Brother Modou Sidibeh,
 
I stand corrected. I was not in Gambia when the incident you speak of  
occurred, the Eku Mahoney affair, so I got it all mixed up with the  attempted 
coup.My mistake. So I really cannot speak to that.
However, regarding Senegalese troops having killed Gambians during the  
attempted coup of 1981, I am sure that happened and given the circumstances  where 
they were coming in to put down an armed group of people, I am  sure none of 
the two sides approached each other with white flags, and without  any sort of 
enquiry into what happened as far as who was responsible for which  deaths by 
the Gambia government, and which was their responsibility, we  will never have 
the hard facts and figures to make a credible argument.So  perhaps to take 
our own government at the time to task here would be more  productive as far as 
our interest is concerned.
 
Brother Momodou, yes we can condemn the actions of others, but the gist of  
what I was trying to convey is that condemning others is all well and good, but 
 we must take care of our own affairs so that we do not leave room for others 
to  take advantage of us. Simply condemning Senegal will not solve our 
problems. We  have had leadership that has opened the doors that enables these  
situations to develop, so we can condemn Senegal all we want, but I  still say 
that they did not initiate this nasty issue that led to the arrest of  the NADD 
trio and I repeat that the facts are still not known as to whether  the Gambia 
government is innocent in this affair, so perhaps, instead of  forgiving the 
culprits as some of are wont to do,  we better concentrate  our energies in 
taking our own government to task to tell us the truth  about the affair before 
we go after the Senegalese. We can protest, but putting  our own house in order 
is the only solution.
 
As for me calling on Senegal to come to our aid on the tam tam  program, I 
think you must have misunderstood what I was trying to convey on  the tam tam 
programs I was involved with. The aim there was  to educate our Senegalese 
neighbours about the plight of our people most of  whom they are related to, and to 
bring to light information that the APRC  regime was meddling in the 
Casamance issue which had the potential of fermenting  conflict between the two 
countries and the third purpose was to remind  Senegal that we are the same people 
despite the misdeed of Yaya Jammeh and his  regime.
Senegal could hopefully then take the issue of Jammeh meddling in the  
Casamance  and the flow of arms in that effort to an  international community 
concerned with terrorism and the uncontrolled flow  of arms and which could result 
in trouble for only Jammeh and  those involved in that nasty business with him. 
  
However, this misconception on your part about the objectives of those  radio 
programs is just one of many by others that came to my attention  and it is 
unfortunate that  the most important thing we were  attempting to accomplish, 
namely exposing the misdeed of the Jammeh regime has  been relegated to an 
attempt to invite Senegal to come rescue us among other  unsavoury allegations I 
have also heard. It is one of the reasons I retreated  from that effort.
 
On the NADD flag bearer issue, well, frankly, I had assumed that the  idea 
was that NADD would choose a flag bearer that did not belong to any of  the 
opposition parties involved and that a subsequent  interim  government would also 
consist of people who were not members of any of the  parties involved in the 
coalition, with the opposition party bases  simply providing a voting block by 
urging their party supporters to put  their vote behind such a candidate to 
bring such a government into power. The  idea behind this suggestion being to 
avoid any potential power struggle  between these opposition parties that will 
bring about a stalemate in the  process. It would also provide a situation 
where an interim  government would be comprised of an independent group of people 
who  can then work with out any sort of party bias to provide a level playing 
 field in which all the various opposition parties would come in to 
participate  in future elections. This interim government would also have a lot of 
house  cleaning to do, from enquiries into all the atrocities of this current  
regime to restoring our constitution so that it has meaning again. This  would 
also have avoided the necessity of registering a new party as was the case  with 
all the set backs that issue brought with it.
 
 However, not to pre-empt NADD's decision, but at least from my  own 
perception,  and after all the things that have transpired so far, it  appears this 
will not be the case and perhaps that is one of the reasons that  the choice of 
a flag bearer has been delayed? I will also reveal  that this is also my 
biggest disappointment with this  effort. Power struggles between the different 
political parties  involved  are what causes coalition governments to 
disintegrate  and that is why the choice of an independent body of people that does not 
owe  allegiance to any party, and which I was expecting to be  the case would 
have been a brilliant move.
 
So, when it appeared that the above would not be the case and that  perhaps 
the choice will be from among the various opposition party officials or  
representatives, I expressed my support for someone who I know is capable and  has 
the best interest of Gambians at heart, well aware that others are free  to do 
the same. I was not trying to promote any party in this case, simply  expr
essing an opinion and advocating someone whose  character, capabilities and 
dedication to what is best for  Gambians across the board are in line with some of 
the ideals I hold dear.
Simply, we need a leadership that puts what is best for Gambia and  it's 
people first, and who stand for the truth always under all circumstances no  
matter what, whose aim is not just power for the sake of  power and the protection 
of that power by any means, but who know that they  are there to do a job, not 
just posture and steal.  If that is the  case, the rest will naturally fall 
into place and the right choices that  advocate and protect what is best for 
all will follow.
 
