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Subject:
From:
Essau Gambia <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:05:53 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
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By Our Banjul Bureau Chief Landing Badjie.

In what appeared to be a diplomatic retaliation against the impoverished
nation of the Gambia, The Senegalese authorities have detained 14 Gambian
trucks, who were trying to cross to the Southern Province of Casamance,
amidst accusations and counter accusations between the two sister countries
of  alleged subversive activities to destabilize the two nations. Dozens of
Gambian truckers suspected of fanning the Casamance decade long war are
currently being held by the Senegalese authorities on the grounds of  armed
trafficking and subversive activities, the Freedom Newspaper can
authoritatively reveal.

The detainees were accused of being "agents of the Gambian Government who
supply arms and ammunition to the MFDC rebel faction" which is linked to
genocidal activities  in that region over the years. Hundred of people,
mainly women, children and the elderly  have so far perished from  the
decade long war. Some have their hands chopped, maimed and raped by the MFDC
rebels in the name of securing independence of Casamance.

The Senegalese authorities have impounded the 14 trucks and are currently
investigating the detainees. Reports reaching this paper say the trucks were
impounded in Cassamance on  suspicion that their owners were aiding and
abetting the conflict in the region that claimed countless lives and
properties since it's eruption in the early 80's. The privately-owned trucks
were engaged in the transportation of charcoal, firewood and other forest
resources from the province into The Gambia. But Senegalese border agents
say the truckers were undercover agents "hell bent on destabilizing
Casamance." with the alleged supply of deadly arms to the MFDC rebels. The
Senegalese authorities are also suspicious that these truck drivers are also
engaged in some nefarious practices such as smuggling of cannabis sativa to
the neighboring Gambia. It is gathered that the truckers work hand in hand
with the rebels to smuggle the Cannabis into the Gambia and most of its
proceeds were used for the "purchasing of arms" to equip their men in the
bush.

The MFDC budget is mainly derived from the sale of Cannabis, as they
operated hectares of Cannabis plantation in Casamance. Most of their harvest
are usually destined to the Gambia, where the rebel faction recruited its
agents for the sale of such "illegal narcotics." Though, there is no
evidence linking the Gambian government to aiding the rebels, but what is
certain is that the Gambia has been a save heaven for the MFDC fighters.
Cannabis and forest resources are seen as the lifeline for the separatist
rebel movement presently engaged in sporadic gun fight with the Senegalese
government  forces.

As we file in this piece, both the Gambian and the Senegalese authorities
were yet to react to the development that is now a subject of discussion in
many quarters. The current relationship between The Gambia and Senegal is
marked by an increasing suspicion with rumors of war spreading every day.
The citizens of both countries are expecting their respective governments to
convene a meeting, in which issues of extremely vital significance
revolving  around the maintenance of the good neighborliness between the two
states  could be discussed.

It would be recalled that the Gambian government recently accused their
neighbor of harboring Gambian dissidents who they claimed were "hell-bent
on destabilizing The Gambia."  A pro-government newspaper, The Daily
Observer, wrote that the dissidents were holding series of meetings in Dakar
 to draw a road-map for the undemocratic removal of President Jammeh from
power. According to Observer, the mastermind of the foiled March 22 putsch,
Col.Ndure Cham, is one of the dissidents that are now having regular
meetings in Dakar and that Abdoulie Wade had vowed never to hand over the
men to the  Gambian authorities. Dakar is yet to comment on the
pro-government newspaper's allegation.


Posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 (Archive on Sunday, July 08, 2007)
Posted by PNMBAI  Contributed by PNMBAI
Return <http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/Default.aspx>

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