Mr. Ebou Colley:

I must admit, (as I have again and again to others), that I learn a lot
from your eloquently written postings on the military , its leadership
and the technical aspects of weaponry and their use or misuse. I hope
you can someday compile these and other writings on the Gambia's
military into a book.  It would be an invaluable contribution from a
former insider's point of view and of much use for researchers.

As a student of African/Gambian military (organizational) politics, I am
intrigued by military leaders, their psychological profiles, perceptions
and what makes them tick. And while you have commented about Jammeh,
Touray, Bajo and others, to my knowledge, you have not said as much
about Edward Singhateh.  Is he still Jammeh's right hand-man?  Is he
still as powerful in the APRC Government as he was in the former AFPRC?
What is his background and level of competence as a soldier?  What
happened to Sheriff Mbye, Mamat Omar Cham and my "old" friend Sam Sarr?
What type of a soldier was Sheriff Mbye?  I ask about Sheriff in
particular, because he is a younger brother to me. Also, because the
latter were senior officers during the coup, and who, for a short time,
held ministerial posts. What about Jatta, head of the GNA, what type of
a leader/soldier is he?

You have also at one point or the other spoken to the cleavages based on
rank, ethnicity, education etc. within the GNA.  Can you address these
cleavages and their likely effects on future stability in a post-Jammeh
Gambia.

I realize this is a lot to chew on, but I would appreciate a response.
Thanks and keep up the good work and if you would be more comfortable
writing to me privately that would be ok as well.  However, others on
the Bantaba may be interested in your answers.

Abdoulaye
No justice, no peace!

