Ndey, as you alluded, these are the signs of a people who have been sitting
on a heap of anger due to marginalization, hunger, unemployment, political
repression, and were just waiting for an outlet.  That is why it is healthy
in a democracy for people be allowed to express themselves through
demonstrations, peaceful protests, etc.  When people can air their
frustrations peacefully, anger does not build up and they will have the
wisdom to understand that they benefit more by vocalizing whatever ails
them.  However, what you have today in The Gambia is a repressed and
frustrated society that is afraid to voice out their frustrations on the
very government that is subjecting them under their current hardship.  After
the April massacre, most Gambians are afraid to speak up because they fear
what Yaya will do to them.  They do not understand that their fear is what
is empowering Yaya to further mistreat them.  So, in the name of soccer
hooliganism in Senegal, folks just take the opportunity to do what they
really intended for Yaya, if only they had the courage to act against him.
The innocent Senegalese Mom and Pap store, taxi drivers, welders, and
average Senegalese Joe became a convenient target, why, because they are
defenseless.

Similar to folks in Gambia, times are really tough in Senegal.  Lots of
folks are unemployed and the cost of living is really suffocating a lot lot
of families, coupled with their frustration with their 20 year battle with
the Southerners, among other fight for life issues.  It is not hard to line
up folks that  would tell you that Wade is not bringing the goods and they
had rather opt for something else.  So, you have angry youths that are
unemployed and operating on a very short fuse.  All it will take to spark
them is just one stone throw or abusive language.

Yes, it will take some serious fence mending on the part of both
governments.  However, in the case of Gambia, we cannot avoid addressing the
root cause of our frustration and suppression at the hands of Yaya Jammeh.
As I write, countless families cannot put a meal on the table; folks eating
from garbage dumps; swelling ranks of the unemployed, etc,, while few crooks
lavish and flaunt their ill gotten gains.  With all that, you never heard a
cough from the population.  Folks, this is very abnormal and it should not
take a rocket scientist to predict our eventual explosion.  We just happened
to erupt during a football game, but it could have been during a wrestling
match, or a mere traffic accident.  All folks needed was a spark.  Gambians
need to start addressing the many ills of our society.  Targeting foreigners
is not going to cut it and we need Senegal just as Senegal needs in order to
grow.  Good comments Ndey et al.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou


>From: Ndey Jobarteh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: The Senegambian Football Crisis and its Implications
>Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 19:44:33 +0000
>

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