responsibilities of the so called lady vice president
other than those of her ministry, or is this another of way covering up
because Edward signateh does not satisfy the age requirement for a vive
president,if not then why should he be assign all the functions that a vice
president should have .
finally let us make the best use of our education and then gambia
will be free of hungry leaders and dishonest interllectuals, then we wil not
be victims of a corrupt so ciety .
bye everyone !!!!!
Basiru !!!!
ering up or
misleading the
------------------------------
Date: 22 Apr 97 19:41:09 EDT
From: "Dr. S. G. Kamara" <73244.2701@CompuServe.COM>
To: GAMBIA-L <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: 4 All the Lawyers & those interested in Law
Message-ID: <970422234108_73244.2701_FHO57-2@CompuServe.COM>
Forwarded from LEONENET for your amusement. Laugh ....!
Kamara.
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: INTERNET:DAVISEM@WPMAIL.ONC.JHU.EDU, INTERNET:DAVISEM@WPMAIL.ONC.JHU.EDU
TO: "LEONENET", INTERNET:LEONENET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
DATE: 4/17/97 8:25 AM
RE: 4 All the Lawyers & those interested in Law
From: DAVISEM@WPMAIL.ONC.JHU.EDU
Just a few lines I gleaned from the Baltimore Sun 2day.
There are not reprinted by kind permission and I donot
have any copyright on them. etc. etc for the legal stuff....
The following are questions aktually asked of witnesses by
attorneys during trails and the insightful responces they
aktually received ....
Q. Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep
he doesn't really know about it until the next morning?
Q. The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he?
Q. Were you present when your picture was taken?
Q. Were you alone or by yourself?
Q. Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war?
Q. Did he kill you?
Q. How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?
Q You were there until the time you left, is that true?
Q. So the date of conception was August 8?
A. Yes
Q. And what were you doing at that time?
Q. She had 3 children, right?
A. Yes
Q. How many were boys?
A. None.
Q. Were there any girls?
Q. You say the stairs go down to the basement?
A. Yes.
Q. And these stairs, did they go up also?
Q. Mr. S..., you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didn't you?
A. I went to Europe, sir.
Q. And you took your new wife?
Q. How was your first marriage terminated?
A. By death.
Q. And by whose death was it terminated?
Q. Can you describe the the individual?
A. He was about medium build and had a beard.
Q. Was this a male, or a female?
Q. Is your appearance here this morning pursuant
to a deposition notice which I sent yopur attorney?
A. No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
Q. Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A. All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
Q. Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A. The autospy started around 8:30pm.
Q. And was Mr. D..... dead at the time?
A. No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing
an autospy.
Q. You were not shot in the fracas?
A. No, I was shot midway between the fracas and the navel
Q. Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
A. I have been since early childhood.
Thats all 4 now folks. You all have a blessed day.
Caio
N.Emile
______ A Vinyl Junkie All these Years ______
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 01:02:43 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mbk007@aol.com
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Fwd: Nigeria to be connected to the Internet
Message-ID: <970423010242_-199602334@emout11.mail.aol.com>
T
---------------------
Forwarded message:
Subj: Nigeria to be connected to the Internet
Date: 97-04-22 20:31:53 EDT
From: MKora70383
To: Mbk007
ABUJA, Nigeria (Reuter) - Nigeria will be connected to the Internet as soon
as projects aimed at providing the necessary circuit facilities are
completed, the number two man in Africa's most populous nation said Monday.
Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Oladapo Diya told the start of a three-day
Internet workshop in the capital Abuja that Nigeria was committed to having
full Internet services.
``Already we have granted licenses to private Internet service providers to
serve as focal points and outlets for Internet services,'' Diya said.
The Abuja workshop, ``The Development of Internet in sub-Saharan Africa,''
drew experts from the United States, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia and ends
Wednesday.
The Internet, a group of computers interlinked and exchanging information
using the latest technology, was first developed by the U.S. Defense
Department and now has more than 20 million regular users worldwide.
Its use in Africa is currently limited by lack of local gateways or nodes
located within African countries and the prohibitive cost of dialing to nodes
abroad.
13:20 04-21-97
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 01:27:05 -0500
From: Tamsir Mbai <mba4224@etbu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE
PRESIDENT!!
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970423020753.3857b67e@etbu.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
At 10:30 PM 4/22/97 +0300, Bass wrote:
I WOULD VERY MUCH LOVE TO HEAR YOUR REACTIONS TO IT!!
Bass, you asked what our individual takes on this issue was. i, much like
you, personally think that a few more questions need to be answered before
any reasonable judgement can be passed. In addition to your list of
questions, i think the following need to be answered as well:
1. how old were these people?
2. did they go to Kuwait by choice and in good faith or were they conned
by promises of countless rewards?
3. what are the working conditions in these countries?
The combination of question 1 and 2 above will determine to a large extent
what could or should be done about the case. If the people involved were old
enough to make their own decisions and they chose to do what they did, then
i don't think this is an issue worth discussing. The reason i'm saying so is
because their situation would then be much like many of ours, who travel to
other countries in the name of "hustling." On the other hand if the people
involved were juveniles, then my guess is that everybody knows what should
be done.
Finally, if the working conditions in Kuwait are not derogatory and
subservient, then these people should have been left in Kuwait to do their
jobs. What makes them any different from the maids who come to Banjul and
the Kombos to find work between Christmas and summer? Some even stay
permanently. Another point to consider here is that these people are driven
by a lack of employment opportunities in The Gambia. While these people
probably don't have any qualifications, i can empathize with them in the
hope that it was a difficult decision for them to go to Kuwait in the first
place. The sole provider of their families have probably either lost their
jobs or never had one. It's difficult to run any family without the
necessary finances, wouldn't you agree?
If you notice, the very foundation of my article is based on
probability. So until the answers to my questions earlier are answered, this
is NOT a VERDICT on my part. So long everybody. Good luck in your endeavours
wherever you are. peace!!!!!!!!
It's Tamsir.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 16:18:33 +0900 (JST)
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
Message-ID: <199704230716.QAA16320@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
On Tue, 22 Apr 1997 16:58:20 GMT0BST, gambia-l@u.washington.edu wrote...
P.L.Beyai> > Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 10:45:44 +0200
P.L.Beyai> > Reply-to: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
P.L.Beyai> > From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
P.L.Beyai> > To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
P.L.Beyai> > Subject: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> Mr. Gibba,
P.L.Beyai> My question is what strength has ECOWAS that will be eroded by this
P.L.Beyai> action of Guinea- Bissau? For many years that organisation
P.L.Beyai> could not even become a credible customs union let alone achieve the status of a
P.L.Beyai> free trade area. Unless we try to drop our much cherish nationalistic views,
P.L.Beyai> we have no future in the World economy.
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> Countries like Gambia did not success in attracting FDI(foreign
P.L.Beyai> direct interest) because of her small size, location, poor infrastructure etc.
P.L.Beyai> Could you imagine big companies like Nissan or Toyota investing in the Gambia?
P.L.Beyai> How many of us buy new vehicles in a year? It might be difficult to tackle some of these
P.L.Beyai> problems right way but we can surely forge a good relationship with
P.L.Beyai> our ECOWAS neighbours which will help open and widen our market.
P.L.Beyai> How many treaties and protocols have been signed and not implemented?
P.L.Beyai> No amount of the tax-holidays and other incentives can attract
P.L.Beyai> foreign investors if there is no market to sell their products.
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> I am sorry that I do have time to elaborate but the main benefits of
P.L.Beyai> the said action by Guinea-Bissau is the ease in terms of foreign
P.L.Beyai> exchange difficulties they have been facing. Furthermore, people do
P.L.Beyai> not have to declare their currencies at the ports of entry in both
P.L.Beyai> Bissau and Senegal.
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> Although the cold -war is over, the new war is an economic one. Since
P.L.Beyai> the French have lost their influence in Rwanda and are about to in Zaire,
P.L.Beyai> they have no alternative but to look for new allies in Africa.
P.L.Beyai> If we Africans cannot unite, outsiders will use economic inducement to pave their way.
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> Some people might blame lack of political stability as the reason for low FDI in West Africa.
P.L.Beyai> But could they equally explain the reasons for the continuous presence of Shell and other
P.L.Beyai> multinationals in Nigeria and the signing of new contracts with the rebel leader in Zaire?
P.L.Beyai> Political stability is normally use for convenience but
P.L.Beyai> multinationals look for their interest first before anything else.
P.L.Beyai> Their interest in our area lies in a wider market.
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> So to avoid loosing more members, we have to move forward otherwise
P.L.Beyai> we might also be forced to join the CFA zone.
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> Cheers,
P.L.Beyai> PLB
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai>
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > FORWARD:
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
P.L.Beyai> > -------------------------------------------
P.L.Beyai> > April 18, 1997
P.L.Beyai> > by Ali Idrissou Toure, PANA Correspondent
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > COTONOU, Benin (PANA) - Guinea-Bissau was officially admitted as a member of
P.L.Beyai> > the CFA Franc Zone at a two-day meeting of the Council of Ministers of
P.L.Beyai> > Finance of France and French-speaking African countries which ended on
P.L.Beyai> > Thursday in Cotonou, Benin.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > The French Minister of Finance, Jean Arthuis, and the Guinea-Bissau
P.L.Beyai> > delegation signed the additional clause to the existing agreement enabling
P.L.Beyai> > France to extend its
P.L.Beyai> > monetary co-operation with the West African Economic and Monetary Union to
P.L.Beyai> > Bissau.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > As from May 2, the CFA Franc is expected to replace the Peso as the official
P.L.Beyai> > currency of Guinea-Bissau, according to a statement issued at the end of the
P.L.Beyai> > meeting.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > The Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), Charles
P.L.Beyai> > Konan Banny, said Guinea-Bissau's transition to the CFA Franc zone involved "a
P.L.Beyai> > heavy financial transaction" necessitating the injection of some 6 billion
P.L.Beyai> > CFA Francs (about 12 million U.S. dollars into the country's economy .
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > Guinea-Bissau has therefore become the 15th member of the Franc Zone which
P.L.Beyai> > already comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
P.L.Beyai> > Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Senegal
P.L.Beyai> > and Togo.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > In a related development, the statement said "the replacement of the French
P.L.Beyai> > franc by the Euro (the European single currency) in 1999 will not affect the
P.L.Beyai> > exchange
P.L.Beyai> > rate of the CFA franc and the existing monetary co-operation between France
P.L.Beyai> > and the African member countries of the Franc Zone".
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > The French franc has been linked to the CFA (African Finance Community) used
P.L.Beyai> > by the African countries at a fixed exchange rate which now stands at 100 CFA
P.L.Beyai> > for one French franc after the devaluation of the CFA franc by 50 percent at
P.L.Beyai> > a high-level meeting held in Dakar (Senegal) in January 1994.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > Previously the exchange rate was 50 CFA = 1FF.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > The French Minister told reporters in Cotonou that "the Euro will be a
P.L.Beyai> > world-wide reserve currency against which the value of the CFA Franc will be
P.L.Beyai> > determined".
