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Jammeh Accuses Wade: An Unforgiving Saga - 11/27/2005 8:20:33 PM

BY Pa Nderry Mbai <[lb]>
Gambia Affairs Reporter
We are shocked by the erroneous and malicious accusations  President Yahya
Jammeh made against President Abdoulie Wade of Senegal. Jammeh's
allegations that President Wade wanted to overthrow his government are not
only unfounded, but outrageous. President  Wade,  being a true democrat
and Pan Africanist will never embark on such unpatriotic moves.
Jammeh, In his letter addressed to the United Nations "During his trip to
France as President of Senegal, President Abdoulaye Wade declared that the
objective of his mission was to seek arms in order to prepare the
Senegalese armed forces against the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. This matter
was taken seriously by my Government as it came as a complete surprise and
without any provocation from The Gambia. Fortunately, this request was
rejected by the French Authorities. We informed all the diplomatic
missions in Banjul as well as other international institutions of this
unfortunate development."
These charges are not only serious but grossly misleading in its entirety.
 For one to lie that the opposition gave damaging documents to President
Wade is  baseless and devoid of  truth. Jammeh is bent on playing with the
intelligence of Gambians and the civilised world.  We wouldn't hesitate to
conclude that he was shown the said malicious letter he had written
against President  Wade, while he was in  Dakar to apologize to Wade for
his irresponsible behavior against the Wade administration. The "Jammeh
letter"  we published today speaks for itself.  Gambians will from now on
know  who was bent on lying to the outside world.
Whether Jammeh knows it or not, President Wade cannot forgive him for
making such wild and damaging attacks against his personality. President
Wade is a true Muslim and Pan Africanist. If the said accusations were
levelled another African leader, today we will be hearing a different
story all together.  Despite Jammeh's accusations that Wade was bent on
recruiting mercenaries to overthrow his government, Wade decided to accept
his request to meet with him to discuss the Senegal/Gambia border impasse.
This goes to show that Wade is a matured and seasoned African leader.
 Jammeh rants "Ever since that time President Wade has  maintained a very
aggressive and hostile attitude towards the Gambia and this is manifested
in a multi-faceted form. One such form was his attempt during 2001-2003
to recruit mercenaries from an African country to launch attacks against
The Gambia under the code name "The Gambia Project". This project was
thwarted  partly by the intervention of some western countries and partly
by the lack of funds. This was followed by incessant border closures,
harassment of Gambian officials including cabinet ministers at Dakar
International Airport and other Senegalese points of entry. This
culminated in the unprovoked attacks against Gambian football players and
supporters during a football match between The Gambia and Senegal in
Dakar. That tragic event was fuelled by President Wade himself who had
declared on the eve of the football match that the game was not a simple
football match but a war between the two countries. Buses from the Gambia
were destroyed in addition to the many Gambians that were seriously
injured. We did not retaliate as a Government because we do not believe
in violence and conflict but development and peace."
On the issue of  Wade recruiting mercenaries to overthrow Jammeh, we must
say that we are not surprised by Jammeh's assertions since his former
spokesman Captain Ebou Jallow had said repeatedly online that he was
approached by the Senegalese leader to unseat Jammeh government's. Jallow
said in a posting to The Gambia Post and the L that  he (Wade) had  even
took the initiative in the past to fund his trip to South Africa,  in a
bid to unseat Yahya. Jallow  accuses Wade of harboring Gambian dissidents
in a bid to overthrow Yahya.  We are not implying in anyway that Ebou's so
called revelations might prompted Jammeh to conclude that Wade was bent on
destabilizing The Gambia and the sub-region, but it is imperative that we
refresh our minds on Mr. Jallow's allegations. We are not pointing
accusing fingers against Ebou at this hour, but it is important that we
publish what he said in the past against Wade for the sake of posterity.
Mr.Jallow himself cannot dispute that he made such wild accusations
against President Wade.
President Jammeh should do his findings thoroughly before jumping into
conclusion that President  Wade was harboring Gambian dissidents in
Senegal. Hear him again" In addition President Wade and his Government
harbors dangerous criminals from The Gambia including coup plotters and
would-be assassins who attempted on my life. His sole intention in
harboring these elements is to destabilize The Gambia by launching
sabotage attacks on our infrastructure and strategic economic projects and
installations."
Such accusations coming from Jammeh exposes his leadership immaturity and
lack of understanding of global politics. It is a known fact that Senegal
including The Gambia are required under the Geneva convention to grant
sanctuary to people running from persecution.  That  is why the United
Nations had it refugee  camp in Dakar. Dakar will be violating the said
Geneva convention,  if it forcefully extradited  the said perceived
dissidents in Dakar to The Gambia. Yahya needs to consult with seasoned
legal minds in the Gambia, before making such senseless and backward
statements. We expect him to know these basic things as a leader.
