OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BRIEFING SESSION HELD AT THE BRITISH HOUSE OF
COMMONS ON 28 FEBRUARY 2001
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Last Wednesday Committee Room ten at the British House of Commons in the Palace of Westminster in London, played host to a historic gathering of Gambians from all walks of life, who answered to the call, jointly made by the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia (UK) and Mr. John McDonnell member of Parliament for the London constituency of Hayes and Harlington who chaired the session.
As was noted by one of the speakers, the British Houses of Parliament has never in its venerable history, entertained such a large gathering of Gambians, nor has it, as far as I know, been the venue for the extensive discussion of any issue relating to the Gambia. To the extent that this is true, is itself the stuff of history.
However, I believe that what was of greatest significance, was the sheer size of the gathering. Not in the recent past, have so many Gambians come together, in the United Kingdom at least, to hear addresses on the state of the Gambian polity. To my mind, this is clear evidence of the Gambian peoples heightened concerns about the continuing decline of the social, political and economic conditions of the state, as well as the general governance crises that has beset the Gambian nation.
Equally significant, is the fact that members of the Gambian opposition parties took time off their very busy campaign schedules and other engagements, to join us on this most auspicious occasion.
It was encouraging to us as a young Movement, to have the presence of Hon. Ahmat Bah MP (NRP), Mr. Femi Peters (UDP) who is also a special envoy of Mr. Assan Musa Camara (GPP), Mr. Omar Amadou Jallow, OJ (PPP) and of course Sir Dawda k. Jawara the former president. These men in their turn gave us insights into their personal as well as their political experiences which will no doubt, helped guide the Movement in the right direction.
Also present in this gathering was a host of well wishers, friends and supporters of the legitimate cause of the Gambian people, to free ourselves from the oppressive regime that presides over the affairs of our Country today. They came to show their solidarity and to pledge their support for our campaign to restore legitimacy, rule of law, constitutional order and democracy in the Gambia.
The gathering included members of the British Parliament, representatives of international organisations and human rights NGOs working in Africa. Representatives from the Centre for Democracy and Development, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights were among our guests at the meeting.
Also present at the meeting was the special representative of the Commonwealth Secretary General the Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, the deputy British High Commissioner to the Gambia Mr. Bharat Joshi, Mr. Chris Stalker Campaign Director Amnesty International, Ms. Rachael Noranha resource person at the Human Rights Watch and Dr Jon Lunn of Article 19.
Also in the gathering were representatives of both the international and local Gambian press. Mr. Patrick Smith of "Africa Confidential", Ms. Kaye Whiteman, media consultant and former editor of "Africa Now", Mr. Alieu Badara Sowe and Mr. Daffeh both of the "Independent", and also Mr. Bala Musa Ceesay reporter for "The Point" Newspaper. On Friday 2nd February 2001, Mr Ahmat Bah (NRP) had a studio interview at the BBC Focus on Africa at Bush House, with Hassan Arouni, which was aired the same evening. Mr Bah talked about the briefing session at his interview. We have also been given coverage on the highly influential daily broad sheets, namely the Financial Times and the Guardian Newspapers, which will in due course be doing a features article on the Gambia.
As Chair of the MRDGUK, I was given the onerous but equally honourable task of opening the proceedings. After an introduction of the Movement, I dilated briefly on the British government foreign policy towards the Gambia. Dealing directly with the troubled and to my mind, misguided resumption of military assistance to the Jammeh government, especially following the cold blooded massacre of our country's brightest young minds last April.
I also questioned the sanity of restoring technical and economic assistance to a government, which currently has the worst record for corruption and economic plunder in the whole of the African Continent. I alluded to the objective evidence that is widely and readily available from independent sources, all of which contradicts the British government's highly controversial contention that the Gambia is and remains a "functional democracy".
I spelt out our proposed approach to facing-down this "unethical" foreign policy stance, adopted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as well as the Department for International Development (DFID), against overwhelming objective evidence of government repression and brutality that is currently in the public domain and also of the reality of what is happening on the ground in the Gambia.
In closing, I called upon the Gambian community in the Uk and Europe as well as other individuals, to join with us in our endeavours to forge links with all he progressive opposition parties, and also with our sister Movements in the USA (MRDGNY), in order to form an international partnership for democratic change in the Gambia.
The Labour member of parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington Ms. Diane Abbot, spoke of the need to rationalise and reconcile the British government's foreign policy towards countries with deplorable human rights records in general and towards the Gambia in particular. She posits, that foreign policy should not be determined by national economic or other strategic interests, but rather should be founded on the genuine interest of our common humanity.
Recalling the fight against apartheid and her own personal contribution towards that cause, Diane pledged her services to this campaign with equal vigour and a steadfast determination to fight against the injustices and human rights violations in he Gambia. She said, "the plight of a black person anywhere in the world, should be regarded as the plight of the black person everywhere". In that regard, she is prepared to fight to defend the legitimate rights of every black person whether in the Gambia or anywhere else.
