Gambia-L
The commentary below was sent to me by a Briton, someone I really consider a
good "friend" of the Gambia who lives in Scotland.
Ebrima
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Ebrima,
Can it really be happening that the regime in The Gambia is able to
retrench its position, despite the tragic events of April 10/11th 2000;
despite the implications of the crude oil saga; despite what Jammeh and his
hench-people are doing to Gambian entrepreneurs like Taf; despite all the
small and large scale abuses of the civil liberties of Gambians as listed by
Amnesty International; despite the damage done to the farming majority of
Gambian workers in this current groundnut selling season; despite the total
lack of regard of this so-called government for its population's best
interests: can it really be happening ??????
I watch and listen to the GRTS reports on my modem link in the UK, and I
read the headline news of The Observer and the Daily News on the
internet, and The Gambia sounds like paradise on earth !!
There is an avuncular president who cares so much for the native wildlife of
Africa that he is amassing a zoo full of specimens in his
newly-Moroccan-designed state house (I also hear that full and
state-of-the-art security systems are put in place to ensure that no
creature can escape or enter unannounced ~ what unprecedented
committment to wild-life preservation, Ebrima !!!): The Gambia is a
tourist paradise where a woman named Susan Wagga-something (could it be
Jammeh's tail ???) ensures that visitors enjoy hassle-free and
bullet-proof holidays on a beach unpopulated by boy bumsters, girl fruit &
nut sellers or ferocious rip-tides; that an unmarked-on-ordnance-survey maps
village called Kanilai is being redeveloped to be The Gambia's answer to
South Africa's Sun/Sin City !
I marvel at all that The Gambia apparently has to offer its citizenry
and visitors throughout each year, as vouchsafed by the reports of
Jammeh's government, his press, his tourist office and his minor
echelons. What a fantastic leader this man is !!!
Except Ebrima, this man and his cohorts saw 12 and more young people
to death just two months ago because they thought that maybe he was not so
fantastic a leader.
So many (HOW MANY ?) young people are left immobilised in hospital and
health centre beds around the country, and what can THEIR thoughts be
right now ??
Ebrima, I am so worried that Gambians and friends of The Gambia are
letting the relentless progress of time, obscure their understanding of the
awfulness of this current regime.
We really do need to be searching out all the dirty linen of the present
"government" and its supporters, and pegging each example out on the washing
line of democracy so that everyone may see.... AND BE WORRIED.
We need to be looking out for every instance of injustice and LOGGING
IT... and reporting it in full to the international community.
We need Gambians in The Gambia to be making contact with us in the UK,
USA, SWEDEN, NORWAY etc. etc. by telephone. letter, fax or internet - we
need to hear the true voices of true Gambians - don't spare your
comments: BE HONEST: BE OPEN: BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT US IN OUR
EFFORTS TO SEE THE BACK OF THE APRC.
We are people who do not want armed conflict in our beloved Gambia: we
believe that by the power of the spoken word and the written word we can
ensure the peaceful transformation of our country from tyranny to democracy.
Please join us in our struggle to oust the APRC and Jammeh.
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