Ah! Brother if only the Gambia was run by its sons who
are like you and share in your ideas. Am glad you
sent a copy to the UN Secretary General. Am sure he
will agree with you. And giving what he knows about
Jammeh's regime, am sure he was saying to himself "How
hypocritical" when Jammeh was reading his speech.
--- Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
<HR>
<html><DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My Fellow Gambians, </DIV>
<P>I have now had the opportunity to read and re-read
Jammeh’s speech to the UN on Friday, and I must admit
that I had to laugh when I started to analyse its
contents!! Whoever is employed as Jammeh’s
speechwriter has done all of us opponents of the
regime a great service! Thank you to him/them from the
bottom of our hearts! </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>The speech in its entirety is based on empty
words – there is talk <STRONG>of “participation”,
“collective responsibility”, “tolerance”, “love and
caring for each other”, “caring and sharing”, “moral
and institutional support”, “good relations between
Governments”, “transparency and fairness”,
“proportionate representation”, “sharing of
responsibilities”, “dignity” and finally, “peace”.
</STRONG></DIV>
<P>Not one of these words or phrases represents what
is to be found in present day Gambia, either as a
political ideal or a practical reality or a dream for
the future. The very reverse is true. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Our nation is currently characterised by lack of
participation, by despotism, by autocratic and
nepotistic government, by intolerance, by distrust and
hatred, by theft and lack of care, by immorality, by
poor (and worsening) relations with other governments,
by intransparency and unfairness, by political and
electoral misdealings and illegality, by tyranny, by
indignity, theft, murder and warmongering. </DIV>
<P>Interestingly, Jammeh dares to classify himself
among the <STRONG>“world leaders</STRONG>”, and speaks
of combining forces with them to bring about
<STRONG>“a brighter future for humankind</STRONG>”.
One wonders how those high-calibre world leaders who
also addressed the UN actually perceived our dreadful
representative – whatever did they think when he
started speaking these high-sounding noble sentences
on Friday morning? They, above all, will have
recognised the emptiness and the vacuity of the
sentiments upon which Jammeh touched. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>They will also have predicted that the main
thrust of this insignificant speech would have dealt
with the Taiwan and Cuban issues: as my source had
told us in advance, those would be key issues for
Jammeh. My source was correct and accurate yet again!
</DIV>
<P>Jammeh’s speechwriter chose words that have no part
in today’s Gambia, nor in Jammeh’s heart, soul or
intellect. Jammeh is the man who can give the order to
open fire with live bullets on a peaceable student
demonstration: this is the man who can incite the APRC
youth to set the torch on independent radio stations:
this is the man who calls for the abduction,
kidnapping, imprisonment without trial, even murder of
anyone who opposes him in any way; this is the man who
is lining his own purse with public money; this is the
man who claims to have the best interests of his
country at heart!! </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>The truth of the matter is as far removed from
the noble and laudable words of the speech as it could
possibly be. Not one iota of what Jammeh touched upon
is representative of what he practices daily in his
own governance of our nation. The very reverse is
true. </DIV>
<P>I shall now track through Jammeh’s speech paragraph
by paragraph, and highlight the untruths, the false
sentiments, the lies and the nonsense. If this is the
best that his speechwriter could come up with, then
heaven help The Gambia. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Jammeh spoke of the UN’s need to <STRONG>“chart a
new agenda of participation and collective
commitment</STRONG>”: a worthy notion indeed, but the
words are lightweight in reality. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>What typifies The Gambia under Jammeh is
repression rather than participation: autocracy and
despotism rather than collectivity. Jammeh exhorts the
UN to adopt a more responsive and responsible role,
but his own leadership style remains the absolute
opposite of this. What is good for the goose should
also be good for the gander. </DIV>
<P>He then spoke about the UN’s need to
<STRONG>“evolve a better and more responsive role”:
</STRONG>Jammeh needs to turn the spotlight on himself
before he makes these sort of pronouncements. In what
way has he improved himself, or become more responsive
to the needs of his fellow citizens? The man has
become a megalomaniac, who is totally out of touch
with his people, and who in fact, cares not one fig
for their well-being, their prosperity or their
future. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>He moved on to talk about the <STRONG>“promotion
and preservation of international peace and security”.