Diane who is a member of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select committee, also informed the meeting, that together with John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP and other members of parliament, she is poised to take the Gambian case to the highest level of the British government, the European Union and the Commonwealth.
The other Member of Parliament who spoke was Jeremy Corbyn MP for Islington North. Jeremy is the vice chairperson of the highly influential House of Common select committee on Human rights, a position from which he has successfully campaigned and championed the cause of human rights both nationally and in the international arena. He was one of the driving forces behind the Pinochet indictment and advocated for his trial for human rights violation in the UK.
In his speech he recalled the early years of African emancipation and independence as a young man, but laments the erosion of the basic and fundamental rights of those same people whose emancipation, should have consolidated those basic right and freedoms.
Jeremy who is the main facilitator of the Cross-party Gambia interest group, has pledged his total support for the cause of democratic restoration in the Gambia, undertaking to work tirelessly with us to achieve the Movement's main objectives.
The members of the Gambian political opposition then took the stage to brief the gathering on the current state of the nation. First to speak was Mr Femi Peters of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Mr. Peters in a prepared statement, first paid tribute to his two colleagues and National Assembly members Buba Samura and Abu Karamba Kassama, who both sadly lost their lives in an automobile accident earlier this year. He said that both men were principled politicians and dedicated servants of their constituents and of the Gambian people as a whole. They served their party, their constituency and their nation to the best of their ability he said and that the party will honour their memory by continuing their good works.
In his briefing, Mr. Peters gave the audience an insight into the level of harassment and intimidation that his party suffered during the run up to the last elections and continues to suffer in the hands of the government and its thugs. He described the Basse incident in which a convoy carrying the leadership of the UDP was attacked by members of the July 22nd Movement under the direction of Baba Jobe and the subsequent arrest, detention and indictment of the party leader Ousainou Darbo and others on murder charges. Mr. Peters castigated the APRC government's record on human rights, referring to it as appalling and barbaric.
In closing, Mr Peters called on the Gambian people both at home and abroad, to put aside their differences and to work for the interest of the country. He mentioned that the UDP and the NRP are in negotiations to find a way of working together that is acceptable to both parties. Mr Peters, who also represented Mr. Assan Musa Camara of GPP extended a message of solidarity and goodwill to the Gambian people in the Uk and to the Movement from the former vice president.
The Hon. Ahmat Bah MP leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) and National Assembly member for Saloum was the next to speak. In his usual captivating and enthusiastic fashion, he roused and fired the passions of the audience. Mr. Bah called the present government a corrupt group of people who are not there for the interest of the nation but for their own individual interests. Recalling the crude oil saga and numerous other episodes of corrupt dealings, Mr. Bah painted a picture of greed and dishonesty of the APRC government.
Mr. Bah also expressed concern about the proposed constitutional amendments and about the implications they will have for good governance and democracy. He warned that these proposed amendments are likely to become law considering the governments' numerical superiority in the National Assembly but that he will fight against them with staunch determination. He urged the Movement and the International Community to make their voice head on the issue and to campaign vigorously to make sure that they do not become part of our national law.
The NRP leader also called on the opposition parties in the Gambia to unite under an alliance to ensure that the government is ousted in the coming elections. He said that only in this way can the progressive democratic parties make absolutely certain, that the Jammeh government is defeated. Mr. Bah received rapturous applauds from the audience at the end of his delivery.
The next speaker to brief the audience was Omar Amadou Jallow (OJ) former cabinet minister of agriculture in the ousted government. Mr Jallow started off by issuing a warning about the dire consequences for the Gambia and the sub-region as a whole, if the international community fails to adequately address the Gambian crisis. He urged the community of civilise nations to treat Jammeh and his government as they treated other African despots such as Mobutu and Bokasa and to isolate him from their community.
Omar Jallow called on the Movement and its friends to use our influence on Robin Cook and Tony Blair and to exert pressure in all the major World bodies in order to properly focus attention on the Gambian issue. He advised, that we solicit support from all the relevant organisations and institutions for the restoration of the rule of law and democracy in the Gambia. He said that we should direct all our energies towards making sure that the Gambian case is heard loud and clear in all these institutions.
Mr. Jallow narrated the ordeal he and others suffered in the hands of the military junta whilst detained in a disused hanger at the Fajara army barracks following the July 1994 coup. He described in graphic detail the inhumane and degrading treatment to which they were subjected and the abuse to their persons and their dignity.
Omar also talked about his battles to have decree 89 repealed. He gave an insight into his court battles and of the courts failure to decisively rule on the matter. He poured scorn on the courts ruling of non-jurisdiction, and vowed to continue the fight for his constitutional right to participate in the political life of his country.
In closing, OJ warned, that the writing was on the wall for all to see and failure to collectively address the deteriorating social and political conditions that prevails in the Gambia today could very well lead to the Sierra Leone or Liberia scenario. He said that the implication of this eventuality in social and human terms is unimaginable and should be prevented at all cost.