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > According to the statement, the ministers of finance of the Franc Zone
P.L.Beyai> > expressed satisfaction at the progressive economic growth rate recorded in
P.L.Beyai> > the UEMOA
P.L.Beyai> > countries (around 5 percent) and at similar developments in the member
P.L.Beyai> > States of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC ).
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > In a Declaration adopted at the end of their meeting, the ministers called
P.L.Beyai> > for increased private investment in the countries of the Franc Zone in order
P.L.Beyai> > to maintain high
P.L.Beyai> > growth on a long-term basis.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > According to the Declaration, the commitments made by the Governments,
P.L.Beyai> > particularly in their structural adjustment programmes, are aimed at
P.L.Beyai> > "fostering a more
P.L.Beyai> > stable macro-economic environment".
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > Among other things, the ministers recommended the harmonization of budgetary
P.L.Beyai> > and monetary policies, taxation and customs services in a regional framework as
P.L.Beyai> > well as increased consultation with the private sector on matters concerning
P.L.Beyai> > the formulation of economic policies".
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > The Declaration further stressed the need for security of investment,
P.L.Beyai> > improved infrastructures and state disengagement from productive sectors.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> > Copyright c 1997 Panafrican News Agency. Distributed via Africa News Online.
P.L.Beyai> > All rights reserved. May not be redistributed, posted to any other location,
P.L.Beyai> > published or used for broadcast without prior written authorization from
P.L.Beyai> > Africa News Service.
P.L.Beyai> >
P.L.Beyai> >
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 17:38:12 +0900 (JST)
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Apology
Message-ID: <199704230835.RAA17741@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Gambia-l,
I sent out an almost 'unreadable' mail to the List. It was not intended to be so.
Please, accept my most felt apology for that error.
Lamin Drammeh..
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 11:28:30 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE
PRESIDENT!!
Message-ID: <335DC82E.EB2@QATAR.NET.QA>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
MR.NBAI!!
THANKS FOR YOUR PRAGMATIC RESPONSE!
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS,I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD THESE GIRLS WERE,AND I
CANNOT REALLY TELL YOU WHETHER THESE GIRLS WENT TO KUWAIT IN GOOD
FAITH,BUT A SENEGALESE MAN HERE
TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT HE HAD BOARDED A PLANE IN EUROPE WITH SIX GAMBIAN
GIRLS WHO TOLD HIM THAT THEY WERE STUDENTS ON THEIR WAY TO KUWAIT TO
FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION.WAS THIS A COVER UP ON THEIR PART OR HAD THEY
BEEN MADE TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO STUDY THERE?! I DON'T KNOW
THE ANSWER TO THAT.
YOUR THIRD QUESTION IS THE MOST CRITICAL ONE! IN KUWAIT'S
CONSTITUITION,LIKE ALMOST ALL THE ARAB GULF COUNTRIES,THERE IS NO
MENTION OF A DOMESTIC HELP,AND THAT MEANS THAT THEY DON'T LEGALLY
EXIST;NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT A NON ENTITY CANNOT HAVE A RIGHT.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT,IN TRADITIONAL ARAB CULTURE, A DOMESTIC HELP IS
THE SLAVE,AND IF YOU ARE BLACK IN ADDITION TO THAT,IT BECOMES EVEN MUCH
MORE COMPLICATED.AND FURTHER,AS ANY PHILLIPINO DOMESTIC IN THE GULF
WOULD TELL YOU - MOST
OF THE DOMESTICS IN THESE COUNTRIES ARE PHILLIPINO GIRLS- THE INCIDENTS
OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON THE PART OF THE MALE MEMBERS OF THE EXTENDED
FAMILY FOR WHICH ONE WORKS
IS HORRENDUOUSLY HIGH.PERHAPS YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THAT CELEBRATED
MURDER TRIAL IN THE U.A.E IN WHICH A MOSLEM PHILLIPINO GIRL STABBED HER
EMPLOYER TO DEATH AS HE WAS FORCING HER TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM.I
PERSONALLY THINK THAT THAT CASE WAS AT THE BACK OF PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S
MIND WHEN HE REPATRIATED THE GIRLS.SO,I DON'T THINK ITS AS SIMPLE AS
TRYING TO GET A JOB FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IF YOU CAN'T GET IT IN YOUR
MOTHERLAND!BUT IF THE OBSERVER PEOPLE HAVE WOKEN UP FROM THEIR SLEEP
LATELY,THEY CAN
BE ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL IN PROVIDING US WITH THE FACTS.
REGARDS BASSSS!!
Tamsir Mbai wrote:
>
> At 10:30 PM 4/22/97 +0300, Bass wrote:
> I WOULD VERY MUCH LOVE TO HEAR YOUR REACTIONS TO IT!!
>
> Bass, you asked what our individual takes on this issue was. i, much like
> you, personally think that a few more questions need to be answered before
> any reasonable judgement can be passed. In addition to your list of
> questions, i think the following need to be answered as well:
> 1. how old were these people?
> 2. did they go to Kuwait by choice and in good faith or were they conned
> by promises of countless rewards?
> 3. what are the working conditions in these countries?
>
> The combination of question 1 and 2 above will determine to a large extent
> what could or should be done about the case. If the people involved were old
> enough to make their own decisions and they chose to do what they did, then
> i don't think this is an issue worth discussing. The reason i'm saying so is
> because their situation would then be much like many of ours, who travel to
> other countries in the name of "hustling." On the other hand if the people
> involved were juveniles, then my guess is that everybody knows what should
> be done.
> Finally, if the working conditions in Kuwait are not derogatory and
> subservient, then these people should have been left in Kuwait to do their
> jobs. What makes them any different from the maids who come to Banjul and
> the Kombos to find work between Christmas and summer? Some even stay
> permanently. Another point to consider here is that these people are driven
> by a lack of employment opportunities in The Gambia. While these people
> probably don't have any qualifications, i can empathize with them in the
> hope that it was a difficult decision for them to go to Kuwait in the first
> place. The sole provider of their families have probably either lost their
> jobs or never had one. It's difficult to run any family without the
> necessary finances, wouldn't you agree?
> If you notice, the very foundation of my article is based on
> probability. So until the answers to my questions earlier are answered, this
> is NOT a VERDICT on my part. So long everybody. Good luck in your endeavours
> wherever you are. peace!!!!!!!!
> It's Tamsir.
--
SZDDˆð'3Af¨
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 13:59:59 +0200
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970423115959.006c0a3c@golf.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
At 16:58 22.04.97 GMT0BST, you wrote:
>> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 10:45:44 +0200
>> Reply-to: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
>> From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
>> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List"
<gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
>> Subject: Guinea-Bissau Joins CFA Franc Monetary Zone
Mr Beyai, thanks for your comments. You wrote:
"Mr. Gibba,
My question is what strength has ECOWAS that will be eroded by this
action of Guinea- Bissau"?
I am not necessarily stating that ECOWAS has any significant "strength"
worth commenting on. The reason for this lack of strength, in my opinion,
brings us to your next statement:
"For many years that organization could not even become a credible customs
union let alone achieve the status of a free trade area."
WHY? this is because this organization is comprised of a majority of members
who's entire economies are being structured and controlled not by themselves
but by France, thus undermining any of ECOWAS' policies that are to be or
designed for the sole benefit of member states; and may turn unfavorable to
France and/or the EU.
Further, you wrote:
"Unless we try to drop our much cherish nationalistic views, we have no
future in the World economy".
On the contra, the reason why we are left behind in the world economy is we
fail to "cherish any nationalistic views", as you put it. All other regions
are doing exactly that in the name of "protectionism". What are they
protecting and against whom? They are protecting their regional and
eventually national interests against other regions. Why are there calls for
a revised World Trade Agreement? This is because regions like ours have been
marginalized by those "Agreements". What is the EU's and other regional
organization's success story compared to ours? "NATIONALISM or REGIONALISM".
I am 100% for a monetary union within ECOWAS but the kind of union I would
like to see, should be that based on our own resources, controlled by
ourselves, with absolutely no outside influence. Don't get me wrong, I am
aware of the state of a global interdependency. This should be a balanced
one, not that of one party being more dependent than the other.
Unless the CFA Zone members take a complete break-away from the French
Franc, ECOWAS will never be effective. This is what brought about my
frustration learning that there is yet another increase in it's (CFA Zone)
membership from another member state of ECOWAS. What does others think?????
Regards,
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 14:48:40 +0200
From: Andrea Klumpp <klumpp@kar.dec.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
Message-ID: <335E0528.2CC6@kar.dec.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Hello GambiaNetters,
when calling The Gambia I got to know the following:
1) WHO IN FACT HAD CONTRACTED THESE GILRS, A GAMBIAN OR A KUWAITI?
it was a Gambian agency which employs people for e.g. Kuwaitian
employers. They have an office in Kuwait which takes care on the
employees and their concerns abroad.
2) WHO PAID FOR THEIR AIR PASSAGE,THEMSELVES OR THE RECRUITERS?
don't know
3)HAS MR. JAMMEH SAID OR DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT SINCE?
He just gave a short comment on his arrival at Yundum, like: he came
with Gambians who were maltreated abroad. Since then he gave no
statement.
1. how old were these people?
they are in the 20s, one (a teacher) in the 40s. All females. The latter
was employed as a teacher and guaranteed to work as a teacher but had to
do domestic work.
2. did they go to Kuwait by choice and in good faith or were they
conned by promises of countless rewards?
they were employed by the agency in Gambia and went voluntarily.
3. what are the working conditions in these countries?
working from morning til midnight, they were beaten, physically
maltreated (no sexual harassment reported). They have repeatedly
complained at the local agency because of the maltreatment, bad working
conditions and the salary, which was around D1200 (in Kuwait!!)
The story has been covered by TV and newspapers in the Gambia. FOROYAA
is still about to confirm and investigate the matter. They haven't
reported on this story yet. I'll see, whether I can get a fax copy of
the Observer or Point.
I don't know how serious the office in Kuwait took the complaints of the
women. Perhaps they were lucky that Y.Jammeh intervened. I mean, I can't
imagine that our Chancellor Kohl would have done the same for me.
Greetings, Andrea
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:29:32 +0200
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970423132932.006bff98@golf.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi again G-Lers!
Based on Andrea's information, I think the President has just done what he
had to do - protect the interest of his people. Maybe it is even done
leniently, given the fact that we still don't know what further steps are
taken by the authorities. It's about time our authorities take such steps to
protect our peoples as other nations are doing. Maybe when all questions put
forward by Bass and Tamsir are answer, lessons could be learnt from all this.
Personally, as a Gambian, I am proud that my President could be so concerned
to the extent of acting immediately. This offers some degree of trust when
it comes to the security of Gambians abroad.
Regards,
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 17:00:59 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: klumpp@kar.dec.com
Cc: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
Message-ID: <335E161B.9D@QATAR.NET.QA>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Andrea Klumpp wrote:
>
> Hello GambiaNetters,
>
> when calling The Gambia I got to know the following:
>
> 1) WHO IN FACT HAD CONTRACTED THESE GILRS, A GAMBIAN OR A KUWAITI?