</STRONG>Our analyses of the deterioration in
relations between The Gambia and other countries in
the sub-region, the continent and the international
stage, suggest that notions of preserving peace or
enhancing security are far-removed from Jammeh’s
policies and thinking. </DIV>
<P>He is doing his level best to incite trouble in
West Africa: he is bringing in a deluge of weaponry
and armoury to our peaceful land; he is developing
paramilitary organisations within The Gambia to
control his population by intimidation and force. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>In the next paragraph, Jammeh talked of the need
to usher in <STRONG>“a more balanced and equitable
world devoid of social injustice, economic
deprivation, hunger and diseases as well as senseless
wars”. </STRONG>What, we ask ourselves, is Jammeh
contributing to these aims in our country or in West
Africa? The Gambia of today is typified by social
injustices of the very worst sort: our economy is in a
state of stagnation; our people are hungry; our people
die from disease before their time; our so-called
leader incites mistrust and terrorism in the
sub-region. </DIV>
<P>Yahya talked of bringing about <STRONG>“permanent
global peace and security” </STRONG>through
<STRONG>“tolerance, love and caring for each other”
</STRONG>and through the inculcation of <STRONG>“the
spirit of caring and sharing”. </STRONG></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>What a lot of nonsense, when you set what he says
against what he has been doing in The Gambia for the
past six years. The man is truly deceiving himself:
his regime represents the antithesis of tolerance,
love and care: ask Dumo Saho or Koro Ceesay or George
Christensen about Jammeh’s spirit of caring and
sharing!! </DIV>
<P>Reading this sort of absolute nonsense rendered me
speechless!! I am certain it had the same effect on
you! </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>We then moved on to Jammeh’s thoughts on the
<STRONG>“scourges of social and political upheaval”.
</STRONG>Coming from a Lieutenant who masterminded a
coup d’etat in 1994, Jammeh’s words are laughable. The
man himself is a usurper, who is using thuggery and
butchery to consolidate his tenuous power base. </DIV>
<P>Jammeh spoke next of how disheartened he felt to
observe <STRONG>“the proliferation of conflict
situations”</STRONG>: he could in fact, have spoken
about his own role in exacerbating mistrust, terrorism
and conflict in West Africa. The man’s reputation as a
diplomat is laughable: no-one takes him seriously, and
many fear what they see as his misguided interference
in diplomatic and political matters about which he
knows nothing nor cares little. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Jammeh’s overriding aims are to look after
himself: to ensure that his wallet is full to
overflowing; to hold onto personal power at any cost;
to make the Gambia a supporter of terrorism and a drug
and gun-running state. </DIV>
<P>The man even had the nerve to call upon the
international community to <STRONG>“provide greater
moral and institutional support for the attainment of
these noble objectives” </STRONG>of conflict
prevention, resolution, management and peacekeeping!!
</P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>As my source had already intimated, Jammeh would
use this occasion to put forward the case of Taiwan
and Cuba vis-à-vis the United Nations. My source has
already responded to these issues, and I totally
support his analysis. </DIV>
<P>In his concluding remarks, Jammeh spoke of the need
for the UN to make reforms and fundamental changes,
particularly in relation to the reform of the Security
Council. His reasons for calling for action were
to<STRONG> “ensure transparency and fairness”!!
</STRONG>I would suggest that Jammeh turns his
attention to the situation in his own country, before
he calls on others to make changes. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>The AFPRC overthrew the last government, and its
watchwords were probity, accountability and fairness
for all. Well, we have seen what this present regime
actually promotes in The Gambia – the very opposite of
transparency and the very opposite of fairness. If
Jammeh is serious about making changes for the better
on the world stage, then he has to start on his own
doorstep and set the example himself, before calling
on others to do it. </DIV>
<P>Jammeh pronounces that the UN be the <STRONG>“moral
standard bearer of humankind ensuring justice,
equality, peace and stability around the world”.
</STRONG>Well, the UN is doing its very best to do
just that, but its task is close to impossible when
leaders of the standard of Jammeh assume power. What,
we ask, is Jammeh himself doing <STRONG>to “make this
planet a better and more productive one where
humankind can live in dignity and peace”??
</STRONG></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>The Gambia under Jammeh is neither dignified nor
peaceful. Our beautiful country has become the
laughing stock of Africa and the world: we have lost
all dignity and respect in our international
relations: our people are beset by problems and
deficit in every sphere of their lives. </DIV>
<P>The Gambia, under Jammeh, has become a travesty of
itself. It is typified by inequality, injustice,
poverty, repression, social disintegration, economic
collapse and worst of all, a lack of hope for the
future. </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>There was no one at the UN who will have failed
to see through Jammeh’s high-sounding phrases to the
awful truth of the matter. Certainly, none of us who
have read the speech have been fooled by Jammeh's
words! </DIV>
<P><STRONG>Ebrima Ceesay </STRONG></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Birmingham, UK. </STRONG></DIV>
<P><STRONG>Copied: Secretary General, United Nations.
</STRONG></P>
<DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV><p><hr>Get Your
Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at <a
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href="http://profiles.msn.com">http://profiles.msn.com
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