Dampha Kebba wrote:
>
> Colly, the lie-buster, you have done it again. They cannot fool you. I hope
> your brothers in the army heed your advise and refuse to commit suicide.
> Like you said, let Yaya lead the exercise. These people are so dumb that
> they cannot even tell an intelligent lie. We also urge the journalists to
> continue the good reporting they are doing. We know that it is very
> difficult to operate under the present climate where critics are tortured,
> deported, killed and buried six feet deep. But you must investigate the
> atrocities perpetrated in the country. If you cannot reveal the truth
> because of fear of reprisal, at least refrain from reporting the lies the
> government is trying to peddle. There are also people like Ebou Colly,
> Ebrima Ceesay, etc. outside The Gambia who will protect your identity when
> you give them sensitive information and ask them not to reveal your
> identity. We must always remember that our children paid the ultimate price
> on April 10 and 11 in a quest to get us a better Gambia.
> We are also encouraged by news from The Gambia that the lawyers in the
> private bar (excluding Joseph Joof) are refusing to participate in the fraud
> the government wishes to perpetrate regarding the Ebrima Barry matter and
> the April 10 and 11 massacres. We reiterate that the lawyers should go
> further and suggest the appointment of a prosecutor from abroad. There are
> people outside The Gambia willing to sponsor (financially) such an endeavor
> if the government does not want to do it.
> Again, Mr. Colly, thank you for your invaluable contributions. We trust that
> your watchful eyes will not miss any lie these morons wish to peddle here.
> Continue the good work. We will heed your advise because we know what
> happens to morons who do not take your advise ….. they blow themselves up.
> KB
>
> >From: ebou colly <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: GAMBIA GOVERNMENT DOING WHAT IT IS BEST AT-PEDDLING LIES AGAIN
> >Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2000 21:54:45 -0700
> >
> >                                             GAMBIA
> >GOVERNMENT DOING WHAT
> >                                              IT IS
> >BEST AT- PEDDLING LIES AGAIN
> >
> >
> >What has become of the officials of The Gambia
> >government? They must be living in some kind of
> >delusion making them think that they can fool the
> >people all the time, even if they have to peddle the
> >most stupid lies imaginable. In the killing of the
> >armless Gambian school children they tried in vain to
> >dribble the public with all kinds of tricks, if I may
> >borrow a football metaphor here. They first tried to
> >lie about rubber bullets being the only weapons used
> >by the security forces; that was soon discarded, for
> >the evidences in the public’s eyes showed otherwise.
> >They then tried the
> >school-children-breaking-into-the-police-armory one,
> >another story too farfetched for consumption. Then
> >they hit the final and most ridiculous one about the
> >criminals taking the weapons and killing the children.
> >All these were eventually dumped for lack of
> >credibility.
> >
> >Now, the government has again come up with fresh ones
> >about the latest Guinea-Bissau-military-training- team
> >fiasco. After blowing themselves up in a secret
> >attempt to train the State Guard troops on how to use
> >those archaic rocket launchers, the Gambia government
> >officials again think that they can deceive the public
> >by giving out false information on the matter. Their
> >late press release on the incident stated that the
> >Bissau soldiers were training the GNA soldiers on
> >peacekeeping role they are to perform in Sierraleone
> >soon. The military training program is said to have
> >emanated from a bilateral agreement between Banjul and
> >Bissau, an agreement that seemed to have been totally
> >hidden from the Gambian public. Or is it safer to say
> >that I am the only one who didn’t know or hear about
> >this recent Gambia-Guinea Bissau defense agreement up
> >to this level where troops from the former Portuguese
> >colony were deployed to The Gambia? By government
> >protocol however, sighting that of the one with the
> >British Army in 1984, the Turkish Army also in the
> >80’s to the Nigerians’ in the 90’s, government had
> >always made it a point of duty to officially inform
> >the Gambian public of all the implications. But in
> >this Bissau agreement, the only news I once read about
> >it came from a confidential report once posted in the
> >G-L- I can’t even remember the source-saying that
> >Guinea Bissau and Moroccan troops were now the close
> >protection guards of Yaya at Kaninlai. I think that
> >report was condemned by some Jammeh loyalists as false
> >and unfounded, leaving many people doubtful of the
> >informer and his information. I wonder whether the
> >private news papers in the Gambia ever made any
> >attempt, in the light of that sensitive information,
> >to investigate the Government about it; and if they
> >did, I would like to know what the government’s
> >position was on the matter.
> >
> >Anyhow, considering the nature and implications of
> >Guinea-Bissau and Morrocan troops secretly contracted
> >by The Gambia government to come and work in the
> >country in any capacity, it would be would be more
> >likely for that story to attract doubters than
> >believers to necessitate further investigation. We are
> >all aware of the Guinea-Bissau and the MFDC connection
> >which has been one of President Wada’s biggest
> >international concern lately and the strong denial
> >that Yaya has been propagating all over to prove that
> >he had nothing to do with the rebellion. In fact it
> >was on his no-nonsense crusade for permanent peace in
> >Cassamance that Wade few weeks ago made that bold and
> >correct statement that Banjul and Bissau have been
> >acquiring arms from Libya all the time. It was a
> >disclosure that triggered angry reaction from Dr.
> >Sidat Jobe whose ignorance around his master Yaya is
> >turning him into a reckless government-mouthpiece. I
> >understand Dr. Jobe even came out public stating that
> >he was going to challenge his Senegalese counterpart
> >in an ECOWAS meeting in Nigeria on President Wade’s
> >“allegations”. Well, I don’t know whether he has
> >returned from there, but I hope the news reporters
> >would make a follow up on that and ask the secretary
> >of state how he could explain the origin of the
> >suicidal rockets the State Guard were testing with the
> >Guinea Bissau technical- buffoon team. Yes I called
> >them buffoons, because to operate “Katusha” rockets
> >one has to be able to read the instructional manuals
> >and, of course- most importantly- the safety measures
> >that go along operating them. Most of the Bissau
> >soldiers are merely robotic illiterates including
> >their General, Ansumana. They can follow routine
> >drills to perfection but are very deficient in talent
> >and modern knowledge. Was it not Yaya himself who
> >during the Bissau conflict said on national TV that
> >General Ansumana Manneh should not rule Bissau because
> >the Junta leader had no education whatsoever? Why then
> >should Yaya go back to this same person he once openly
> >ridiculed for his lack of education to send him his
> >disciples to train the Gambian soldiers who are far
> >better educated, is a question that seriously baffles
> >me.
> >
> >Anyway, the fatal testing of the  “Katusha” rockets
> >has helped in revealing another dangerous deception
> >perpetrated by the Yaya regime. It has shown that in
> >secretly encouraging Guinea-Bissau troops to be
> >working directly for Yaya in The Gambia, Gambia can no
> >longer claim neutrality in the Cassamance conflict,
> >which Senegal fully understands now. Their main
> >contention was that the rebels are based, trained and
> >equipped in Bissau, but with this the Bissau forces
> >could now be categorized the same as the GNA. . It is
> >also clear that the “Katusha” rockets acquired from
> >Libya for Yaya’s personal use were at Kaninlai and
> >that one of the three trucks they were supplied with
> >is now destroyed. And some of those who tried to fire
> >the weapons got killed in the process. There should be
> >two more trucks left which I am waiting again for the
> >suicidal fools Yaya might send to try and fire them at
> >Polodi range. I doubt as to whether the Moroccans
> >would agree to do it at all. If the Libyans who
> >supplied them would not fire the weapons, why would
> >any mad man want to do so?
> >
> >For those unfortunate Gambia Soldiers, I would not be
> >surprised if Yaya would try to coax you into going
> >back again by providing you with his crazy bulletproof
> >jujus for protection. Well, take it from me, those
> >things don’t work on “Katusha” rockets, but the choice
> >is yours. Going back for a guaranteed suicide in which
> >your death would be hidden to the public is a sure and
> >sorry way to hell. So you must be prepared to even run
> >away than accept that order. You will only die and
> >some vampire would come and lie about it.
> >
> >Peacekeeping training for GNA soldiers going to
> >Sierraleone? How could they say that? Who can the
> >Bissau troops teach how to perform international
> >peacekeeping when they have never been in any such
> >mission in the world? If they had said Ghana or even
> >Senegal one would understand, but Guinea Bissau; that
> >was just a desperate excuse laughable but still
> >worrisome. Bissau troops in The Gambia are nothing to
> >joke about. But let them visit the UN mandate on
> >peacekeeping in Sierraleone and show us where any
> >country is required to deploy troops with such weapons
> >as  “Katusha” rocket launchers. Anyhow if the training
> >was for peacekeeping in Sierraleone, why in god’s name
> >did they restrict it to the State Guard elements only?
> >Certainly, the regular GNA soldiers must be telling
> >each other “what some shameless liars we have as our
> >authorities”. They know that there was no peacekeeping
> >training with any Bissau soldiers, period.
> >
> >All said however, I am hoping and praying that the
> >next time one of the last two trucks are to be test
> >fired, Jammeh Musa, the greatest, the conqueror of
> >Liberia, invincible in the face of missiles and
> >explosives would himself, join the firing team at
> >Polodi range. Amen.
> >
> >May those souls lost in the last Polodi exercise rest
> >in eternal peace. Amen.
> >
> >
> >
> >Ebou Colly.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >__________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints!
> >http://photos.yahoo.com
> >
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