Yes, I agree with your assessment about Museveni, and there are many
examples that we can site.  However, we cannot let corrupt leaders hide
behind the fact that the Military is bad for Africa when they are equally as
bad.  With the AU, UN and other bodies putting pressure on the military in
Africa, coupled with citizens putting pressure on these coup leaders, none
can hold the people hostage.  As I write, the majority of the tyrants in
Africa are not from the Military.  The problem in Africa is the relationship
between the governing and the governed, where the latter does not know the
role of the former and the former using that ignorance to abuse their
mandate.  So, both the system and the regimes need a change in nearly most
countries in Africa.  Our situation in Gambia is this, are we going to live
under a president to no end that is corrupt and has committed crimes against
humanity and may be willing to die than hand over power under any
circumstances?  If we ruled out the military joining the people to force
meaningful change, then what are our options?  I suppose we hope that he
dies a natural death or be sick.  In country after country in Africa, the
people are held hostage by crooks for leaders.  They loose elections but
refuse to hand over power, civilian or military.  This time we see a unique
opportunity in Bissau, and while as you rightly cautioned that it is too
premature to judge it a success, but they made remarkable progress.  None
was killed and the citizens of the country from many walks of life are
working together for a brighter future for Bissau.  Some of the so called
democracies in Africa as I write do not have anything thing remotely close
like the consensus forging in Bissau.  They are consulting outsiders in the
process and are being counseled by outsiders too.  Folks, Bissau is on track
and we need to encourage the effort they embark upon.   Dictators do not
like this new arrangement and I am happy they are nervous.

Going back to the situation in Uganda, Museveni has the support of the Army,
thus he could do all these things, changing this and that law to suite his
longevity.  The people have to stand up, get organized and somehow pry the
Army from Museveni.  We in the Gambia are in a similar situation, for Yaya
is constantly manipulating the constitution to allow him to be president for
life and he is relying on the Army to defend him.  This is why we decided to
form a coalition to vote him out.  However, that never get dictators to
leave.  It is at that time that the people are going to demand that he
vacate by force and we can get the backing and understanding of the
international community.  If we can convince the Army to abandoned him, then
our task is much easier.  However, if the Military decides to stick with
him, then I look to the peace loving proponents on this list to give us a
real solution - that does not require the use of force.  However, suffering
peacefully is not one of those options.  Yaya has been murdering Gambians
and we did zilch about them.  Emptied our coffers and we did zilch.  Why,
because we have this wish that things are going to be better without
fighting for it.  At this rate, he could easily be president for life and
Gambians starving to death in "peace" , in the hope that God put him to
sleep.  That is the situation that you and I are in.  Folks, the only thing
that is constant in life is change and we need to embrace change, especially
change that looks promising.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou


>From: uga749d <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: ***Coup Leaders Let a Civilian Become Interim President
>Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 17:56:24 +0200
>
>We from Uganda salute him and hope others will be able to copy him.   Yet
>again, NEVER trust a military man.  He could easily use this as a trick
>whereby he could also remove the next civilian leader rule for a short
>time,
>and they (the military) make yet another coup only to say civilians have
>now
>failed, so the military should take over for the "best of the country and
>of
>the people".
>
>It is too early to conclude anything.  Who ever knew Museveni would have
>spent even two weeks in power?  - Twenty years are almost over with excuses
>after excuses - right now he has forged yet another "three years" after the
>coming elections 2006 (which will mean 2009).
>
>What does this tell us?  That the 2006 election is already won before it is
>done!  Because, if he wants three more years after the 2006 elections, it
>means he is 100% the winner of that election - add three more years to that
>and God knows when his quickly army-trained and quickly promoted son will
>take over!!!
>
>Best regards
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joe Sambou" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 5:14 PM
>Subject: Coup Leaders Let a Civilian Become Interim President
>
>
> > Folks, below is what I call citizens carving out their destiny.  None
>will
> > hold a country hostage to eternity and the people are not going to wait
> > until a dictator dies naturally or becomes senile, only to be replaced
>by
> > another dictator.  No, the people are going to effect change and put in
> > controls that would send any feature crooked leader to the cage.  This
>is
> > bad news for dictators, for they cannot anymore hide with their loot and
> > crimes abroad and they cannot stay in power till their death or
>sickness.
> > Please read on.
> >
> >
> > Coup Leaders Let a Civilian Become Interim President
> >
> > UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
> >
> > September 22, 2003
> > Posted to the web September 22, 2003
> >
> > Bissau
> >
> > The military officers who seized power in Guinea-Bissau a week ago, have
> > agreed in principle to let a civilian take over as president of an
>interim
> > government for up to two years while fresh elections are organized.
> >
> > General Verissimo Correia Seabra, who declared himself acting head of
>state,
> > told visiting Senegalese interior minister Macky Sall on Sunday that he
>was
> > willing to step aside to let a civilian become interim president.
> >
> >
> > He also gave the same pledge to Mozambican parliamentary affairs
>minister
> > Francisco Caetano Madeira, who arriived as an envoy of the African
>Union.
> >
> > But military leaders remained locked in discussions with the leaders of
>17
> > political parties on Monday over what form the new government of this
>small
> > West African country should take and who should become president and
>prime
> > minister.
> >
> > Sources at the meeting said there was a general consensus that Henrique
> > Pereira Rosa, a respected local businessman with no political
>afiliation,
> > should become interim president.
> >
> > However, opinions were divided over whether Artur Sanha, secretary
>general
> > of the Social Renovation Party (PRS) of deposed president Kumba Yala
>should
> > become prime minister, they added.
> >
> > The sources said Sanha was the clear favourite for the job, but some
> > participants objected that he was not politically independent. Others
> > meanwhile expressed concern over charges that Sanha had killed Florinda
> > Baptista, a woman with whom he reportedly had a relationship, while he
>was
> > interior minister in 2001. Sanha was sacked by Kumba Yala soon after her
> > death, but court proceedings against him were dropped for lack of
>evidence.
> >
> > Correia Seabra, the chief of staff of the armed forces, ousted Kumba
>Yala
>in
> > a bloodless coup on 14 September to prevent this former colony of 1.3
> > million people sliding into political and administrative chaos.
> >
> > Kumba Yala was elected with a strong majority in early 2000, but soon
> > alienated most of his former supporters. He dissolved parliament in
>November
> > last year after it passed a vote of no confidence in him and then
>delayed
> > four times the holding of fresh legislative elections. Kumba Yala also
> > engaged in endless cabinet reshuffles and his bankrupt government owed
> > soldiers, civil servants, teachers and hospital workers several months
>of
> > pay arrears.
> >
> > An ad-hoc commission of political leaders and military officers chaired
>by
> > Jose Camnate Na Bissign, the Roman Catholic bishop of Bissau, proposed
>on
> > Friday that fresh parliamentary elections should be held in six months
>time
> > and presidential elections a year later.
> >
> > It also recommended that the interim government be held accountable to a
> > Transitional National Council, a broad-based council of civilian and
> > military representatives which would act as a nominated legislature and
> > consultative body until the holding of parliamentary elections.
> >
> > Sall told the Senegalese news agency APS after meeting Correia Seabra on
> > Sunday that he had passed on a suggestion from Senegalese President
> > Abdoulaye Wade that the Guinea-Bissau army should establish a military
> > watchdog committee to ensure that the transition process was properly
> > implimented.
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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