> it was a Gambian agency which employs people for e.g. Kuwaitian
> employers. They have an office in Kuwait which takes care on the
> employees and their concerns abroad.
>
> 2) WHO PAID FOR THEIR AIR PASSAGE,THEMSELVES OR THE RECRUITERS?
> don't know
>
> 3)HAS MR. JAMMEH SAID OR DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT SINCE?
> He just gave a short comment on his arrival at Yundum, like: he came
> with Gambians who were maltreated abroad. Since then he gave no
> statement.
>
> 1. how old were these people?
>
> they are in the 20s, one (a teacher) in the 40s. All females. The latter
> was employed as a teacher and guaranteed to work as a teacher but had to
> do domestic work.
>
> 2. did they go to Kuwait by choice and in good faith or were they
> conned by promises of countless rewards?
>
> they were employed by the agency in Gambia and went voluntarily.
>
> 3. what are the working conditions in these countries?
>
> working from morning til midnight, they were beaten, physically
> maltreated (no sexual harassment reported). They have repeatedly
> complained at the local agency because of the maltreatment, bad working
> conditions and the salary, which was around D1200 (in Kuwait!!)
>
> The story has been covered by TV and newspapers in the Gambia. FOROYAA
> is still about to confirm and investigate the matter. They haven't
> reported on this story yet. I'll see, whether I can get a fax copy of
> the Observer or Point.
>
> I don't know how serious the office in Kuwait took the complaints of the
> women. Perhaps they were lucky that Y.Jammeh intervened. I mean, I can't
> imagine that our Chancellor Kohl would have done the same for me.
>
> Greetings, Andrea
ANDREA!!
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF ANSWERS GAMBIAN STUDENTS HERE WANTED TO KNOW
FROM ME.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A BRILLIANT JOB!! AND PLEASE
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DOWN THERE.
REGARDS BASSSSS!!
--
SZDDˆð'3Af¨
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 17:21:48 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Subject: Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT
Message-ID: <335E1AFC.27E9@QATAR.NET.QA>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
> > 1) WHO IN FACT HAD CONTRACTED THESE GILRS, A GAMBIAN OR A KUWAITI?
> > it was a Gambian agency which employs people for e.g. Kuwaitian
> > employers. They have an office in Kuwait which takes care on the
> > employees and their concerns abroad.
> >=20
> > 2) WHO PAID FOR THEIR AIR PASSAGE,THEMSELVES OR THE RECRUITERS?
> > don't know
> >=20
> > 3)HAS MR. JAMMEH SAID OR DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT SINCE?
> > He just gave a short comment on his arrival at Yundum, like: he came
> > with Gambians who were maltreated abroad. Since then he gave no
> > statement.
> >=20
> > 1. how old were these people?
> >=20
> > they are in the 20s, one (a teacher) in the 40s. All females. The latte=
> r
> > was employed as a teacher and guaranteed to work as a teacher but had t=
> o
> > do domestic work.
> >=20
> > 2. did they go to Kuwait by choice and in good faith or were they
> > conned by promises of countless rewards?
> >=20
> > they were employed by the agency in Gambia and went voluntarily.
> >=20
> > 3. what are the working conditions in these countries?
> >=20
> > working from morning til midnight, they were beaten, physically
> > maltreated (no sexual harassment reported). They have repeatedly
> > complained at the local agency because of the maltreatment, bad working
> > conditions and the salary, which was around D1200 (in Kuwait!!)
> >=20
> > The story has been covered by TV and newspapers in the Gambia. FOROYAA
> > is still about to confirm and investigate the matter. They haven't
> > reported on this story yet. I'll see, whether I can get a fax copy of
> > the Observer or Point.
> >=20
> > I don't know how serious the office in Kuwait took the complaints of th=
> e
> > women. Perhaps they were lucky that Y.Jammeh intervened. I mean, I can'=
> t
> > imagine that our Chancellor Kohl would have done the same for me.
> >=20
> > Greetings, Andrea
>
> ANDREA!!
>
> THESE ARE THE KINDS OF ANSWERS GAMBIAN STUDENTS HERE WANTED TO KNOW
> FROM ME.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A BRILLIANT JOB!! AND PLEASE
> KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DOWN THERE.
>
> REGARDS BASSSSS!!
> --=20
> SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
--
SZDDˆð'3Af¨
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 10:28:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Haddijatou Kah <jkah@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: observer editorial-justice delay is justice denied
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.93.970423100736.18310A-100000@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
IN RESPONSE TO MR NDOWS CONTRIBUTION IN RESPECT TO FOREIGNERS OCCUPING
POSITIONS IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM. MOST, IF NOT ALL THE NIGERIANS EMPLOYED IN
THE JUDICIARY OR MINISTRY ARE ON ATECHNICAL ASSISSTENCE SCHEME.THE BULK OF
THEIR COSTS IS BEING MET BY THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT.GAMBIANS WHO HAVE THE
REQUISTE QUALIFICATIONS ARE JUST NOT INTERESTED IN THE BENCH. THE MINISTRY
OF JUSTICE IS PRESENTLY SHORT STAFFED. I AM SURE NO NATION WANTS TO HAVE
THEIR LEGALM SYSTEM MANNED BY FOREIGNES FOREVER BUT IN THE ABSCENCE
OFA BETTER ALTERNATIVE SHOULD THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM COME TO A STANDSTILL?
On TuBYE JATOUe, 22 Apr 1997, BASIRU NDOW wrote:
> Basiru Ndow Section 311
> bxn4929@Omega.uta.edu Ian Alexander
> 086-82-4929
> --------------------------------------
> hello everyone,
> i believe there are dozens of issues that need to be addressed
> concerning the future of our government.i honestly will disagree with
> most of you that foreigners are occupying positions in our legal system
> because gambians don't want to, the isssue here is the authorities will
> not allow gambians to occupy these positions because of there own
> interest or fear of prosecution of their wrong doings. look at the era
> of former regime (jawara's), it has gone to a point where the head of
> the arm forces was even a foreigner,was this a cover up for their own
> security or because there were no gambians ??.The judicial system in the
> gambia is in __serious crisis,how can foreigners like the nigerians
> occupy the majority of the positions when nigeria has one of the worst
> record of human rights violation in africa. the issue of checks and
> balances is totally absent in our judicial system because these foreign
> lawyers or judges are pperforming their duti es with directions from the
> govt. How can the foreigners occupy the most sensitve positions of a govt.ie
> chief justice,..dir of public prosecution etc...Is this a mockery to our
> judicial system or a cover up.the former regime did the same thing
> during their era and now they are the victims of their own actions.to
> support my point ...has any firm actions been taken during the GCDB
> crisis. GCU crisis..JAHAPACHA rice project...etc..and in all these cases
> large amount of tax payers money is been misused , and is still
> happening with the present regime. so for thirty two good years the
> gambia is still where it started from. to
> The issue of foreign teachers in the gambia ,i believe there are lot
> of good gambian teachers in the gambia ,but we the gambians are
> discouraging our fellow gambian teachers because considering the fact
> that most gambians would prefer to pay lot of money to foreign teacher
> than a gambian teacher of the same qualification or even better. the
> point is we gambians believe too much on foreigners or foreign diplomats
> instead of trying to be selfreliant.
> T
> The vice presidency issue in the gambia, Did the president ever outline
> the duties and responsibilities of the so called lady vice president
> other than those of her ministry, or is this another of way covering up
> because Edward signateh does not satisfy the age requirement for a vive
> president,if not then why should he be assign all the functions that a vice
> president should have .
> finally let us make the best use of our education and then gambia
> will be free of hungry leaders and dishonest interllectuals, then we wil not
> be victims of a corrupt so ciety .
>
> bye everyone !!!!!
>
> Basiru !!!!
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ering up or
> misleading the
>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 16:34:23 +0200
From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Asbj=F8rn_Nordam?= <asbjorn.nordam@dif.dk>
To: "'gambia'" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Gambians abroad to earn a living
Message-ID: <c=DK%a=_%p=DIF%l=DKDIFS02-970423143423Z-1759@dkdifs02.dif.dk>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
This information calls for a comment from me:
"what are the working conditions in these countries?
working from morning til midnight, they were beaten, physically
maltreated (no sexual harassment reported). They have repeatedly
complained at the local agency because of the maltreatment, bad working
conditions and the salary, which was around D1200 (in Kuwait!!)
The story has been covered by TV and newspapers in the Gambia. FOROYAA
is still about to confirm and investigate the matter. They haven't
reported on this story yet. I'll see, whether I can get a fax copy of
the Observer or Point."
This is really something to learn from. I=B4m glad that it is televised =
in
The Gambia, so other gambian women can see what the conditions for
labouring abroad can be, so they are more prepared. If it=B4s as =
described
here, I thank that the President took action.=20
Some young danes every year ends up in situations like that. Not that
they travel abroad and take a job to earn money for a living or because
their families are depending on them, more for the chance of seing the
world. Even they know about working conditions, trade unions, they take
the chance for adventure, which can turn out a nightmare. Maybe Mr. Kohl
of Germany would not do anything, but surely the danish government do
something, if we get information about a dane ending up like the gambian
women in Kuwait.
Maybe the gambian TV should portrait some of you who are living in the
west, so the families and the ordinary gambians could get a more
differentiate picture of the conditions under which you live, study,
work. It is not "glamour" all of it.
Asbj=F8rn Nordam
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:40:52 +0200
From: Andrea Klumpp <klumpp@kar.dec.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Update: Education Group
Message-ID: <335E49A4.1385@kar.dec.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi,
this is to give you a short update on the progress of the education
group and to introduce our work to the new members. The education group
consists of 25 people who are prepared to spend time, money or both to
support education in The Gambia. =
We made a survey to have a basis for a draft proposal which we want to
present to the list as soon as possible.
After evaluating our questionnaire, we got the below listed results. The
selection of school(s) and whether or not to start it on a
formal/informal basis is still open because there was no clear majority.
One of our members, Omar S. Saho is actually in The Gambia and he
visited The Gambia College on our behalf. We are looking forward to his
experience there and wait with drafting the proposal til he is back,
which will be Tuesday next week.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT, ARGUE AND BRING IN IDEAS!
1. Selection of schools:
7 people would like to support a school in the rural area
6 people want to choose it by random selection
4 would choose a primary school
4 would choose a secondary school
5 prefer a high school
5 want to support The Gambia College
2. We plan to provide text books and other materials
3. We want to do this on a regular basis
4. We want to set up an own procedure
4 people prefer a formal basis
4 people prefer a informal basis
5. The local affiliate in The Gambia should be a private person
6. Around 5 people will look for others to join the venture
7. Other roles of our group:
- gather funds and materials to assist individuals and institutions in
need.
- develop mentorship and guidance programs to prepare kids for higher
education
- Provide a forum through which matters ralating to advancement of the
education in The Gambai can be discussed and channeled to authorities in
The Gambia.