The man who recently admitted that  The Gambia was faulty on the border
impasse can turned  round and accused President  Wade of subversive
activities. "Without provocation in August 2005 President Wade closed the
borders between the two countries with armed soldiers in violation of
several agreements and treaties including ECOWAS Protocols, UN Charter,
the WTO Agreements and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, under
the pretext that The Gambia has increased ferry crossing tariffs – a
measure which falls within the sovereign rights of The Gambia. This
illegal and provocative closure is still in force as you read this
letter," said Jammed in a letter sent to the UN.
Hiding in the name of Guinea Bissau is unacceptable to the people of The
Gambia and Africa as a whole. The charges brought against Wade better
suits Jammeh himself and not Wade. The same Yahya Jammeh granted sanctuary
to the MFDC rebel spokesman Alexandre Gibba to The Gambia. Mr.Gibba's
hotel bills and feeding were footed by this government,  bent on black
mailing President  Wade.  Gibba  was seen at the premises of the Foreign
office on a daily basis,  as some even mistaken him to be a staffer  of
the said institution.
This was during the days of Dr.Momodou Lamin Sedat  Jobe.  When Gambians
started raising concerns about Gibba being hosted in a  FIVE STAR HOTEL
called the Atlantic Hotel, the government decided to move him to a  Bakau
apartment, where he resided  up to his deportation.  As a Voice of America
Radio Correspondent in The Gambia, I interviewed Gibba on numerous
occasions and the said interviews were aired on VOA.  Listeners of the VOA
can attest to this fact.  Search the Point and  Daily Observer  achieves
to see Gibba's pronouncements on the Casamance rebellion.  He also used to
come to the Point to see me and my late mentor Deyda Hydara. It is
totally unfair for Jammeh to turn round accused Wade, when Wade could
relied on Gibba's presence in The Gambia to do the same.
I, for one,  will not buy the story that the opposition forwarded damaging
documents to President  Wade. We  challenge Jammeh and his allies to
produce  such so called documents to  substantiate their charges.  The
reality is that, Jammeh has time and time been  finding ways and means to
frame the opposition. Gambians should remember that Jammeh is good at
diverting public attention. He very well knew that the said damaging
letter he had written against Wade,  had been circulated and he thought
that the best way to play with Gambians minds was to "cook up" a story
against NADD officials.  What Jammeh sought to achieve in such a
controversies is to create  what political scientist called "crisis of
confidence" within the NADD leadership and its supporters.  We must bear
in mind that Jammeh will do whatever it takes to disintegrate the
opposition. The detention of Halifa, Hamat and OJ is  a challeget for  the
opposition. They are being tested by Jammeh and NADD should prove to its
supporters that they are ready to pass Jammeh's test with honours come
what may.
We are  shocked by Sedia Jatta's statement that they have decided not to
take to the streets,  in view of Jammeh's culture of killing his
opponents.  Sedia's  statement is not well received by NADD supporters. We
expect our political leaders to be ready to take risk to emancipate our
country from mental slavery,  as Bob Marley used to call it. Jammeh is now
relieved,  since Sedia is saying that they are  afraid of his security
forces. We could not believe that such a statement will come from Sedia,
considering the current dilemma we found ourselves.  We are between life
and death and must be ready to salvage our country from the current
dictatorship. We challenge Sedia, Darboe, Waa and others to take to the
streets,  in the interest of  peace, democracy and the observance of the
rule of the law in The Gambia.  Failure of which, people will continue to
question their sincerity and commitment to serve as political leaders.
On a final note, we want to inform President Wade,  that The Gambian
people are taking exception of  Jammeh's baseless and unfounded
allegations. We cherished  and respect Senegalese. If President Jammeh
thinks,  that by making such charges will earn him international sympathy,
he must be living in a dream world. Instead, the said letter is doing him
more harm than good. President's Wade's credibility as a leader remains
unshaken and untainted. Jammeh,  should think twice before jumping into
conclusion on matters of this nature. The Gambia is in wronga hands and we
hope and  pray that Jammeh will soon be history. He is a threat to
humanity. God bless The Gambia and her people. We rest our case.
The author is the former Secretary General of The Gambia press Union and
also a former Voice of America radio Banjul Correspondent. Mr. M'Bai who
now resides in the US State of North Carolina Raleigh was a leading
political and crime reporter with the Point and Daily Observer newspapers
respectively. He can be reached by email at the following addresses:
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