G-L Community:

This is the letter accompanying the G-L position paper/proposal to
president Jammeh.  It will be sent out today.

Abdoulaye


January 12, 2000


H.E. Alhaji Yahya Jammeh
President of the Republic of the Gambia
State House, Banjul
The Gambia, West Africa

Dear President Jammeh:

I am pleased to submit to you and your Government a position paper
written on behalf of GAMBIA-L, an international cyberspace community of
Gambians and persons interested in The Gambia.  The paper outlines
several key proposals to unhinge what in the view of many on GAMBIA-L,
is a growing political stalemate between you, your Government, on one
hand, and opposition political parties, on the other.  We are concerned
that if this stalemate is not resolved politically and in a peaceful
way, it could result into a major political crisis.  We are also very
concerned about the deteriorating state of human rights in the country,
and the poor performance of the economy.  In addition, numerous
corruption charges and allegations of murder have been leveled against
you and some Ex- military members of the former AFPRC.  We are referring
specifically to the current alleged misappropriation of the income from
Nigerian crude oil given to the Gambia and the mysterious deaths of
Sadibu Haidara and Ousman "Korro" Ceesay in 1995. These allegations we
believe, need to be thoroughly investigated.
   Concern over the forthcoming presidential/national assembly elections
of 2001/2002 is also mounting.  The concern stems from the existing ban
on major, pre-coup, political parties and politicians.  We urge you to
unban these parties and politicians to enable them to effectively
prepare and contest the forthcoming elections.  We believe that Gambians
have a fundamental right and duty to elect their leaders under free and
fair elections, without fear and/or intimidation.  In so doing, we
recommend that a national conference be convened immediately to decide
on a governance framework that is agreed upon by Gambians.
Additionally, we recommend that a truth and reconciliation commission be
established to investigate lingering allegations of corruption and
murder.  The Gambia people deserve transparency and accountability in
the affairs of Government.
   In conclusion, the coup d'Detat of 1994 and its aftermath, continue
to have a traumatizing effect on the lives of many Gambians.  The time
has come for The Gambia and Gambians to heal, reconcile and renew.  We
pray that you take this opportunity to address these important concerns
to avert an impending political crisis.

Sincerely,

Abdoulaye Saine, Ph.D.
(Signed on Behalf of Gambia-L)
Oxford, OH, USA.

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