8. Our support:
12 people offered funding between =A7100 p.a. and =A725 p.m.
11 people offered their time for setting the process up keep it running
9. Other ideas:
- Combination of options
- help not biased, distributor in Gambia with much time
- shipping computers
- companies hire students from form 4 up
- setting up liasons with univ., enroll G. students + provide funding
- setting up a homepage for education in G. (database on schools,
funding-info, enrollment ...)
- getting school(s) online
This is an impressive outcome and we are very pleased that so many
people committed themselves to the project. MANY THANKS to all of you!
But education in The Gambia needs plenty of support and the more people
join us, the more effective our support is going to be ...
Thanks for reading through.
Greetings, Andrea
For the education group
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 16:43:57 -0400
From: Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
To: Gambia-L <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Fwd:Sub-Saharan Countries Get UNDP Fund for Internet
Message-ID: <335E748D.5725@earthlink.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
LAGOS (April 23) XINHUA - Eight sub-Saharan African countries will
benefit from a 10.2-million-U.S.-dollar fund from United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) for Internet services.
These countries include Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Burkina Faso,
Gabon, Congo, Sao Tome and Principe and Cape Verde, according to the
Guardian today.
To benefit from the fund, countries will have to provide a
counterpart fund that is 50 percent of the UNDP amount, said Richard
Kerby, the Information Manager of the UNDP Africa Regional Bureau.
Thirty-one African countries are currently said to be linked with
Internet, but most of them including Nigeria can only access the
gateway through Foriegn Internet Service Providers, the newspaper said.
Only South Africa, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mauritius, Senegal,
Zambia and Zimbabwe have full internet connectivity, it added.
Ray Akwule, a professor from the Goerge Mason University of the
United States was quoted as saying that the lack of knowledge rather
than funds and technology accounted for the underdevelopment of
Internet in Africa.
On the other hand, Richard Kerby said, the lack of adequate
telecommunications infrastructure and enabling policy environment is
preventing African countries from getting more international support in
development Internet Services. Enditem
23/04/97 18:18 GMT
Copyright 1997
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 16:52:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: Salifuj@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Temporary unsubscription
Message-ID: <970423165118_548975935@emout01.mail.aol.com>
Please, temporarily sign me off as I will be away for the next two weeks.
Thanks.
-Sal
------------------------------
|
|
|
Momodou
Denmark
11511 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2021 : 16:14:32
|
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 17:58:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
To: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@qatar.net.qa>
Cc: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: GAMBIAN DOMESTICS IN KUWAIT FLOWN BACK HOME BY THE PRESIDENT!!
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9704231717.A18992-0100000@mach1.wlu.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
hello Everyone!!!
I hope you all had a good Eid!!!
I find the information that Bass sent very amusing and intriguing!!!
I'm very impressed if the story is true that Jammeh showed such concern for
his fellow Gambians.......especially if there was no Gambian Embassy
to protect them. And yes I would also like answers to the questions Bass
asked??? especially if he actually paid for their fares.....or did they
have to pay for their fares and leave the country just because their
President said so!! I would also like to know what happened to the girls
after they got home.....did he find them a job after they lost the ones
they had......did he give them money to take care of themselves until
they could get back on their feet again after they got home??? Or does he
expect that their families are young enogh and doing well enough to take
care of one more person????
I guess it's good that he cared enough to remove them from a place where
they had no protection.......and I guess it's better to get help at home
from friends and relatives. What I question most is the manner in
which the whole situation was handled.......was it rash or did he talk to
the girls and figured the best solution was being sent home?????
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 18:19:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Gambian Domestics in Kuwait
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9704231829.A18992-0100000@mach1.wlu.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
After recieveing Andreas info, I have to agree with Abdou Oujimai that
the President did the right!!!!
Ancha.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:09:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
To: SISSOHO EM <E.M.Sissoho@icsl.ac.uk>
Cc: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: POLYGAMMY
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9704231923.A26503-0100000@mach1.wlu.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
This is a topic that's been on my mind and I had a question or two
regarding polygammy.
It would seem that the trend at home these days is for men at home to
have two wives or more. I know that Islam allows it but aren't there
conditions under which polygammy is allowed in Islam..........like your
first wife is fatally ill..........or she cannot give you children?????
I'm not exactly sure what the conditions are.....but I believe that
there are conditions. I think a lot of men at home just use the religion
as an excuse to marry more than one wife.........
I really would like the input of everyone of this matter!! hope to hear
from people soon!!!
Ancha.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:15:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: POLYGAMMY
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9704231938.A26503-0100000@mach1.wlu.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
With regards to the info we recieved from Andrea, I have to say that I
agree with Abdou Oujimai that Jammeh did the right thing!!!
Ancha.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 21:39:05 -0400
From: "M. Darboe" <mdarboe@fred.net>
To: "'gambia-l@u.washington.edu'" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Democracy Under Pressure
Message-ID: <01BC503B.BB949260@mhorn.fred.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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16, Buckle Street
Banjul, The Gambia
17th. February, 1997
The Clerk of the National Assembly
Independence Drive
Banjul, The Gambia
Dear Sir,
I hereby forward the text of a motion which I wish to move to the next =
sitting of the National Assembly for inclusion in the agenda.
MOTION
FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATORS INTO =
THE GAMBIA GOVERNMENT FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNTS
BE IT BE RESOLVED:
That this assembly appoint AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTE OF INVESTIGATORS, to =
investigate:
1) a. the source and the extent of government holdings, with foreign =
banks covering the period January, 1994 to date;
b. all transactions effected to the said accounts with particular =
reference to payment made from government/non-government;
c. the circumstances relating to the US $24.7 Million (Twenty-Four =
Million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) paid into private =
Bank accounts referred to in the court proceedings No. C/P449/95 & =
P/11445/95 in the Republic of Canton De Geneve between the Gambia and =
Ebou Jallow.
2) THE COMMITTEE SHALL COMPRISE:
a. The president of the Gambia Court of Appeal as Chairman,
b. Four members of this Assembly at least two of whom shall be members =
of opposition parties; and=20
c. Two other persons from the general public one of whom shall be a =
Banker.
3) The committee shall commence its sitting not later than four weeks of =
the date of its appointment.
4) The committee shall within six weeks of the commencement of its =
sittings submit its report and recommendations to the National Assembly =
through the speaker of the National Assembly who shall make it available =
to the members of the Assembly.
5) The committee shall sit in public and shall release its report and =
recommendations to the public.
6) The committee shall have all the powers vested in a commission of =
inquiry in accordance with the law and all powers vested in a Committee =
of the National Assembly by the constitution.
7) The Secretary-General and the Head of the Civil Service shall provide =
the committee with all the staff, facilities and funds required.
8) The committee shall appoint its own Secretary and Counsel on such =
terms and conditions it considers appropriate. Where such staff are =
civil servants, the head of the Civil Sevice shall release then =
forthwith to the committee.
9) The Inspector-General of Police shall provide adequate security for =
the committee.
10) The members of the Committee and staff shall in the performance of =
their functions enjoy all the immunities and priviledges of judicial =
officers and members of the National Assembly.
11) The expense of Commision shall be a charge on the Consolidated =
Revenue Fund.
Respectfully submitted.
Yours faithfully,
HON. KEMESSENG JAMMEH
.........................................................................=
............................................
26 Buckle Street
Banjul
The Gambia
The Clerk of the National Assembly
National Assembly Service
Independence Drive
BANJUL
RE: MOTION
Please refer to the motion dated 17th February Which I submitted the =
same day for inclusion in the agenda of the second sitting of teh =
National Assembly, scheduled to take place from 24th February to 29th =
February 1997.
I also refer to you to the WADDA/JAMMEH discussion in the office of the =
speaker on Thursday 27th February centred around the reason why this =
motion did not feature in the Order of Business for that Session. The =
Honourable Speaker explained that my motion was not accomodated simply =
because he was making legal consultations on the subject matter.
In this connection I wish to express my very deep concern and I would =
strongly urge that the motion as submitted in accordance with standing =
order 26 be included in the agenda of the next sitting of the National =
Assembly.
Thank you in anticipation of a positive response.
Yours faithfully,
Hon. Kemeseng Jammeh
MEMBER FOR WESTERN JARRA
=09
=09
.........................................................................=
...........................................
National Assembly Service
Legislative Chamber
Independence Drive
Banjul
LEG/1092(7) 18th March 1997
Hon Kemeseng Jammeh
Member for Western Jarra
26 Buckle Street
BANJUL
RE: MOTION
I refer to your updated letter and subsequent reminder dated 10th March =
1997 relating to the above mentioned subject.
I am directed to inform you that the Notion cannot be entertained.
DS NJIE
CLERK OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 23:10:43 -0400
From: "M. Darboe" <mdarboe@fred.net>
To: "'gambia-l @u.washington.edu'" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: UDP Reaction to recent Crisis in Parliament
Message-ID: <01BC503B.BD8A9600@mhorn.fred.net>
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Press Release
1) The inauguration of the national Assembly and the coming into force =
the the Constitution of the Second Republic of The Gambia in January, =
1997, brought about a new hope for a brighter future; for the Gambian =
people; a future characterized by the rule of the law, good governance =
and the democratic culture as a basis for genuine socio-economic =
development. However, it is now abundantly clear that this hope is =
being continously shattered by the government's persistent violation of =
the constitution. The UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY UDP) has exposed in very =
clear terms these violations and called upon the Government to ensure =
that appropriate remedial actions be taken. Our timely interevention =
has resulted in the President constituting a new cabinet in accordance =
with requirements of the constitution.
2) Similarly, we now observe with great concern deliberate violations of =
the constitution at the levels of the National Assembly- an institution =
whose independence of the Executive is provided for in the constitution. =
The UDP believes that the National Assembly shall assert its =
independence and abide by the constitution in both letter and spirit. =
However, recent violations have been perpetrated through the Speaker of =
the National Assembly by misguided acts which are designed to stiffle =
the genuine debate matters of national interest raised by Opposition =
members of the National Assembly. It should be remembered that the =
National Assembly, in accordance with the constitution and standing =
orders, is empowered to institute proper checks and balances to ensure =
democratic rule, good governance and the respect of human rights. The =
absence of such checks and balances will bring about the disregard for =
transparency, accountibility and probity leading to anarchy.
3) In strict compliance with the provisions of Section 101 of the =
constitution and the existing standing orders, and the spirit of =
transparency, accountability and probity as part and parcel of good =
governance, the UDP member for Western Jarra and the leader of the =
Opposition in the National Assembly, Hon. Kemeseng Jammeh, on the 17th =
of February, 1997, submitted to the clerk of the National Assembly a =
copy of a motion for inclusion in the agenda of the second sitting of =
the National Assembly, scheduled for 24th. to 29th Febryary, 1997.
The prominent features of this government are however corruption, =
persistent violations of the constitution, lack of accountability, =
transparency and probity. The regime is corrupt and persisitently =
refuses to be accountable.
