I for one have no problem with your identity, if your name is ebou colly so be it,and if what you said about the jammeh regime is really the fact,that is a serious allegation and very disturbing. However,I very much resent the way you label Kabba bajo.I know Kabba all my life, he is a friend and a brother, calling him empty- headed and disloyal is nothing but a lie.Kabba is one of the most intelligent persons in that government.He is there to help the people of our beloved nation not to hurt anyone, unlike you calling yourself a true soldier.If you want people to believe your story, please get your facts right and don't try to give bad names and images humble and a honourable person like kabba. Bakary Dembo Sanneh Bellevue University-Nebraska >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: Yaya's Power Base? >Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 13:53:27 -0800 > >THE GNA SOLDIERS NOT THE POWER BASE FOR YAYA JAMMEH > >Before dealing with my next subject, I would first >like to extend my sincere appreciation to all those >wonderful comments sent by various readers of my last >issue. Your encouraging words were certainly morale >boosters and have reinforced my determination and >spirit to be more sharing with a candid approach. > >I cannot however ignore the few questions forwarded >doubting the credibility of my information, because I >sincerely believe that every skeptic deserve a >satisfactory explanation of everything said about the >Jammeh regime. Saying that I was a true serving member >of the Gambia National Army (GNA) from its early >inception in 1985 to its most recent past may not be >sufficient consolidate the credibility I hope to >project. If I also stopped at merely explaining my >broad knowledge of military operations-orders ranging >from the section, platoon, company or even battalion >battle drills, the highest operational capability of >the present GNA my points may still not sink in well >into the minds of those without proper military >education. However before elaborating on some more >tangible lines, I would like to inform everybody that >I am a well-trained infantry soldier with advanced >skills of a combatant in field craft, the special >ability of a sharp shooter but above all the >discipline of a true soldier. A true soldier precisely >means a good fighter for the right course without >being unnecessarily bloodthirsty. It also means being >professional and having less or nothing to do with >politics. Soldiers with political aspirations are >nothing but rebels or bandits in uniform. > >However let me now give a broader or additional proof >of my assertion that Jammeh's government always comes >up with false coup plots merely to eliminate innocent >Gambians. Take the case of Captain Yankuba Drammeh the >current Commanding Officer(CO) of the largest fighting >battalion in the GNA,1 Infantry Battalion. His office >and cellular phone numbers are 4722121 and 990178 >respectively. Call him and if he is honest with you >should be able to tell you the harrowing experience he >suffered at Mile Two Central prisons accused by Jammeh >of a dubious coup plot against his government. Or you >try Captain Cherno Jallow the present CO of the second >largest battalion on his office number-497100-and he >could also tell you the terrible days he was >incarcerated at death row by Yaya for planning a coup >he could not justify. Captain Alpha Kinteh at the Army >Headquarters Banjul on 225772or225771 also suffered in >the hands of Yaya on a coup conspiracy charge no one >could enlighten for him. I could go on and on, but >that would simply tie me down on this subject that I >think I have now been adequately treated, at least for >this forum. So I will move to my next subject >deserving equal importance. > >As a former member of the GNA I am now trying to find >the right voice to speak for mainly those honest and >good soldiers of the GNA who had nothing to do with >Yaya's coup and are ashamed of being associated with >him or his government. Nevertheless the general >civilian public often categorize all the soldiers in >uniform as other Yaya Jammehs, Edward Singhatehs, >Lamin Kaba Bajos, Yankuba Tourays or the few stupid >ones blindly following them. Contrary to that >stereotype concept, I can speak with confidence that >90% or more of the GNA soldiers on active service are >very good, honest and God fearing Gambians holding on >to their jobs primarily to make a simple living. But >given the negative legacy of African armies in general >with the Gambia not an exception, the civilian >population have developed the wrong notion that all >the soldiers are evil. Consequently when members of >the army are improperly treated in a manner that does >not conform with the standard laws of the nation or >the constitution, the legal institutions or civil >population usually brush it aside as unimportant >isolated problems. > >Take for instance the so-called counter coup of 11th >November 1994 when Yaya Jammeh falsely accused some >GNA officers and other ranks and then summarily >executed them in the most gruesome manner. The >majority were executed on the 13th of November, two >days after the AFPRC government stated that all of >them were killed in a fire on the 11th of November. >The entire Gambian public was aware of the lies of the >government in that