Dear Katim,

Too cold here too !!!!!
Lastly I have been reading here about the DR decoration of President A JJ
Jammeh and one thing I have been thinking of was that, we need to get in
touch with this university in Canada and  the human rights organisations
there to parcel to them some of the records of the president  and see what
the possible reaction might be from them,your self and Dr Saine might be a
very good force to lead such a champagne.And I have no doubt that if there
is the need to invade them with protest letters from Gambians,members of the
GL will  do a good job.No stone must be left unturned on the way to
victory,Or any other better idea ?

For Freedom
Saiks
----- Original Message -----
From: Katim S. Touray <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2001 1:06 AM
Subject: Coming in from the cold ...


> Hi folks,
>
> It's been so long since I've said anything much about goings on in The
Gambia
> that I thought I should title this one after Bob Marley's song "Coming in
from
> the cold."  It's been indeed very cold in Wisconsin, given that it's
Winter, and
> we are now paying the price for having rather warm ones for the past few
years.
> The snow really came down hard in December, causing all manner of
problems, and
> making me as why in the world they just don't shut the whole place down
...
>
> My relatively long silence, and reduced participation in the debates and
> campaigns on Gambia-L has been deliberate, and caused by the combination
of a
> busy schedule, and a need to put things in perspective.  I am no more busy
than
> many of you are, but I felt it important to disengage for a while, to
prove that
> the affairs of Gambia-L, talk less of The Gambia, do not, and should not
depend
> on the efforts and activities of no one person.
>
> It's fairly common in our national psyche for one to be tempted into
believing
> that he or she is indispensable to a cause or our nation.  For me, the
long
> break from sending postings was a delight; it proved to all that the
opposition
> to the dictatorial President Jammeh is very deep, and wide.  It is not
based on
> the effort of just one person, or a few people.  For this reason, a
successful
> campaign was waged to expose Mr. Collins for what he is, and also to bring
Rust
> College to cancel an invitation extended to Yankuba Touray and Tombong
Saidy to
> attend a conference there.
>
> My break has also enabled me to ponder and turn a number of issues in my
head,
> for whatever it's worth. In particular, I have been making a mental tally
of the
> increasing cost of the Jammeh government to the Gambian nation.  We are
paying
> an incredible price, and an increasing one at that because of the
continuation
> of the incompetent, corrupt, and bloody rule of President Jammeh.  This
heavy
> price is manifested in a number of ways, and illustrated by a variety of
> examples of the terribly inadequate capacity of Jammeh and his group to
lead our
> nation.  I'll try to point out a couple of these examples now.
>
> 1.  A lorry load of missed opportunities
> Last October, 34 sub-Saharan African countries were designated to benefit
from
> the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of the United States
> (http://www.agoa.gov/About_AGOA/about_agoa.html).  This act is aimed at
> strengthening US-Africa relations through trade, and provides incentives
for
> African countries that have achieved political and economic reforms.
Countries
> benefiting from AGOA will also be able to export virtually all products
duty-
> and quota free to the US market.
>
> In particular, AGOA lifts all existing quota on textiles and apparel
(clothing)
> products from Sub-Saharan Africa, to a maximum ranging from 1.5% to 3.5%
of the
> US apparel import market, which totaled about $18 billion in 1999 (see
> http://www.ita.doc.gov/industry/otea/usfth/tabcom.html).  This means that
the
> value ($250 million) of current imports of African apparel made with
African
> fabric/yarns is less than the 1.5% lower limit of the quota above.
Furthermore,
> at 1999 trade levels, African textile imports into the US can reach  $630
> million (3.5%) of $18 billion before being subject to tariffs.
>
> Despite the problems some people have with AGOA, there is no doubt that it
at
> least represents an opportunity for African countries to increase their
access
> to the US market, thereby reducing their dependence on traditional export
> markets such as Europe.  Sadly, the Gambia is not one of the 34 countries
> designated to benefit from AGOA.  Although the Gambia is eligible to
benefit
> from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, we will only
> participate in the program if certified by the US Trade Representative.
>
> The fact that the Gambia is not a beneficiary of the AGOA bill is not only
sad
> because of the lost opportunities, but also because of the reasons why we
are
> not, in the first place, eligible to benefit from the Act.  There is no
doubt
> that the development of a textile industry  geared toward the US market
(and
> indeed the rest of the world) would have meant a employment for a lot of
> Gambians.  This would have also reduced our dependence on industries like
> tourism that are yet to deliver all their promises to our people.