You will recall that during the early days of the military take over, =
even as recently as the regime decided to mastermind and manipulate the =
electoral system inorder to transform itself into a "civilian" =
government, the justification for the takeover was the "rampant =
corruption", lack of transparency and accountability. Commissions of =
Enquiry which are still operating continue to confiscate properties of =
individuals, impose penalities and freeze individual accounts and =
assets. Some of these assets ended up being allocated to Senior =
Military Officers. These Commissions are indeed a mere facade, a tool =
to fight against pro-democratic elements. In fact some people who are =
closely allied to the military dictatorship ( the present regime is for =
all purposes and intent a military one) and who were ordered by the =
commissions to refund thousands and millions of Dalasi have, in some =
cases, been reinstated in their jobs, their private accounts defrozen =
and their travel documents returned to them. Others in fact have been =
appointed as nominated members of the National Assembly by, or elected =
as such under the sponsorship of, the present regime. The amounts which =
were supposed to be paid back to the State coffers have been "silently =
ignored".
The members of the National Assembly of the major opposition party, our =
party, THE UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY, recently submitted questions for =
oral answers as required by the Standing Orders of the National Assembly =
on the sources of funds for certain projects. Similarly, a series of =
questions tending to elicit information on the cost of the President's =
overseas travels (cost of aircraft charter, per diem and imprest) were =
disallowed by the Speaker without giving any reasons. We believe the =
Speaker disallowed the questions on these and other issues because they =
are likely to expose the corrupt practices of the regime. In the same =
vain, a Motion proposed by our members of the Assembly for the =
establishment of an independent investigate committee on the amount of =
US $24.7 Million unaccounted for and diverted into private bank accounts =
in foreign banks was disallowed without any justification. Our party =
strongly believes that such an investigation would reveal the extent of =
the financial mismanagement of the regime.
We wish to convey to you, as a major traditional development partner of =
this country the views of our party which enjoys the support of a large =
percentage of the country's tax payers about the corrupt nature of the =
present AFPRC/APRC government, its lack of transparency and =
accountability.
4. That President Yahya Jammeh further explained to the Bank Manager =
that Ebou Jallow was withdrawing the money "to carry out some commercial =
operation" in Europe.
5. That an additional amount of US $20 Million was deposited in Citibank =
Switzerland in the name of Ebou Jallow.
6. In view of the above startling revelations, which were made in a =
court of law, the United Democratic Party which is genuinely committed =
to transparency and accountability, strongly believes that this =
irregular transaction must be brought before the National Assembly so =
that a proper investigative mechanism is instituted in the spirit of =
public accountability.
7. These revelations call into question the proper management of our =
financial resources and unless we as a nation get into the heart of the =
matter, donor agencies and our development partners will be utilised for =
their designated purposes. It is for this reason that the UDP strongly =
believes that the National Assembly should investigate this matter to =
determine whether transactions have been conducted in accordance with =
laid down government procedures.
8. In addition to rejecting this motion the Speaker has disallowed a =
number of questions submitted by our Members. Some of these include =
questions on the cost of the President's overseas travels and the =
issuance of Gambian diplomatic passport to a non-Gambian.
9. Section 109 (2) (b) of the Constitution empowers the National =
Assembly to appoint a committee to investigate any matter of public =
importance. The subject matter of the proceedings in the Swiss Court =
well qualifies as "a matter of public importance." The way and manner =
in which those responsible for the syphoning of this huge amount of =
money without due regard for established totally disappointed by the =
decision of the Speaker for rejecting the inclusion of such a matter of =
public importance in the business of the National Assembly.
10. By these actions, the independence and credibility of the National =
Assembly are seriously being compromised and demonstrate once again the =
ruling party's lack of commitment to its own slogan of transparency =
accountability and probity. In disallowing questions and Motions at =
will the Speaker has started the process of reducing the legislature =
into a rubber stamping institution. It is the state of affairs such as =
this which led the Constitutional Review Commission to remark on the =
former House of Representatives as follows: "The House of =
Representatives which under normal terms symbolizes the sovereign power =
of the people as the highest representative body in the country deralled =
from its traditional role as the focal point of good government, natural =
justice and social order, to become a helpless caricature, a poor =
apology of a democratic institution...and became useful only as a =
rubber-stamping machinery."
11. The actions of the Speaker will catalise the present National =
Assembly sliding into the same position as it forebearer. Certainly, =
the unjustifiable trend as demonstrated, in no uncertain terms, the fate =
of democracy in the country.
THE UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY SECRETARIAT
16, BUCKLE STREET
BANJUL.
15TH. APRIL, 1997
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 01:26:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: TOURAY1@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: MauryD221@aol.com
Subject: Fwd: Virus Warning!!!!
Message-ID: <970424012653_1986787639@emout02.mail.aol.com>
---------------------
Forwarded message:
From: hopesv@ccmail.orst.edu (Vanelda Hopes)
To: cbbrown@earthlink.net, julieann9@aol.com, touray1@aol.com
Date: 97-04-23 19:22:07 EDT
Anyone who receives
this must send it to as many people as you can. It is essential that this
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opening it, a window appeared and began to display my files that were
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This virus wiped me out. It ate the Anti-Virus Software that comes
with the Windows '95 Program along with F-Prot AVS. Neither was able to
detect it. Please be careful and send this to as many people as possible,
so maybe this new virus can be eliminated.
>
> DON'T OPEN E-MAIL NOTING "AOL4FREE"
>
> Be aware that there are letters going around that you have won free AOL
until 1998....or AOL4free...... PLEASE DELETE...... it contains a virus
that will wipe out your harddrive
> after you download and it executes.
>
> SUBJECT AREA OF EMAIL....... CONGRATULATIONS! You are a WINNER!
>
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>
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>
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****************************************************************************
Carol A. Wagner
Academic Advisor
Department of Educational Psychology
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4225
409-845-1833
409-862-1256 (FAX)
Frances (Worchel) Prevatt, Ph.D.
Department of Educational Psychology
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843
(409)845-1898 fax862-1256
FWorchel@tamu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 13:47:16 GMT+1
From: "Famara A. Sanyang" <famaraas@amadeus.cmi.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: POLYGAMMY
Message-ID: <22DF5733B92@amadeus.cmi.no>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Ancha,
There have been a very long and interesting discussion about polygamy
on Gambia-l, I think it was around the end of February.
I will advice you to either refer to Bass who wrote some very
interesting pieces on the topic, or get in touch with Abdou Touray or
the other subscription managers to get an address of the archives of
Gambia-l postings.
This also applies to all the other interested parties. Please, don't
get me wrong, this is just a suggestion, to avoid a repetition of
what have been said already. If the list members think the
topic deserves another discussion now, then we should go ahead.
Shalom,
Famara.
> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:09:09 -0400 (EDT)
> Reply-to: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
> From: Ancha Bala-Gaye u <bala7500@mach1.wlu.ca>
> To: GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: POLYGAMMY
> X-To: SISSOHO EM <E.M.Sissoho@icsl.ac.uk>
> This is a topic that's been on my mind and I had a question or two
> regarding polygammy.
> It would seem that the trend at home these days is for men at home to
> have two wives or more. I know that Islam allows it but aren't there
> conditions under which polygammy is allowed in Islam..........like your
> first wife is fatally ill..........or she cannot give you children?????
> I'm not exactly sure what the conditions are.....but I believe that
> there are conditions. I think a lot of men at home just use the religion
> as an excuse to marry more than one wife.........
> I really would like the input of everyone of this matter!! hope to hear
> from people soon!!!
> Ancha.
>
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Famara A. Sanyang
Chr. Michelsens Institute (CMI)
Development Studies and Human Rights
Fantoftvegen 38,
N-5036 Fantoft, Bergen, Norway.
Telephone: 47 55574388 Priv. 47 55289124
Telefax : 47 55574166
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 09:22:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: "D. Singhateh" <dawdas@u.washington.edu>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: POLYGAMMY
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.3.95b.970424083327.10188A-100000@dante07.u.washington.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hello sir Ancha if may, I do not think I share your notion on the
trend of polygamy in the Gambia. Needless to say, Islam has been used by
some people if not most with that kind of idea, as a scapegoat to fulfill
their desire to marry more than one wife. However, as reality starts to
sink in and that truth of having more than one wife could no longer be
evaded, some people are turning away from what used to be considered a
norm (marry many wives, have lots of children and bust your social
status).
I would love to dwell on my ideas a little bit more but I feel the
urge to pen off(brevity is the soul of wit: Shakespeare). Besides, as Mr.
Sanyang rightly put, this topic was thoroughly dealt with not long ago.
If you have any more questions you may want to refer to the archives.
Thank you, though, for your concern and vigilance.
you brother,
dawda singhateh
On Wed, 23 Apr 1997, Ancha Bala-Gaye u wrote:
> This is a topic that's been on my mind and I had a question or two
> regarding polygammy.
> It would seem that the trend at home these days is for men at home to
> have two wives or more. I know that Islam allows it but aren't there
> conditions under which polygammy is allowed in Islam..........like your
> first wife is fatally ill..........or she cannot give you children?????
> I'm not exactly sure what the conditions are.....but I believe that
> there are conditions. I think a lot of men at home just use the religion
> as an excuse to marry more than one wife.........
> I really would like the input of everyone of this matter!! hope to hear
> from people soon!!!
> Ancha.
>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 14:45:15 +0100
From: mbaldeh@zenithtvl.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
Message-ID: <199704241844.OAA13880@cam-mail-relay1.bbnplanet.com>
The recent devaluation of the CFA franc plunged the economies of the
countries in this monetary zone into an abyss. Most people became poor
overnight. Prosperous businessmen saw themselves picking up the bread
crumbs off their once overfilled dining tables. Smaller businessmen,
overtaken by this whirlwind, shed a lot of tears after their sudden fall.
Who was behind this mayhem? France. Yes, by a single fell swoop France
unilaterally decided to devaluate the CFA franc, thus sending millions of
people in its former colonies a begging. The shock was so strong that the
ripples were acutely felt in neigbouring countries.
The Gambia, the whipping boy of the Senegalese ultra-right, was castigated
for its lax custom control and accused for the nth time of ecouraging fraud
into Senegal. At Senegalese border posts, passengers were humiliatingly
searched and dispossessed of such items as palm oil bottles, sugar, chinese
green tea, etc. bought in The Gambia and mostly intended as gifts in the
sense of Senegambian "teranga" (hospitality). Gambians returning from
abroad had thousands of dollars seized from them at Yoff Aiport. The
Senegalese government in utter contempt of the
ECOWAS treaty stalled the Gambian re-export trade by prohibiting any goods
from The Gambia through their borders. In certain cases, this heavy-handed
counter attack went to the point of ridicule. In 1994, some people from
Basse (The Gambia) who had gone over to Wellingara (Senegal) to buy iced
water during the month of Ramadan were stopped on their way back and had the
water seized by the Senegalese customs officials!
Does the entry of Guinea Bissau into the CFA zone therefore herald better
days for its people? The answer in my opinion is no. On a positive note,
let's say that the Bissau govt. will have the readily convertible currency
it so badly needs for its imports. Its people will no longer need to
exchange their currency for their travel needs.