serious crime. But how did they >react to that unlawful butchery of those innocent >Gambian soldiers? They simply gossiped their regret >over the terrible act without a single voice of >protest raised or any form of pressure exerted on >Jammeh and his killers to satisfy their doubts. > >The soldiers at Yundum Barracks that evening wept like >children as their colleagues were driven away in a >Land Rover pick-up vehicle to the out skirts of >Nyambai Forest where they were cowardly killed one >after another. Their dead limp bodies were later >brought back and handed over to the moronic >Chief-Of-Staff Baboucarr Jatta who supervised the >final terrible act of burying the men naked behind the >toilets. The bulk of the soldiers stood by numb in >their legs with fear and shock. And as soon as they >left the barracks the stupefied soldiers started >telling the whole story the exact manner it happened >and monsters who took part in the killing. The last >shots that killed Sergeants E.M.Ceesay and Basiru >Camara were ordered by Edward Singhateh around >6.00p.m. His former driver Batch Jallow used a >Chinese-made A.K 47,folding butt, to shoot and killed >the two Sergeants at point range. But all the killing >instructions were coming directly from Yaya. It was >the worst crime committed against humanity by the >AFPRC government. > >Anyhow the Gambian public seemed to care less about >that crime. At least the Gambian public could have >asked for the bodies with proper postmortem performed >on everyone and of course have them handed over to >their families for proper burial. There was no war or >social disturbance in the nation at that moment to >necessitate that hasty and terrible burial. The only >reason they was to hide the evidence of what did. Up >to tkis present time no one shows a glimmer of >interest in that case. It is not proper for those >soldiers to remain there forever as if they do not >deserve to be buried in any cemeteries in the country. >Why should Yaya Jammeh condition the minds of all the >Gambians into remaining this silent about something >that has no iota of justice or human decency? Why? >Why? Why? These men had wives and children who still >dont't know where their fathers have disappeared to >since that day they left for work in 1994. > >By comparison however, the other tragic killing of >Ousman Koro Ceesay six months later seemed to have >attracted more public sympathy and out cry than the >innocent Gambian soldiers lying at Yundum.What's the >logic? It was really ugly killing the former Finance >Minister of the AFPRC government and burning him in >his official car to hide the evidence. But did you >know that Lt.Gibril Saye was bayonetted all over his >body including both his eyes before he was finally >shot by Staff Sergent Kanyi? Lt. Abdoulie Faal (DOT) >had his back bone broken by bending him backwards >until the bone snap at his waist before he was shot >and killed with a 9mm pistol. > >All these stories were more or less known to the >Gambian public, but because they were soldiers, the >crimes were perfectly normal. > >So one could judge clearly the precarious message >behind the whole episode. When Jammeh hits a civilian >regardless of how friendly or close that person was to >the tyrant, the action is condemned with the whole GNA >sometimes blamed for it. Yet when a soldier attempts >to even question the legitimacy of the idiot and is as >a result maimed or killed the public says little or >nothing about it. > >Anyhow in actual fact , looking at Jammeh's government >since the coup in 1994,it has always been the >civilians who supplied him with the right >administrative ingredients that has sustained his >government for so long. The soldiers could not and in >reality would not if they could. Apparently even the >most educated and best trained soldiers of the GNA had >no clue of how to run a government much more Yaya one >of the most under-educated and less-trained in the >army. With his grade 11 high school education the >idiot was not even a member of the GNA. He was a >gendermarie personnel with then worst record of >professional or academic attainment. If the civilians >worshipping him were aware of how mentally backward he >was, and they decide to stop helping him today, within >few hours his government would collapse altogether. >But perhaps the civilians very well know the low >mental level of the fool and enjoy exploiting it for >their selfish interest > >What is only sad about it is the continuous >denunciation of the ordinary common soldiers for >keeping the Kaninlai monsterin power. But can you >remember Fafa Mbye who selfishly armed the Jammeh >regime in the beginning with all those decrees and >legal arsenals used to destroy several selected >Gambian families? Can you also remember those >so-called great civilian intellectuals of the Jawara >era who have totally shifted their loyalty to Jammeh >with fanatical zeal. On the active front, there were >the Bolong Sonkos, the Blaise Jagnes,Omar Njie,Famara >Jatta, Isatou Njie Saidy,Balla Jahumpa and now the >most prominent being Momodou Lamin Sidat Jobe. Would >all of them in the end be treated as innocents and >blame the soldiers for Jammeh's crimes? My friends >let's be realistic I think it would have been somewhat >fairer if blame was shared between the greedy civilian >and the rebels in