Gambia-L:

The e-mail further below came from a concerned Gambian in the US. It is a
private e-mail but because of the importance of its content, I am forwarding
it to the L. The e-mail writer's name is of course deleted.

Lamin Jammeh: When Brother Sheikh Tijan Nyang announced on the L, some time
ago, that the Gambian writer Ebou Dibba died, I thought Ebou actually died a
natural death. So I was genuinely shocked when I got phone calls yesterday,
first from Kadaria Ahmed of the BBC African Service, and later, from BBC
Radio Kent, during which I was told that Ebou's body had been found in Kent,
in mysterious circumstances.

Matters even got worse when I was interviewed this morning by BBC radio Kent
on their breakfast programme, about the life and work of Ebou Dibba. I was
devastated when part of the BBC Radio Kent presenter's introduction, reads:
"We are now going to talk about the life and work of Ebou Dibba, a well
known African Novelist who was residing in the UK. Dibba, 57, was reported
missing since 14th November 2000 and his body was recently found near the
river of Kent......in recognition of his literary work, Ebou was decorated
some years ago, by the Queen of England, with an MBE"...

It is sad and tragic that he died in this manner. The cause of his death is
known, but I'll keep it to myself. What angers me however, is that his
friends here, including a professor at Birmingham University whose name I
will withold, knew that Ebou had problems in/with his private life for some
time now, but nothing was done to help him.

We have really lost an asset who had a great literary mind! One of the
leading experts in African/Carribean literature in the UK, Dr Steward Brown
of the Centre of West Africa, once described Ebou Dibba as a "novelist of
real stature." And trust Steward Brown's judgement. May Ebou's soul rest in
peace!

Ebrima Ceesay




>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Additional Information on Dr. Stovall
>Date: Wed, 03 Jan 2001 07:53:03 -0000
>
>Dear Ebrima,
>
>I have double checked the name of the Hotel in Bakau which had been
>purchased by Stovall and three other Americans together with a Gambian; the
>name of the Hotel is AFRICAN VILLAGE. This is the hotel next to CLUB 98 on
>FAJARA HIGH WAY. Stovall is still pumping money into that project. This is
>just one of the motives why he is so much involved with the MORON'S regime.
>
>LATEST DEVELOPMENT
>------------------
>Ebrima, I have personally called Stovall at his Rust College Office, though
>I did not reveal my identity, to ask him whether he has been receiving our
>protest letters, and he did confirm that; but I must tell you that he did
>not show any sign of withdrawing his extended invitation to these people.
>After pressing him further on Moral grounds, his only response was that
>this is an internal political matter, and he(Stovall) would not in any
>shaper form interfere with the internal politics of The Gambia. He did
>mention to me that he had faxed your FORMAL PETITION LETTER to him to both
>YANKUBA and TOMBONG in the Gambia. He also said that he should be emailing
>you a letter, I do not know whether he did or not.
>
>He also mentioned to me that he had held a meeting in his office with few
>Gambian students residing in the MEMPHIS, TN area to ask them about their
>opinions and none of those students expressed otherwise. But immediately
>after my conversation with him, I simultaneously, called some people to
>verify his statement, but I was told that he was lying, because none of
>those students were even aware that he(stovall) had actually extended an
>invitation to both YANKUBA and TOMBONG.
>
>To that end, Ebrima, I think our petition letters should also reach the
>College PRESIDENT, DAVID L. BECKLEY. I will try by all means to fetch his
>email address as soon as possible. Anticipating your usual co-operation.

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