Gambia-L,

Here is a copy of the protest letter that we have written to Jammeh. We owe
you an update on our last Sunday meeting and would like to apologise for the
delay. We have not had the time simply because some of us who have ready
access to the net have been doing some foot work but we promise to have the
update later in today. Things have finally begun to move here and before you
tell me, let me tell you that I am ashamed at the compromising tone of the
letter below. I have had to "sell out" because of reasons that I'll come
back to in the update.

Later,

Kabir.



***********************
President of the Republic,
State House,
Marina Parade,
Banjul, The Gambia

BRING THE CULPRITS OF APRIL 10TH AND 11TH TO JUSTICE!

Alhadji, President, Dr. Yaya A.J.J. Jammeh,

It was with a heavy heart that we, a section of the Gambian community in
Oslo, learnt of the tragic shooting and killing of unarmed and defenceless
school children, in the exercise of their democratic and constitutional
rights in carrying out a peaceful demonstration. The brutal massacres of
10th and 11th April 2000 of some of the young flowers of our Garden of Eden
have no parallels in our history as a nation.

We are appalled that even as we write this letter, five weeks after those
inhumane massacres, no serious attempt has yet been made to apprehend, let
alone bring to justice, those criminals responsible for this heinous crime.

We have watched with awe since your return from Cuba, how you and your
"government" have left out no trick in the Book of Devils in your attempt to
shift blame and responsibility for the massacre onto the children. Even
kindergarten-goers must have dismissed it as a delayed April Fool joke when
your vice-president told the whole world that the students were responsible
for the shooting.

Our disgust is neither assuaged by the fact that your government has instead
embarked upon the institution and promulgation of repressive Codes of
Conduct for the school system, whose sole intention is to stifle any
attempts at meaningful organisation by the various student bodies. We expect
that the school should be a place where students learn to shoulder
responsibility and to be carvers of their own destiny, among other things,
and not a place where they are moulded into marionettes with the feeblest of
minds and no shred of conscience.

What happened to the Revolution that you and your APRC has been touting
since you high jacked power from the constitutionally elected government of
the erstwhile PPP? Is this what has become of your revolution? The broad
daylight murder of our young people? Don't you shun any means in your
desperate attempt to hold on to power?

Students have not only constituted a major force in bringing about all
revolutions in history worthy of the name, but have indeed been instrumental
in sustaining them. The members of GAMSU were performing their noble duty of
seeing to those lofty revolutionary ideals that the APRC have shamelessly
betrayed.

They were protesting the torture and murder of a fellow student, Ebrima
Barry, by Fire Service Personnel and the rape of a 13-year old school girl,
Binta Manneh by a uniformed Police Officer. They were carrying high, the
Torch of Freedom and Justice that you have sought to extinguish. History
opines that you are bound to fail! For that Torch can never be extinguished.
Those flames may ebb and flicker, but shall never die!

We believe that the type of mindset that reigns within the security forces
that allows them to entertain the idea that they can commit murder with
impunity, is a direct consequence of your oft not too veiled threats to cuts
people to pieces and bury them six feet deep. You have created, sustained,
and continue to nurture a dangerous type of culture in the country that is
bound to leave deep wounds within the body of our social fabric long after
you are gone.

We believe that the brutal massacre of those brave Sons and Daughters of The
Fatherland by security forces under your command places responsibility
squarely at you doorstep. The massacre is a direct consequence of your
"government's" failure to respect the rule of law and internationally
recognised and civilised norms of behaviour and has stripped your
"government" of any shred of respect, if any, it may have had.

If we did not know you all too well we may have wasted our energy in
appealing to you to do the honourable thing and resign, but dipping into our
understanding of your character, knowing your infantile omni-potent frame of
mind, we prefer rather to caution you to the effect that if your
 "government" fails to prosecute the culprits responsible for the murder of
those beautiful, blossoming and worthy sons and daughters of our Fatherland,
we shall hold you personally responsible for the loss of their lives and we
swear to God, The Almighty to pursue with religious fervour, the cause for
justice for them and their families until final victory.

Amen!



............
Amadu Kabir Njie
For: The Oslo Action Group