>
> The 34 sub-Saharan countries designated to benefit from AGOA include
Senegal,
> Guinea, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Guinea Bissau, and Mauritania.  In short,
> almost all countries in our sub-region, with the exception of Sierra Leone
> (because they are at war), as well as Liberia, Burkina Faso, The Gambia,
and
> Cote d'Ivoire.  It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why we
are
> grouped with the likes of Liberia, because we all have dictatorial
regimes.  I'm
> pretty sure Cote d'Ivoire will soon be eligible for participation in AGOA,
given
> the recent transition, despite the problems, to civilian rule.
>
> Criteria for participating in AGOA include making progress toward a
market-based
> economy, the rule of law, and elimination of barriers to US trade and
> investment.  Additional criteria are listed in the AGOA factsheet
available at
> http://www.state.gov/www/issues/economic/001002_fsustr_agoa.html  From all
> indications, it will be a while before President Jammeh puts the national
> interest before his own, and starts effecting a leadership that positions
The
> Gambia to benefit from programs like AGOA.
>
> 2. Greed that knows no bounds
> Please allow me to bring the issue of the Nigerian crude oil deal to the
fore.
> It was last July or so that the Gambian parliament turned down a motion to
set
> up a commission of inquiry into the Nigerian crude oil deal in which
20,000
> (twenty thousand) barrels of Nigerian crude oil were lifted, sold for
$0.20
> (twenty cents) per barrel, and the proceeds deposited in a Swiss bank
account.
> In a judgment in the London High Court, the Gambia government was fined
half a
> million pounds sterling for breaching the contract that was entered into
with
> Chantrils SA, the company that sold the oil on behalf of Jammeh.  Despite
the
> fact that the facts of the case are now a matter of public record,
President
> Jammeh's cronies in parliament have refused to further investigate the
matter
> because, they say, this would not be in the national interest.
>
> The facts are that this is a government that has gone to great lengths to
> disgrace and humiliate people who have been alleged to embezzle public
funds.
> Somehow, President Jammeh and his cronies continue to think that they are
above
> the law, and can indulge in all manner of corrupt practices more serious
than
> they have jailed people for.
>
> But it seems that Jammeh's lust for money cannot be satisfied with Gambian
funds
> and Nigerian crude oil proceeds alone.  Recently, the Gambian government
has
> been denying UN reports of it's (namely Jammeh's) involvement in the trade
of
> conflict diamonds from Sierra Leone.  This would be a logical step for
President
> Jammeh to take, in the aftermath of the loss of his Nigerian crude oil
deal.
> What he fails to realize is that the world is changing fast, and the thin
ground
> his is standing on is shrinking fast under him.  It was just yesterday
that the
> BBC reported that Liberia is cutting off support for the RUF rebels of
Sierra
> Leone, in the face of increasing pressure from the international
community.
> President Jammeh, despite his delusions of grandeur is really a small fry
in the
> global scheme of things that will, and in good time, catch up with him.
>
> 3.  Our pariah nation
> It is sad to observe that The Gambia has slowly evolved into a pariah
nation
> because of nothing other than the leadership of President Jammeh.  The
last I
> checked, Gambians have essentially remained the same, and the only major
change
> in their relationship with the world is in the fact that we now have
President
> Jammeh at the helm of our national affairs.
>
> Without a doubt, Gambian foreign policy under Jammeh has been a disaster,
and
> self-serving.  As I pointed out on this list a few months back, President
Jammeh
> used his opportunity to address the world at last years' Millennium Summit
at
> the United Nations to speak on behalf of Cuba and the Republic of China
> (Taiwan).  Not once did he bother to mention The Gambia by name as if we,
as a
> nation, really have nothing to say to the world.
>
> Our relationship with Taiwan is just one example of the way President
Jammeh has
> forged a foreign policy centered on his own personal agenda, rather than
the
> best interests of our country.  Thus, rather than working to foster peace
in the
> sub-region, President Jammeh identified himself strongly with the late
Gen. Mane
> of Guinea Bissau.  So much so that his Vice President thought it fit to
pay
> official condolences to the Mane family in Sukuta, and presented them with
> 50,000 dalasis when Gen. Mane was recently killed in a gun battle in
Guinea
> Bissau.  Never mind that there are Gambian students lying down in hospital
after
> being returned from Egypt because there were no more funds to pay for
their
> medical treatment for injuries sustained in last Aprils student
demonstrations,
> when Jammeh's troops killed 12 or so of them.
>
> Jammeh's closeness with the late Gen. Mane no doubt contributed to the
suspicion
> with which he was viewed in the sub-region as being a destabilizing force.
For
> this reason, we have now become a pariah nation, and this, in addition to
> President Jammeh's inferiority complex (well-founded, I might add) has
resulted
> in a foreign and domestic policy based more on whim, than on serious
thought
> about what's best for our nation.