uniform disguised as soldiers. > >Even with that, an objective critic may want to think >twice if the calibre of soldiers in power is well >scrutinised. For example the sadist Edward Singhateh, >apart from his animal brutality which makes him a >notorious killer of innocent Gambians,the half-cast >has nothing in his brain to make him a competent >administrator. As for Yankuba Touray, his only >effective role in the system is taking the local >political platform and reinforcing every lie uttered >by Yaya. He has the mental ability of a kindergarten >child. He is absolutely zero when it comes to >formulating government policies let alone executing >them. > >Lamin Kaba Bajo? He is the one I respect the least >among them. Hiding behind religion, he is the most >empty-headed and disloyal person in the history of >security forces in the Gambia. At the time of the coup >in 1994,Lamin was a captain commanding the whole >Presidential Guards of Ex-President >Jawara.However,when the coward heard about the >advancing soldiers coming to overthrow the government >he abandoned the unit and ran away to Dakar Senegal >with President Jawara's family.He returned a week >later to be given a high position by Jammeh because >they were old friends. > >These are men who have no virtues, carry little or no >valuable knowledge in their head and lacked every form >of human conscience to make them good administrators. > >So take it from me, an ordinary civil disobedience of >the Jammeh establishment would have been the easiest >way to expel his government from power. The real >soldiers would prefer it that way. A genuine mass >movement will in fact attract a lot of soldiers to >move along with it rather than against it. But instead >even the career politicians remain silent in their >chambers. Where are the Sheriff Dibbas, Andrew >Camaras, Gibou Jagnes etc. etc.? > >You may not know this but frankly speaking it hurts >all serving soldiers dearly to associate Yaya Jammeh >with true military characters or values since the man >is nothing but a pathological liar, a "corruptomaniac" >and a mass murderer under the guise of the noble army >uniform. He lies about every thing under the sun, he >even decorated him self with the ECOMOG medal and >would often lie shamelessly about the peacekeeping >role he played in Liberia when he had never step his >foot there. He lies about how Sana Sabally and the >late Sadibou Haidara aimed their weapons at him on the >27th of January 1994 and attempted to shoot him >without success because his "jujus" caused the guns to >malfunction. The soldiers who apprehended Sana and >Sadibou would tell you how Yaya almost shit his pants >that day out of fear hiding away from the actual >encounter. > >And where did he get all the millions of Dalasis he >has been spending on his private multi-million Dalasi >projects in the country? The soldiers are all >disturbed by his wave of corrupt activities. Take for >instance the insult to all military ethics by Jammeh >giving the official residence of the CO at Fajara >Barracks to his mother. The house was once occupied by >Major Ebrima Chongan and should have now been occupied >by the current Commander. > >I don't need to say any more on why I termed him a >mass murderer anyway. But believe in me, looking at >the danger Yaya has entangled himself with as the >pitiful President of The Gambia condemned on a clear >path of ultimate doom, few or no soldiers would even >contemplate eliminating him for fear of being stock >with the possibility of becoming another suicidal >leader. However the idiot lives in a dream world of a >child's mind far duller than that of Samuel Doe's who >once got the message and chance to leave the political >scene when he could but played the fool until he was >captured and butchered. With Yaya,his recent remarks >in The Gambia saying that presidents don't die in >their own political problems indicates how unreceptive >his brain is in political history of the African >continent. > >But I would still insist that the civilians and not >the soldiers for once take the bull by the horns and >do it to Yaya Jammeh. Or would they continue to find >their personal opportunities of big positions in the >government while still blaming the soldiers for >keeping Jammeh in power? Was it not a shocking shame >that Abdoulai Sallah after retiring with absolute >disgrace as ambassador has accepted another >ministerial position from Yaya? No wonder with all the >clear evidence seen the civil community is still >sheepishly appealing to Yaya the number one >orchestrator of the killing of Ousman Koro Ceesay to >investigate the case and tell them what they have >certainly known already. Is that not something? > >The soldiers should continue to pray hoping that time >would show the clear truth. But I am still looking >forward to that special day when the remains of our >colleagues are removed from the back of the toilets of >Yundum and paraded with honour before given the >peaceful burial they honestly deserve. The Gambian >constitution will be rectified to cover all of the >soldiers dead or alive and will ensure that such >things would never be entertained in our midst again. >If soldiers are killed again under any circumstances, >our families must get the bodies and we would lay our >lives to stop any bastard trying to bury us behind >toilets of our own barracks. Sorry to say, but for the >moment any of you out there could end up in those >shallow graves at Yundum Barracks. >. > >On a final note, be assured that I am committed to >reestablishing good governance in The Gambia and the >preparations for that campaign is in earnest. It is >just a matter of short time when we will roll into the >country and clean the nation of that terrible >government. I know what it would take. > >Well Mr. Ebrima Ceesay for a while I simply thought of >ignoring your rather confrontational remarks for >obvious reasons but a second thought after all, made >me change my mind. It really fascinated me reading the >level of obsession you expressed in struggling to >expose my identity. I doubt as to whether you realized >how desperate you sounded. You even sounded quite >threatening saying something to the effect that you >may use your super knowledge of the information super >highway to trace my location and expose my true >identity. And you also said you have other means of >secret techniques at your disposal to reveal who I am. >Great, you can go ahead and make my day. I sincerely >do not think you possess any special knowledge or >secret formula to proof to the world anything >different from Ebou Colly being really the person I >am. And I seriously think you lack a thorough >knowledge of how the Internet works. > >Anyhow I am only pleased that you seemed to have >nothing to challenge about the credibility of my >information regardless of what I consider the >tremendous show off you displayed on your knowledge of >the Jammeh era. Credibility of the information >supposedly matters greater in the so-called debate. >Playing your game however, I wonder whether you gave a >serious thought to the reason why I should be hiding >my identity if in reality I am. Perhaps it is for a >very genuine reason that should be respected as long >as I am willing to supply the relevant information I >want to share with all Gambians out there. After all >if it were not for credibility, what other relevance >would you say my real identity has in the so- called >debate? The way I see it, correct me if I am wrong, >the only sensible reason I could make out of it are >these two possibilities: (1) You seemed to have >already been telling everybody around you how well you >actually know me as a different person from Ebou Colly >and now you are burdened with the challenge of >confirming it ;or (2) You disliked what I said about >Jammeh and his terrible government so you mapped out a >scheme of silencing me. Brother I think you have a >tough job in hand because my course is already mapped >out too and the psychological game of an amateur shall >not make me deviate from it. > >I did not bother to answer your questions directly >because, just as you put it in one of your second >submission you know the answers but only want to check >with me. Several doubts have been clarified in this >text and many more shall come but based purely on my >plan and pace. This is a forum for all >Gambians to receive what I have to offer so don't just >expect to change my program into a hide and seek game >with you or any other person for that matter. > >However, for once I will try to help you with these >questions you asked? The speeches you referred to on >the first day of the coup from Radio 1 FM, I assume >you very well knew at the time that the late Lt. >Basiru Barrow announced the English version while >Capt. Momodou Lamin Sonko repeated it in Mandinka and >Wollof. Unfortunately the lieutenant was among those >butchered on the 11th of November 1994 and is still >lying behind the Yundum Barracks toilet but the >captain is still around living somewhere in the USA. >With that information it should be a piece of cake for >you to trace him using your super knowledge of >cyberspace or those secret formula you have. He is >certainly the only person who can tell you who wrote >that speech because I honestly have no idea about the >author. > >You also made mention of a speech that I had >something to do with hiding it, eh? Presumably you >seemed to be referring to Yaya Jammeh's maide speech >at Radio Gambia, right? If that is the one, you must >have to my surprise missed that clear answer to who >actually wrote it. That speech in its original >manuscript has been on display at the small museum on >ARCH 22 in Banjul. It is there neatly laminated and >placed on an antique-looking table standing beside a >similar chair with the following inscription printed >above: This speech was written by His Excellency Yaya >Abdulasis Junkung Jamus Jammeh President of The >Republic Of The Gambia sitting on this table and chair >well before he overthrew the P.P.P. government. >Something very similar to that. I don't know how you >really missed that with your outstanding journalistic >credentials. Or should I say that you were among those >gullible journalists easily fed with so many lies by >the then AFPRC boys about all those officers who did >not take part in the coup including the 36 of them >incarcerated at mile two? >Of course I was never part of the coup plotters like >the majority of the officers, and I am perfectly proud >of that. > >Ebou Colley > > > >. > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. >http://im.yahoo.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------