Since the creation of the CFA on 25th December 1945, states within this
monetary zone have seen market prices of basic commodities fluctuate due
largely to the value of the CFA franc against the French franc.
Surprisingly though, for reasons such as protectionism and narrow
nationalism, these States have failed to implement policies that would
encourage the free movement of people and goods within the zone. This runs
counter to the growth of their markets and encourages the flight of capital
to foreign countries and financial institutions. It gives more powerful
nations such as France the opportunity to dominate these open, unguarded
markets and thus apply a firm grip on the political lives of the respective
govts. within the zone. Guinea-Bassau is already impoverished by its war of
liberation against Portugal. Its wounds have hardly healed. The
diplomatic problems caused by the Casamance rebellion on its northern
borders is an added strain in its economic relations with its more powerful
neighbour, Senegal. With the narrow economic base of Guinea Bissau,
imagine the consequences of another crisis within the CFA zone as the EU
moves closer into monetary union.
It is my believe that flag-bearing, narrow nationalism does not help African
nations in achieving the unity necessary for economic growth. Allow me to
digress and say that the current issue of technical assistance from Nigeria,
Ghana, and Sierra Leone to The Gambia is a case in point. If such
assistance was to be withdrawn to-night based on the premise that only
Gambians should occupy those positions, the judiciary, the medical service,
the education system will be crippled. It is my opinion that Gambians have
been under-educated for decades. Until 1982 the country had only one Sixth
Form, which had limited places for a priviledged few. Do we know how many
of our brilliant youths are there who, due to insufficent opportunities,
dropped out of school and who could have been lawyers, doctors, teachers?
The judiciary dept. is so understaffed that young graduates from FBC are
made senior magistrates to handle district courts within one year of their
graduation. Some may not even have done the Bar.
African governments seem to give more importance to neo-colonialist
organizations such as the Commonwealth and the Francophonie than to OAU and
ECOWAS. The Anglophone-Francophone rift is so intense that it hampers our
efforts to unify our people. Creating large organizations and adopting
verbose resolutions just to be collecting fat salaries and per diem
constitutes a mockery of Africa's ideals for independence and development.
It is time that African regional and sub-regional organizations grow teeth.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 22:07:30 +0200
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970424200730.006b9a60@golf.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
BALDEH! THANKS FOR YOUR WELL ELABORATED PIECE. AM GLAD YOU CAN GO INTO
DETAILS UNLIKE ME DUE TO MY PRESENT WORK LOAD.
you wrote:
.....African governments seem to give more importance to neo-colonialist
>organizations such as the Commonwealth and the Francophonie than to OAU and
>ECOWAS. The Anglophone-Francophone rift is so intense that it hampers our
>efforts to unify our people. Creating large organizations and adopting
>verbose resolutions just to be collecting fat salaries and per diem
>constitutes a mockery of Africa's ideals for independence and development.
> It is time that African regional and sub-regional organizations grow teeth.
I COULDN'T SAY MORE. A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE IS WHAT WE NEED. WHEN I SAY "WE"
AM REFERRING TO BOTH OUR GOVERNMENTS AND THE ORDINARY SAMBA, DEMBA AND PATEH.
REGARDS,
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 17:08:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Internet Connectivity for The Gambia
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970424165937.27358A-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hi folks,
The Gambia has lately not had internet connectivty because of
problems with its access provider. I have been asked to research ISPs
with a public X.25 interface and to also ask the help of the list in the
same quest. It would therefore be very helpful if you can ask your ISP
whether they have public X.25 interface and can handle multiples of
accounts. Preferably , the ISP should not be a very small operation.
Please let me know at my PRIVATE email address
(abdou@cs.columbia.edu) if you find any such ISP.
Thanks and bye for now,
-Abdou.
*******************************************************************************
A.TOURAY
Computer Science
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
MY URL ON THE WWW= http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALAS, ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
*******************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 19:10:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: ASJanneh@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Greetings to All!
Message-ID: <970424190954_1254268388@emout20.mail.aol.com>
Gambia-l:
sincere greetings to all Gambia-lers. I missed many of the interesting
exchanges of ideas and information during the past month or so, but I hope to
be back on track now. If any one has Pa-Abdou Barrow's e-mail address,
please forward it to me so that I can add him again.
Salaam!
Amadou Scattred Janneh
Knoxville, TN
(423) 919-6498
(423) 544-7748
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 10:35:41 JST +900
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Fwd: Politics This Week (April 18th - April 24th 1997)
Message-ID: <199704250131.KAA09073@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Gambia-l,
Is this of interest to members? Otherwise, I will cease forwarding it to the List on a
weekly basis. Individual members interested in subscribing to this may do so free of
charge. See the bottom of the forwarded message for the way to subscribe.
Lamin Drammeh.
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To: economist-politics@postbox.co.uk
From: The Economist <null@postbox.co.uk>
Subject: Politics This Week (April 18th - April 24th 1997)
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 20:46:39 +0100
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Welcome to Politics This Week (April 18th - April 24th 1997)
A summary of the world's main events from The Economist
Also available at http://www.economist.com/
********************************************************************
Contents
1. Politics This Week
2. Information about this newsletter
CHIRAC'S GAMBLE
President Chirac called a general election in France, with the two
rounds scheduled for May 25th and June 1st. If the current centre-right
coalition government wins, France will be better able to press on with
economic reform and impose the further austerity needed if it is to
join Europe's single currency. If it loses, both plans could fail.
The European Commission predicted that all EU countries bar Italy and
Greece would have budget deficits small enough to let them qualify for
the single currency in 1999. The IMF, though, said that Germany and
France would miss the deficit target, but predicted that monetary union
would anyway start on time.
The European Union's farm commissioner, Franz Fischler, said that
surplus cereal stocks could rise more than 20-fold by 2005 unless the
common agricultural policy is drastically reformed.
The reformist United Democratic Forces won a majority in Bulgaria's
parliamentary elections. The party promises to bring in a currency
board, privatise most of state industry and stamp on crime.
IRA terrorists brought further havoc to Britain's roads and transport
with coded warnings and a bomb in the north that paralysed roads and
railways. Days later, London was similarly hit, causing the closure of
its main airports, several railway stations and main roads.
Talks between Germany's ruling coalition and the opposition Social
Democrats on reforming the tax system broke down. The government wants
to cut taxes by DM30 billion ($17.5 billion) but the Social Democrats
insist on lowering social-insurance charges to create jobs.
SIEGE ENDS
In Peru troops stormed the Japanese ambassador's residence, where left-
wing guerrillas had been holding hostages since mid-December. Of 72
hostages, 71 survived; of 14 guerrillas, none. President Alberto
Fujimori's popularity soared.
The Whitewater special prosecutor, Kenneth Starr, won a six-month
extension of the grand jury investigating the business affairs of
President Clinton and his wife.
Mr Clinton, on a visit to parts of the upper mid-west devastated by
floods, promised $488m in federal assistance. Almost the whole
population of Grand Forks, North Dakota, a city of 51,000, had to leave
their homes after the Red River rose 26 feet above flood level.
A special summit, chaired by Colin Powell, was due to open in
Philadelphia to discuss ways of increasing and improving volunteerism
in America. A poll by CNN/USA Today/Gallup showed that 65% of Americans
claimed to have done volunteer work in the past year.
The wreckage of the A-10 fighter which went missing on routine air-
force manoeuvres three weeks ago was found on a mountainside in
Colorado.
BIBI SPARED
Israel's top law officers found insufficient admissible evidence to
press charges against Israel's prime minister and justice minister. Mr
Netanyahu's coalition survived but he came under pressure from his
partners to sack the justice minister.
In two nights of slaughter, 135 men, women and children were hacked to
death by Islamist terrorists in two villages in Algeria.
The United States growled warnings at Iraq for sending helicopters into
the no-fly zone in southern Iraq to pick up pilgrims returning from
Saudi Arabia. Reports from India allege that the still unknown number
of pilgrims who died in last week's fire in Mecca had been shut into
their compound.
The UN's new special envoy for Western Sahara, James Baker, went to
Morocco on a fact-finding trip to the long-disputed territory. He will
also visit nationalist camps across the border in Algeria.
Rebels who control eastern and southern Zaire opened a second front
west of the capital Kinshasa. They deny killing hundreds of Rwandan
refugees in central Zaire. The UN suspects they are deliberately
blocking food supplies to the refugees and is investigating genocide.
SUPERPOWER VETO
The Chinese and Russian presidents, Jiang Zemin and Boris Yeltsin,
signed a declaration in Moscow opposing the dominance of one superpower
in the post-cold-war world. The United States was not named in the
declaration. Mr Yeltsin is expected to visit China in November.
The United States banned new investment in Myanmar, said by the State
Department to be moving towards large-scale repression.
In India, the Congress party agreed to continue to support the minority
United Front government after the Front chose a new prime minister,
77-year-old Inder Kumar Gujral, a former foreign minister, to replace Deve
Gowda.
Hwang Jang Yop, the highest-ranking official to defect from North Korea,
arrived in South Korea by way of China and the Philippines. He claimed
that the North was preparing for war.
Plans for a conference to bring peace to the Korean peninsula stalled
when the United States turned down North Korea's demand for food aid
and diplomatic recognition as a condition for starting formal
negotiations.
Cambodia asked the United States for assistance to control drug
trafficking, which was "new, growing and sophisticated".
*****
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---1560449-174981250-78688:#1424228352--
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 21:28:56 -0500 (CDT)
From: Paul Jammeh <st2063@student-mail.jsu.edu>
To: To: GAMBIA-L:@student-mail.jsu.edu, gambia-l@u.washington.edu, ;, ;
Subject: Self Introduction
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.970424210121.4077A-100000@student-mail.jsu.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hi Gambians & friends of Gambia,
Though late, please accept my well overdue self introduction as a new
member. Exams are kicking my butt as we head towards the end of the
semester, and there was really no space to let a cat swing.
Anyway, as a new member, I am most delighted to be part of this
network.Special thanks to Dr. Amadou Janneh for helping list me in this
effective and most profound Gambian "bantaba". Greetings to all of you
from Jacksonville,AL.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Paul Dembo Jammeh, a
Gambian, and a 1987 & 1989 st. Augustine's high school graduate.Presently,
I am enrolled in Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, Alabama
(NOT FLORIDA).Being here in this remote southern city is becoming fun. We
are nine Gambians, eight of which are attending the same college. We hope
to have more Gambian enrollment by the fall. So please come on board, have
fun, and enjoy the unquestioned Alabama weather.
Anyway, thanks for the time.
Paul
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 10:59:02 GMT0BST
From: "BEYAI" <P.L.Beyai@newcastle.ac.uk>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
Message-ID: <2430FFC6752@TOWN9.ncl.ac.uk>
> Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 14:45:15 +0100
> Reply-to: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
> From: mbaldeh@zenithtvl.com
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
> The judiciary dept. is so understaffed that young graduates from FBC are
> made senior magistrates to handle district courts within one year of their
> graduation. Some may not even have done the Bar.