The final word was given to Sir Dawda Jawara, whose contribution was aimed at reaching out to all the different parties. He dwelled on the Gambia's international standing as a champion of human rights, in the period prior to the 1994 coup. He said it was in recognition of the role that the Gambia played in the advancement of the ideals of human rights and democracy, that the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) decided to base the headquarters of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies in the Gambia. Sir Dawda however reminded the audience of the deterioration of the human rights conditions in the Gambia since 1994, under the Jammeh dictatorship.
Sir Dawda also talked about the coming elections and the need to have all aspects of the election monitored by the international community so as to ensure that they are fair and free from malpractice. He called on all the opposition parties to remain vigilant and to ensure that the elections are conducted according to the constitution of the state.
He insists that in order for the elections to be seen to be free and fair, decree 89 must be repealed. He maintained, that it should be a prerequisite to any elections, that the restrictions placed on political parties and individual be removed.
Finally, he called upon the democratic opposition parties to consider favourably the possibility of uniting in order to maximise their chances of defeating the dictatorship.
The last half-hour of the briefing was devoted to questions and answers, in which members of the audience were allowed to pose questions to the panel. During this session, questions relating to the coming elections, the prospect for an opposition alliance and the proposed constitutional amendments were asked. The panel in turn was able to provide answers to these questions. Some members of the audience were also able to make short contributions relating to some of the issues raised during the briefing session proper.
CONCLUSIONS
The first and most important conclusion that could be made of the meeting is that there appears to be agreement among all the parties represented at the briefing, on the central issue of the democratic deficit. There is unanimity among all the parties, that the current governance situation in the Gambia is undemocratic and dictatorial. There is also agreement on the need to seek an urgent remedy to this problem.
The requirement to repeal all existing decrees especially decrees 89; 70/71 in order to create a more open and inclusive democratic process appears to have wide support among the parties. These decrees are considered inimical to the enjoyment of full democratic freedoms and the meeting highlighted the need to create a level playing field so as to foster fair and unrestricted participation in the coming elections.
The government recently promised the Commonwealth Secretary General that the repeal of these decrees will be undertaken soon. However the timing of the promised repeal is as crucial as the repeal itself. The parties have made known their desire to see the repeal carried out as soon as possible so as to give them sufficient time to campaign in preparation for the election. Central to this requirement is the question of access to the State media and other public institutions.
It is clear, that the role of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will have to be revisited with a view to reaffirming and reinforcing its independence, especially following the recent debacle surrounding the sacking of its last Chairman Bishop Johnson by the President. The IEC and its officials including its Chairman crucially must command the respect and confidence of all the parties in order to avoid the perception of bias. For this reason, the case currently pending in the courts seeking a declaration on the Constitutionality or otherwise of Johnson is very important to and must be expedited to help remove the uncertainty surrounding the whole affair.
All the party representatives talked about the need to form an alliance among the progressive opposition, the reasons for this is obvious. In order to avoid the fragmentation of the opposition support, this idea seems to be a highly engaging one. There appears to be the nucleus of just such an alliance. The UDP and NRP have confirmed that they are in talks to see how far this is feasible. This idea as you are aware has the total support of the Movement.
THE WAY FORWARD
Following the meeting, the British members of Parliament decided to form a cross-party working group of parliamentarians with special interest in the Gambia. Diane Abbot MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP and John McDonnell MP have also decided to engage the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with a view to help rationalise their foreign policy stance so far as it applies to the Gambia. The group will then advance the Gambian case to the level of the European Union and at the Commonwealth.
The parliamentary group, currently have a planned scheduled of activities which includes the following: -
Some of us who have sent petitions to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will
understand the frustrations of receiving a standard letter from one of the desk officer at the
FCO which continues to describe the Gambia as a functional democracy. The
Parliamentarians working together with the Movement are hoping to be able to engage
constructively with both the FCO and the Department for International Development (DFID),
with a view to influencing the policies. The next approach to be adopted will depend on the
outcome of these measures and the response that will be received from the relevant
authorities.
through the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the Commonwealth
Heads of Government (CHOG) have been involved in trying to find a resolution to the
Gambian problem. The modalities of these proposed measures have not been finalised as
yet.
The outcome of all or any of the above measures will be communicated to you in due course.
On Wednesday 28th February 2001, the Gambian people served notice on Yahya Jammeh and his government that the era of oppression, of economic plunder and of wanton disregard for the rule of law in the Gambia is coming to its final and logical conclusion. Gambians both at home and in the Diaspora have spoken and the message is clear, concise and unambiguous. It says quite simply, that we will not tolerate, neither will we countenance the continued violation of our basic civil and political rights and of our democratic freedoms. It is the Gambian people themselves and no one else, who will be the sole arbiter of their individual as well as their collective aspirations. We the Sovereign people of this great nation will determine our own destiny.
On behalf of the MRDGUK and the Gambian people, I extend a big thank you all our friends who came to support us.
Goodnight!
Jeggan james Bahoum
Chairperson
MRDGUK
3rd March 2001