Sister Jabou Joh
 
In a message dated 12/16/2005 4:11:58 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Sister  Jabou Joh,

Please accept my apologies for this tardy response. Many  many thanks
again for a wonderfully readbale piece. The clarity in your  expositions
is exemplary. Indeed you had a whole load in your chest, but it  was a
welcome torrent, needing no apologies from you.

On the whole,  we both agree on a lot of things but I need to clarify a
few points, and  then we can perhaps lay this to rest, especially as you
have made important  references to NADD and our most pressing issues.

Indeed they all  purport to act on behalf of national interest, even when
that invariably  translates into the interest of a greedy minority.
Naturally, believing  that Senegal should contemplate coming to our
rescue - a theme alluded to  implicitly in especially the Tam-Tam show
Mr. Fye and yourself  helped  arrange - is almost naive, to put it
mildly. But that matter is clearly  tangential to the positions I have
advanced. Deliberate realism and the  subtle nuances of diplomatic
arrangements is what, in the main determine  the conduct of international
relations. But blunt fact is, it is ultimately  the hidden hand of
military might that lies behind the expressed interests  of nations.
Behind every McDonald's restaurant, we must discern the hidden  presence
of a McDonell Douglas cruise missile, this observation, a  seemingly
fresh insight from Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, is  actually
old wisdom packaged in a new format.


But this  realisation Sister Jabou is simply not enough. It is not just
okay to  interprete the world and explain how it works. Our task as the
downtrodden  lot is to change it completely. Senegal, like any other
nation "worth its  salt" will act in pursuance of its interests. But when
that spectrum of  interests infringes upon the sovereignty, the best
interests of other  nations, then we must call Senegal's behaviour
imperious. This is what the  global anti-war enterprise was all about.
The U.S and the U.K may frother  all they want about the legitimacy of
the war against Iraq. The rest of  much of the world took to the streets
to declare unanimously that it was  all based on a pack of lies; that
their action was neo imperialist and a  severe violation of international
law. Some opponents of the war have even  sacrificed their lives to
reverse that aggression.
We should not expect  Senegal to deliver us from our torpor, but if their
actions make it more  difficult for us, them we must simply tell them so.


Another  question wanting clarification stems from what you wrote:

"We must be  honest in admitting that in 1981, the Senegalese army did not
just decide  one fine morning to invade Gambia in pursuit of some national
agenda. They  were invited by Jawara whose government was in the throes of 
being   overthrown, and they came in to resolve the situation and regain control 
of  his government for him. I think we can all agree that in such a 
situation, an  air communications tower at the airport such as the one where you 
brother  Momodou were a trainee is one of the most strategic points in a situation 
of  a  coup d'etats. Therefore, a Senegalese soldier commanding control of  
such a place was to be expected I would say unless the assumption is that the  
soldiers  should  have come in and work with the rebels instead of  to honour 
the security pact  between the two countries and work to  contain the attempted 
coup which by the  way they  did".


Obviously, you are juxtaposing two seperate historical  milestones. The
killing of Eku Mahoney occured in October 1980, nine months  before the
July 1981 rebellion. People believed to be Moja militants,  including
Koro Sallah were arrested and tried on flimsy charges. Senegal  judged
the situation to be unstable and in early November they landed at  the
airport and at July 22 square causing panic in the Gambia  government,
which, just like the rest of the population was completely  shocked at
their invasive, uninvited presence. To veil this cruel  humiliation,
President Jawara went on air to explain the Senegalese  military presence
as the result of a joint military exercise. Even "Faa  Sana" knew it
could not be true.

Nine months later, they came again,  this time after president Jawara
dusted clean a cobwebbed document on some  mutual defense agreement. That
was an entirely different matter. It is true  that Gambians killed one
another for all kinds of incredible reasons. But  many were also killed
by Senegalese paratrooopers. Unfortunately, there are  no accurate
figures anywhere. But trust me, I was in the midst of it  all.


Besides that, I agree that NADD should perhaps name a  flag-bearer.
Brother Lamin Darboe's and your own arguments are strong.  Halifa Sallah
may be Gambia's finest gift to the world, but naming him  NADD
flag-bearer might upset the arrangements and the spririt  of
understanding that went into creating NADD in the first place. There  are
many sincere individuals who sacrificed careers, jobs, and  their
positions in political parties to cobble together the arrangements  that
made NADD's MOU a historic document. It is momentous and honourable  to
reconcile past differences and to forge a new composition for  the
interest of the nation, temporarily putting on hold the evolution  of
ones own party. Naming a flag-bearer is of great moment. But in my  view
what is even more important is NADD's organisational preparation at  the
grass-roots level. A well organised mebership, equipped with  NADD's
transition programme, determined to push it through and capable  of
holding a NADD government accountable to its promise and able to  act
independently of the pressures from different politcal  persuasions
(expected to surface after a NADD government is firmly in  place). We
have seen how coalitions disintegrate once the common obstacle  to
progress is removed from office. (Ukraine is a stark example).
Let us  urge NADD to name a flag-bearer. But let us urge them also to get
on with  the business of organisation-building. It is the only thing near
a  guarantee that NADD's programmes will be carried out. Gambia is going
to  need that.

Many thanks for a useful exchange,
Modou  Sidibeh

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