Today's Daily Observer editorial carries a very serious alleagation
against the government of Senegal. If this is the official A(F)PRC
position on the issue, then they ought to have taken the proper diplomatic
channels to address the issue so as to avert unnecessary backlash. If it
isnot the official position then the editorial board should be reminded of
the consequences of irresponsible statements against other sovereign
states.

-- 
BambaLaye
Radio Free Gambia
www.freegambia.net
 ==========================================================================
Senegal Continues to Destabilise Gambia

The Daily Observer (Banjul)
EDITORIAL
11 June 2007
Posted to the web 11 June 2007


It is now quite evidently clear that the escape of the former Chief of
Defence Staff of The Gambia Armed Forces Col Ndure Cham after the foiled
coup of March 21, 2006, was aided and facilitated by the Senegalese Jakai
rebels of the Casamance Region.

The mastermind of the March coup attempt fled to the village of Abene from
where he was received by the Jakai and transported to Kujubeh and was
handed over to the Senegalese government forces who took him to Zigunghor
and later to the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

The Jakai rebels, entirely sponsored by the Senegalese government have
been responsible for the mass murder of villagers in Casamance, stealing
and burning of cars and villages, cattle-wrestling and capture of women
who are raped and force to cook. These women are captured under the
pretext that they are to perform a particular ritual known as Enankoraye.
Their husbands who disapprove of the so-called rituals are threatened with
death.

The Jakai rebels, headed by Suwarebou Kamongue Jatta are a faction of the
Movement for Democratic Forces in Casamance (MFDC) and are bent on killing
sympathisers of Salif Sajor.

During the recent fighting between the Senegalese forces and the MFDC,
along the Gambia - Cassamance border, the Jakai were reported to have
fought in joint unit of the Senegalese security forces against Salif
Sarjo's men.

Sources also disclosed that the Jakai rebels were also enlisted for and
have benefited from the recent Moroccan Humanitarian training exercise in
Cassamance, unknown to the Moroccans.

It is not surprising therefore, that anytime members of the Jakai fall
into the hands of foreigner law enforcement officers, the Senegalese
forces would secretly negotiate to have them released. The most recent
incident was the arrest of the notorious mastermind of the July 1981 coup
attempt which was responsible for many mass graves and the destruction of
millions of dalasi worth of property, Kukoi Samba Sanyang. Barely three
weeks ago, Kukoi was arrested by the authorities in Guinea Bissau, but
secret negotiations led to his release to the Senegealse authorities
through the UNHCR in Dakar.

It is now an open secret that Colonel Ndure Cham, Kukoi Samba Sanyang,
Captain Sanna Sabally, Major Kalifa Banjinka and other Gambian dissidents
hold regular meetings, backed up by the Senegalese government through its
Ministry of Interior.

Irrefutable evidence also showed that the Senegelese government is using
the Jakai rebels to collaborate with Gambian dissidents to destabilise The
Gambia. The two hold regular meetings with the objective to seek the
Senegalese government's assistance for military equipment for the
dissidents to overthrow the government of President Yahya Jammeh.

According to reliable sources, the Senegalese government under President
Abdoulaye Wade have made it clear that they will continue to assist the
dissidents only if, after the overthrow of the Jammeh government, The
Gambia will become a region of Senegal, not even to talk about Senegambia.

The Gambia government sources disclosed that Gambian authorities are
"aware of what is going on but would not give any further details". One
wonders therefore as to what type of Pan-Africanism and African
integration Senegal is shouting about when its government is engaged in
such hostile activities against its neighbouring countries.

One also wonder why, whereas Sudan is being condemned for the atrocities
committed by the Janjaweed rebels in the Darfur region, Senegal, has never
been taken to task for sponsoring the Jakai rebels, a violent group
responsible for the worst atrocities committed within the sub-Saharan
Africa.

The question now arises, why is the Western world condemning Sudan while
leaving Senegal on its whims commits the same or even worst atrocities in
Casamance?

It could be recalled that since the Casamance seperalist insurgence began
over two decades ago, no tangible investigations have been carried out in
the Casamance to determine how and why the people of that region in
Senegal are being killed on a daily basis.

Who will take the West seriously when they can condemn one killer and
praise another for the same type of atrocities inflicted on mankind?

It is not surprising that the West would keep a blind eye on atrocities
committed by African leaders who dance to their tune and would only brand
the rest as dictators.

Africans must now wake up to these realities.

It is more amazing that even at the Ecowas Commission, the two decades
long conflict in the Senegalsee region of Cassamance has never been on the
agenda, nor even disscussed by West African leaders.

This is because Senegal claims that the Casamance conflict is an internal
affair, even thought it led to the instability in the neighbouring Guinea
Bissau.

Another question which arises is: If the Casamance conflict is such an
internal affair for Senegal, why is the Darfur conflict not an internal
one for Sudan?

Amazingly enough, apart from the Anglican Church, Diplomatic Missions and
The Gambia Government, nobody is helping the thousands of Casamance
refugees who have migrated to The Gambia and are obliged to stay with very
poor relatives.

The Daily Observer hereby challenged those countries that proclaim to be
champions of Human Rights, especially the United States, Britain and
France to stop their double standards so that the over two decades long
Casamance conflict can be brought to a peaceful end.

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