Mr. Baldeh,
Thanks for a nice piece on Guinea- Bissau. However, I did not see the
link with the appointment of magistrates in the Gambia.
Why did you specifically mentioned FBC students and not other law
students from Nigeria, Malaysia, Ghana etc. I am sure comments like
yours could discourage people who genuinely want
take up certain positions back home. If lawyers go private, you blame them
for not being patriotic and if they work for their government, you
question their qualifications and mode of promotion.
I must admit, I do not know much about the legal
profession but could our lawyers tell us whether Bar is a
prerequisite for admission into the Bench?
It is a real sacrifice for people to go back home and work for their
country. If not for anything else, I think they deserve better than the kind
of comment you have made.
Cheers,
PLB
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 13:00:15 +0200
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Resubscribe OMAR SAHO
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970425110015.0067f1c4@golf.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
LIST MANAGERS, OMAR SAHO IS BACK FROM GAMBIA AND HAS IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FOR THE EDUCATION GROUP, COULD YOU PLEASE RESUBSCRIBE HIM INTO THE LIST.
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND U'ALL
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 08:58:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: Online Services Free (fwd)
Message-ID: <199704251258.IAA22196@oak.ffr.mtu.edu>
Content-Type: text
Forwarded message:
> From john@4pt0.com Thu Apr 24 20:03:37 1997
> X-Authentication-Warning: mtu.edu: Host [206.43.151.2] claimed to be cal.calcom.com
> Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 17:01:19 -0700
> Message-Id: <199704250001.RAA02316@cal.calcom.com>
> From: "4.0 Resumes and Job Listings"<john@4pt0.com>
> To: <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
> Subject: RE: Online Services Free
>
>
> [My apologies if you received more than one copy of this
> email. Our mail server has been acting up. We didn't want
> to miss you because of a technical problem.]
> ________________________________________
>
>
> Hello,
>
> Please allow me a moment of your time to ask if you or
> anyone you know is looking for a full-time, part-time,
> summer, internship, or co-op job? If so, a new web site
> dedicated solely to college students is available to search
> for college student employment positions COMPLETELY
> FREE.
>
> http://www.4pt0.com
> (think of 4pt0 as 4.0 -- straight A's)
>
> Even better, you can make it easy on yourself by
> submitting your resume so companies can come looking
> for YOU. You may cut-N-paste your resume into the
> database (text or HTML format) or use our online form
> with detailed help on how to write a professional resume.
>
> We are contacting a select number of individuals on
> campuses across America. You can be one of the first to
> submit your resume and search our NEW and GROWING
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>
> It is our goal to make this web site very simple to use for
> both you and employers. Please check out our web site
> and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at
> john@4pt0.com
>
> Thanks for your time and I hope we can be of service to
> you.
>
> Sincerely,
> John Anthony, President
> 4.0 Resumes and Job Listings
>
> P.S. Please feel free to forward this message to others
> that may be able to take advantage of our services.
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Forwarded posting of Omar Saho
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.95.970425084905.27812C-100000@saul2.u.washington.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hi Everyone, this is from Omar Saho.
Thanks
Tony
---------- Forwarded message ----------
To: <Gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
From: Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
Subject: REPORT FROM GAMBIA COLLEGE
Hello folks
Iam back from the Gambia I did visited the Gambia College but neither the
Principal, V.Principal, Registra or D. Registra were available.I did get a
meetings with the Heads of the different departments like Education,
Agriculture, Publiv Health and so on. Though Ahdrea=B4s friend couldn=B4t=
take
along all the materials he wanted to send. The samples she brought along was
highly appreciated as gifts not samples. Especially the diskettes which were
badly needed, they were put into use in my presence to show how badly it was
needed. The diskettes were a real good start. Thanks alot Andrea for your
concern towards our motherland.
Concerning needed books the Heads of the various departments agreed upon
that this have to be discuss and work our between the students and
libarians. They believe that it will be more appropiate that the students
and the libarians set up the list of needed books.
We were thinking of donating books and other school materials, but the
situation is not as easy as we thought over here. Chairs are very limited if
not scared. Students have to be running nuts to find chairs for attending
lectures, this i have witnessed. These are the materils i informed that are
needed seriously and fasT: PENS, PENCILS, MARKERS, CHALK(assorted), FILES,
ERASERS, PUNCHING & STAPLING MACHINES, DUPLIVCATING & PHOTOCOPYING PAPERS,
SHARPENERS, MANILA CARDSORION PAPERS, DISKETTES (3.5,1.44mb), CELLOTAPES,
RIBBONS (for Espon LQ510ESC), DUSTERS,PHOTOCOPIERS, OVERHEAD & SLIDE
PROJECTORS, TELEVISION AND VIDEO, COMPUTER & PRINTERS, COMPUTER TABLES,
CLASSROOM CHAIRS, STEREO SETT WITH TURNTABLE, INTERCOM SYSTEM. Concerning an
Auditorium that belongs to the plans or future as informed and there is
whatsoever no hints or plans to get one for the College.
The Home Economics deparment seriously needed COOKERS, KETTLES AND COOKING
UTENSILS.
It was not easy to make appoinments with the college. There is only one
telephone line which is in the secretary=B4s office, if one calls to Dr.
bojang he has to be fetch. The heads of departments has no telephones in
their offices. The telephone at the secretary=B4s office is just a simple
telephone handsett. The College need a switchboard and other handsetts. I
will be donating a switchboard with 22 channels or 10 handsetts and the the
college produce their own switchboard.This will make communication easier.
Any questions or comments are welcome.
with kind regards=20
Omar S. Saho
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 12:18:52 -0400
From: "William O'Donnell" <billod@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Film Festival
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.95.970425121622.14767A-100000@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Greetings,
Does anyone know when the next Pan-African Film Festival in
Burkina Faso is? If you do, any information on getting tickets or
passes?
Cheers,
-bill
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
\ William O'Donnell /
/ Dept. of History \
\ The Johns Hopkins University /
/ 3400 N. Charles St. \
\ Baltimore, MD 21218 /
/ http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~billod \
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 09:38:04 -0700
From: sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Message-ID: <199704251638.JAA15499@thesky.incog.com>
All,
Omar Saho is added back on line.
Sarian
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 13:04:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: ASJanneh@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Jammeh Visits Dakar
Message-ID: <970425130415_1121062615@emout10.mail.aol.com>
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<!--plsfield:HEADLINE-->
Diouf, Jammeh Sign Accords On Free Movement =
<!--plsfield:TODAY-->
</H2>
<P>
<B>Apr. 25, 1997</B><BR>
<P>
<I>
<!--plsfield:BYLINE-->
Moses Draku PANA Correspondent =
</I>
<P>
<!--plsfield:TEXT-->
<p> DAKAR, Senegal (PANA) - Senegal and the Gambia Thursday in =
Dakar signed several accords on the free movement of people and =
goods across their common borders. <p> The agreements were signed at the=
end of Gambian President
Yahya Jammeh's working visit to the senegalese capital which
lasted a few hours. <p> The accords approved mechanisms geared to facili=
tate =
transactions and the movement of goods and services. <p> Host president =
Abdou Diouf and Jammeh also agreed to harmonize
road tariffs paid by Gambian and Senegalese haulers.<p> The measure is ex=
pected to impact positively on inter-state =
tourism and trade. <p>Officials in Dakar said Gambian and Senegalese exp=
erts would =
meet to consolidate the agreements. <p> On security at their common bord=
er, periodical meetings will =
be held at ministerial level, in conformity with the one of the =
conventions signed by the two parties on Thursday. <p> The two countries=
also decided to pool resources in tackling =
any outbreak of epidemics. <p> Jammeh told newsmen before his departure =
Thursday afternoon =
that he was satisfied with the state of cooperation between the =
two neighbours. <p> He said lingering problems on the movement of goods =
and =
services between the two countries had been resolved. =
<CENTER> <P> <HR SIZE=3D5 WIDTH=3D75%><P> Copyright © 1997 The Panaf=
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<BR>Tel: (221) 24-13-95 | Fax: (221) 24-13-90 | E-mail:
quoiset@sonatel.senet.net
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 18:24:06 +0000
From: "M'BAI OF" <O.F.M'Bai@icsl.ac.uk>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Guinea Bissau & the CFA...
Message-ID: <199704251722.SAA24596@netmail.city.ac.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Hello Mr. Beyai , with regards to your question as to whether the
Bar is a prerequisite for admission into the Bench, the answer to
that according to the English Legal system , is YES. To be appointed
as a Bencher in England and Wales , a person has firstly to qualify
as a Barrister and secondly has being practicing for atleast 15 years,
before being recommended to the Lord Chancellor for appointment
as a judge or a magistrate.
thank you
M'bai Omar F.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 17:34:26 +0100
From: mbaldeh@zenithtvl.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Guinea Bissau & the CFA (Response to Mr.
Message-ID: <199704252133.RAA28642@cam-mail-relay1.bbnplanet.com>
Mr. Beyai, thank you for your comment on the Guinea Bissau issue.
As regards your question on the link between this issue and the appointment
of magistrates in The Gambia, I first asked my readers to "allow me to
digress" from the discussion on Guinea Bissau in order to give an example
of how narrow nationalist sentiments do not encourage economic growth in
Africa and that calling for the withdrawal of technical assistance when The
Gambia cannot afford at this time to do without it constitute such
sentiments.
While I do not hold anything against FBC graduates, I was just supporting
the point made by Hadijatou on the staffing situation within the judiciary.
I did not at any moment say that one has to do the Bar to be called to the
Bench. In any case, I thank Mr. Mbai for providing you with a lucid
response. What I said was that young graduates in law (regardless of the
institution they came from) are appointed to positions where expertise is
needed. I consider it more prudent to allow a person who is familiar with
the routines of a court of law to preside over a case where an individual's
liberty is at stake. Having a mere degree in law straight from college
without any preparation though the Bar cannot give a person such expertise.
I stand to be corrected by the lawyers. I respect the magistrates for the
tough working conditions and poor salaries that they have to put up with,
but that does not annihilate the legal requirement to appoint magistrates
to positions that they are qualified for and not for their patriotic
sentiments.
I am looking forward to the day when there will be so many law graduates in
The Gambia that we would not need to supplement our shortages from outside.
I am looking forward to the day when a patient would not die in a Gambian
health center because of the shortage of qualified doctors. I am also
looking forward to the day when I would not need to hire the services of a
qualified teacher to help my children catch up in school because I cannot
afford an expensive institution with better academic staff.
You said I complained when people choose to be private practitioners and
complained again when they make sacrifices to serve the State as
magistrates. Unless you are using the second person plural, I have never
made such a complaint, if my memory serves me right. Be assured that I
believe in free enterprise and I respect other peoples right to choose and I
would not give or take an iota of such a right.