>
> For example, a recent announcement that the Gambia would go Sharia was
followed
> by an almost apologetic speech about tolerance and such.  Furthermore, the
> refusal to allow the bodies of two members of parliament to lie in state
> following a tragic accident was followed by an attempt to appease their
families
> with money.  I wonder whose money it was that was given away to compensate
for
> the short-comings and short-sightedness of President Jammeh? Fortunately,
I am
> proud to say that the families of the deceased had the pride and courage
to
> refuse the money offered them by Jammeh's cronies.
>
> 4.  We are still waiting ...
> Finally, I would like to point out that we are still waiting the official
report
> about the student demonstrations of last April, and the resulting death of
a 12
> or so people.  Furthermore, we are yet to hear the final word on the
"case"
> against Ebrima Yarbo, Dumo Saho and Co. who it seems were jailed purely on
the
> basis of someone's fertile imagination and paranoia.  Also, we are yet to
hear
> any response whatsoever to calls from the late Ousman "Koro" Ceesay's
family for
> a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding his death.
>
> You might recall a posting
>
(http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind0001&L=gambia-l&F=P&S=&P=8445
8)
> from one Ebou Colly about the death of soldiers accused of involvement in
a coup
> plot against the Jammeh government.  I think it would be in the interest
of
> these people accused of being responsible for death of Koro and these
soldiers,
> as well as in the interest of justice for the victims, their families, and
our
> nation that the matter be put to rest.  After all, Koro for example, was a
> Minister at the time of his death, and if he swore to serve our nation, we
> should endeavor to give him the justice he deserves.
>
> As you know, there are other unsolved killings and/or disappearances that
> continue to plague our national conscience.  These are issues that also
> contribute to the increasing cost of the leadership of President Jammeh
and his
> cronies, and reasons for asking when we will begin to put our national
interests
> before President Jammehs'.
>
> Let's not forget that President Jammeh is in power precisely because
President
> Jawara got to the point where no one was willing to put his or her life on
the
> line to defend his regime. The point that every Gambian should bear in
mind is
> that we are now under the leadership of a person, and his cronies, who has
> turned into someone who treats the nation as his personal property, and
thinks
> nothing of wasting our resources in the name of his own personal
aggrandizement.
>
> Fortunately, this is a terrible time to be a dictator, as I always say.
For
> this reason, it's only a matter of time before history catches up with the
likes
> of President Jammeh.  You only have to listen to what's happening in the
world
> around you to see what I'm talking about.  From Chile to Cote d'Ivoire to
the
> Philippines, people all the over the world are rising to say "enough" to
> dictators who never thought they would never come down.
>
> I will end this with an excerpt from a recent publication "Global Trends
2015: A
> dialogue about the future with nongovernment experts" from the United
States
> National Intelligence Council.  I strongly recommend you download and read
the
> publication because it is not only eye-opening, it is also provides free
access
> to the thoughts and thinking some of the best minds in the US.  Get it at:
> http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/globaltrends2015/index.html
>
> And here's the excerpt for President Jammeh and all of us to consider:
>
> "National and International Governance
> States will continue to be the dominant players on the world stage, but
> governments will have less and less control over flows of information,
> technology, diseases, migrants, arms, and financial transactions, whether
licit
> or illicit, across their borders. Nonstate actors ranging from business
firms to
> nonprofit organizations will play increasingly larger roles in both
national and
> international affairs. The quality of governance, both nationally and
> internationally, will substantially determine how well states and
societies cope
> with these global forces.
> · States with competent governance, including the United States, will
adapt
> government structures to a dramatically changed global environment-making
them
> better able to engage with a more interconnected world. The
responsibilities of
> once "semiautonomous" government agencies increasingly will intersect
because of
> the transnational nature of national security priorities and because of
the
> clear requirement for interdisciplinary policy responses. Shaping the
complex,
> fast-moving world of 2015 will require reshaping traditional government
> structures.
> · Effective governance will increasingly be determined by the ability and
> agility to form partnerships to exploit increased information flows, new
> technologies, migration, and the influence of nonstate actors. Most but
not all
> countries that succeed will be representative democracies.
> · States with ineffective and incompetent governance not only will fail to
> benefit from globalization, but in some instances will spawn conflicts at
home
> and abroad, ensuring an even wider gap between regional winners and losers
than
> exists today.
> Globalization will increase the transparency of government
decision-making,
> complicating the ability of authoritarian regimes to maintain control, but
also
> complicating the traditional deliberative processes of democracies.
Increasing
> migration will create influential diasporas, affecting policies, politics
and
> even national identity in many countries. Globalization also will create
> increasing demands for international cooperation on transnational issues,
but
> the response of both states and international organizations will fall
short in
> 2015."
>
> Please pardon this rather long posting.  Have a great week, and best
wishes in
> your endeavors.
>
> Katim
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
>
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
> Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> You may also send subscription requests to
[log in to unmask]
> if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write
your full name and e-mail address.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
>
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------