I do not think that stating that the judiciary dept. is understaffed or that
law graduates without sufficient expertise should not be given the
responsiblities to head judicial institutions would discourage others to go
home and serve the nation. I would ask you to go through G-L's archived
mail and read my position on homecoming. It is only a person who has no
intention to go home that would use my above statement to say "uhuh, Mr,
Baldeh has said that people without sufficient expertise in a certain
function should not be given the responsiblity to occupy such functions, so
I am not going back", simplistic as this may sound. In my article on dual
nationality I said, and I repeat, that the govt. of The Gambia should
initiate certain provisions in the national law in order to encourage people
to "return to what is rightly their cradle, although I would not take it
(the lack of such legal provisions) as an excuse for turning my back away
(from my motherland)."
Thanks for inviting the clarifications.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 18:27:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: "D. Singhateh" <dawdas@u.washington.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.3.95b.970425182023.44126A-100000@dante13.u.washington.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hello guys, here is little something ( a breather as I refer to
it ) that some of you may find very interesting. It is intended to give
you a break, you so deserve, from what ever is racking your brain.
I hope you find it amusing.
Subject: Fwd: Top 10 reasons computers must be male / female (fwd)
Top 10 reasons computers must be male:
10.
They have a lot of data but are still clueless.
9.
A better model is always just around the corner.
8.
They look nice and shiny until you bring them home.
7.
It is always necessary to have a backup.
6.
They'll do whatever you say if you push the right buttons.
5.
The best part of having either one is the games you can play.
4.
In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
3.
They are logical but without emotions.
2.
Big power surges knock them out for the night.
1.
Size does matter.
Top 10 reasons compilers must be female:
10.
Picky, picky, picky.
9.
They hear what you say, but not what you mean.
8.
Beauty is only shell deep.
7.
When you ask what's wrong, they say "nothing".
6.
Can produce incorrect results with alarming speed.
5.
Always turning simple statements into big productions.
4.
Small-talk is important..
3.
You do the same thing for years, and suddenly it's wrong.
2.
They make you take the garbage out.
1.
Miss a period and they go wild.
You all have fun and enjoy life, after all at the end of the day, its not
how many toys you have but how much fun you have.
Thanx for your time.
Dawda M. L. Singhateh
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 09:34:57 +0800 (SGT)
From: Senessie Turay <9210077@talabah.iiu.my>
To: gambia-l <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Mali wins payback fro Switzerland (fwd)
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.970426093445.18971B-100000@talabah.iiu.my>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 19:22:06 +0200
From: Yusuf Bangura <Bangura@UNRISD.ORG>
To: LEONENET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Mali wins payback fro Switzerland
Mali wins payback from Switzerland in embezzlement procedures
by Sylvia Passelaigue-Merle
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 25 (AFP) - In a historic move
that could spell
trouble for greedy dictators, Swiss banks have been ordered to
pay back 3.2
million Swiss francs (2.3 million dollars) to Mali by a federal
court, a
federal police bureau spokesman said Friday.
"Funds of 3.2 million Swiss francs will be given to Mali
under the terms of
procedures started in 1991," spokesman Folco Galli said, adding
that "we have
still not been notified" of the March federal court judgement.
"Mali has done what no other country has done until now: it
has introduced
penal procedures against the perpetrators of embezzlement and
(the country's)
former leaders," said Genevese lawyer Guy Fontanet, stressing
that Mali had set
an example.
For the first time, Switzerland will return money seized by
a former leader
of a third world country, and put it into an account opened by
the Malian
National Bank.
In 1991, non-governmental organization Swiss Development
Aid started legal
proceedings against former Malian dictator Moussa Traore, who
was overthrown in
a 1991 military coup, and the former director of Mali's
national tobacco and
matches company, who are suspected of banking ill-gotten funds
in Switzerland.
A number of other cases were also brought against Malian
managers in
France, Monaco, the United States and Canada on charges of
illegal enrichment,
embezzlement of public assets and corruption.
In 1991, the sums in Switzerland were estimated at more
than one billion
Swiss francs.
Bamako asked Bern for international assistance in
investigating the charges
after Traore's fall from power. However, given the amount of
time that has
elapsed, Swiss bank accounts owned by the suspected fraudsters
could have been
partly emptied, Swiss Development Aid lawyers said.
Switzerland has been accused by a variety of parties around
the world of
concealing facts, under judicial pretexts, about controversial
funds said to
belong to dictators ranging from deceased Filipinian Ferdinand
Marcos to
Zaire's still living Mobutu Sese Seko.
Bern a week ago refused to freeze Mobutu's assets, which
are estimated at
four billion Swiss francs.
Alain Tripod, another lawyer hired by Swiss Development
Aid, stressed that
the Malian authorities had obtained legal condemnation of
Boubacar Dembele,
former director of Sonatam (Mali national cigarette and match
company),
suspected of corruption.
In the case of the Marcos funds, the Philippine courts have
made no
judgement condemning the family of the former president, thus
failing to meet
conditions for freeing some 500 million dollars frozen in Swiss
banks
accounts.
Switzerland demands that suspected embezzlers first be
definitively
condemned in their own countries before any restitution
procedures can be
considered.
The Swiss Parliament has written such a provision into a
new law on
international judicial cooperation in penal cases which came
into effect in
February. Formerly, Switzerland did not require an explicit
judgement to return
funds.
According to the federal police office, ten countries have
requested Swiss
judicial help regarding looting of funds by former chiefs of
state or their
relatives.
Opinion is split on how effective Bern's stiffer judicial
legislative
weapon will be.
While the freezing of Marcos' assets might have dissuaded
some dictators
from stashing their fortunes in Swiss banks, other stolen
treasure chests may
not necessarily leave but could be channeled into other tax-
evading niches.
spm/tjf
AFP
AFP
AFPviaNewsEDGE
KEYWORDS: Swiss-Mali-banks
Copyright (c) 1997 Agence France-Presse
Received by NewsEDGE/LAN: 25/04/97 17:33
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 10:51:30 +2000
From: mmjeng@image.dk
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Diouf And Jammeh On Free Movement
Message-ID: <199704260851.JAA14017@ns.image.dk>
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Diouf, Jammeh Sign Accords On Free Movement
Apr. 25, 1997
Moses Draku PANA Correspondent
DAKAR, Senegal (PANA) - Senegal and the Gambia Thursday in Dakar
signed several accords on the free movement of people and goods across
their common borders.
The agreements were signed at the end of Gambian President Yahya
Jammeh's working visit to the senegalese capital which lasted a few
hours.
The accords approved mechanisms geared to facilitate transactions and
the movement of goods and services.
Host president Abdou Diouf and Jammeh also agreed to harmonize road
tariffs paid by Gambian and Senegalese haulers.
The measure is expected to impact positively on inter-state tourism
and trade.
Officials in Dakar said Gambian and Senegalese experts would meet to
consolidate the agreements.
On security at their common border, periodical meetings will be held
at ministerial level, in conformity with the one of the conventions
signed by the two parties on Thursday.
The two countries also decided to pool resources in tackling any
outbreak of epidemics.
Jammeh told newsmen before his departure Thursday afternoon that he
was satisfied with the state of cooperation between the two
neighbours.
He said lingering problems on the movement of goods and services
between the two countries had been resolved.
Greetings.
Matarr M. Jeng.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright =A9 1997 The Panafrican News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 15:09:59 +0200
From: "Bahary Dukuray" <bdukuray@login.eunet.no>
To: "GAMBIA" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Message-ID: <199704261306.PAA11147@login.eunet.no>
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charset="iso-8859-1"
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Hello guys.
Please can someone send to me Bala SK. Saho E-Mail Adress.
I want ask him about The Road to my village.
MY. E-Mail: bdukuraylogin.eunet.no
B.Dukuray
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 13:29:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: ABALM@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New Member
Message-ID: <970426132953_-499131887@emout09.mail.aol.com>
Hello everybody !
I would like to subscribe a new member, his name is Saihou Drammeh and his
e-mail address is Sdramm@nsccx.sccd.ctc.edu.
thanks
Abba
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 20:27:40 +0200
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970426193151.AAA10252@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Saihou Drammeh has been added to the list. Welcome to the Gambia-l
Saihou, please send an introduction of yourself to
gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Regards
Momodou Camara
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 21:45:43 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: New Member
Message-ID: <318119D7.4917@QATAR.NET.QA>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
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ABALM@aol.com wrote:
>
> Hello everybody !
>
> I would like to subscribe a new member, his name is Saihou Drammeh and his
> e-mail address is Sdramm@nsccx.sccd.ctc.edu.
>
> thanks
> Abba
ABBA!!
COULD YOU KINDLY CHECK OUT FOR ME IF THIS SAIHOU DRAMMEH IS MY YOUNGER
BROTHER OR SOMEBODY ELSE.IF IT IS HIM,PLEASE BE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE HIM
MY FOLLOWING EMAIL:(KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA)
AND THANKS VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE .......
REGARDS BASSSSSS!!
--
SZDDˆð'3Af¨
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 18:01:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New Member (Forwarding)
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970426180125.7500B-100000@ciao.cc.columbia.edu>
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From: Darkstar <darkstar@is.com.na>
Reply-To: darkstar@is.com.na
X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01 (Win95; I)
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: subscribe to gambia-l
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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Hello:
I would like to subscribe to Gambia-l. I now live in Namibia but before
Namibia I lived in The Gambia for three years. I have many friends
there and want to keep in touch with whats going on in The Gambia.
Also, a Gambian is a memeber of our family - she lives here and takes
care of my son. She needs to keep track of whats going on also.
Please let me know if this is OK......
Thanks,
Gary R. Cohen
email: darkstar@is.com.na
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 21:50:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gunjur@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: POLYGAMMY
Message-ID: <970426215011_-31474551@emout14.mail.aol.com>
Ancha,
The issue of polygamy in Islam is an interesting one. In the Qu'ran, it is
stated that a man can marry more than one wife provided that he can treat
them exactly the same in every way.That leads to the question as to whether
this is actually possible. Can a man, or anyone for that matter, love and
treat two people exactly the same? Also, women in the society who have lost
their husbands are supposed to be taken care of by the men , even to the
extent of marrying them.
It says in the Qu'ran that they can marry up to four women. Of course, like
almost anything else, some people take advantage of this, marrying far more
wives than they can afford to take care of, not to mention the additional
children as well. At least in the Gambia, this results in intensifying the
poverty that many people are already subject to. However, the Qu'ran is very
explicit about being good to ones wife in every way, including feeding and
clothing them well and treating them as your partner in the marriage
relationship. Given the limited resources of many of the men in Gambia e.g,
and the emotional distress that having many wives brings for the women in
these relationships, l do not think they are interpreting this directive in
the way it was meant. The conditions laid down for it cannot be fulfilled by
many who engage in polygamy.Perhaps in this, is a lesson from Allah.
Jabou
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 21:52:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gunjur@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: POLYGAMMY
Message-ID: <970426215237_-266332149@emout07.mail.aol.com>
Ancha,
That reply is from me, Jabou. I accidentally pusheda button and it got sent
before l could sign it.
Jabou.
------------------------------
End of GAMBIA-L Digest 65
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gambia-l: LOG9704E - Digest 65
