Hi Ablie,

I know that it is always a good idea to engage people, it is just that i do
not believe that these people mean what they say. Just look at what is going
on at home. I think that a gross deception of the Gambian people has taken
place, and if one wants dialogue, you have to do it with people who have the
same good intentions, and this does not appear to be the case here.

I think the Jammeh government has done so many things wrong, and have no
intention of addressing all of the allegations levelled at them simply
because the guilty parties are right among them. This is why I listed ll of
the things that will need to be addressed before anyone can believe that this
olive branch of their's is genuine, and the ink has barely dried on this
promise when they are out practicing their thuggery on the people again.

I remember the paper you wrote some time ago, inviting these people to
dialogue with the people, and like all such suggestions, it fell on deaf
ears. These are neither an intelligent people nor are they secure enough to
engage anyone, they just have too much to hide, and dialogue requires
intelligent people with good intentions and they have no good intentions.
They are just a bunch of criminals who have taken our country hostage any way
you look at it.

This so called olive branch is just plain propaganda, and nothing more. The
government is broke, and now needs the international community, so they
orchestrated a semblance of a fair election and then added some bogus good
will gesture, but alas! it sis not even last one day and look at the
lawlessness at home right now, all with their blessings otherwise they would
not have the NIA out rounding up people.
Instead of engaging these people and having that fall on deaf ears, I think
we need to complie the numbers of registered voters in all the constitunecies
and the actual votes counted, and then send a delegation to the state
department. We also need to collect all of the reported harasment and compile
them and send them along with a petition to as many foreign governwments and
human rights organizations as we can. Enough already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jabou Joh


Jabou Joh


In a message dated 10/22/2001 4:14:37 PM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>
>
> G-L Community & (Jabou Joh, Katim Touray, Fatou Jahumpa-Ceesay):
>
> I believe that the offer of an OLIVE BRANCH from Jammeh to the Gambia-L, if
> done
> genuinely and in the spirit of reconciliation, should be accepted.
> Acceptance of
> the Olive Branch is yet another triumph for and recognition of G-L as
> another
> "estate", so to speak, to be reckoned with. Acceptance would be another
> opportunity to have our views heard and represented in our national
> debates. That
> is, another foot in the door to "speak truth to power."  (Yet, if the spate
> of
> reported arrests are confirmed, it raises troubling questions.  I hope its
> mandate to rule for the next five years, engenders more confidence in the
> APRC
> and in so doing, halt its repressive trend).
>
> Acceptance of the Olive Branch, does not mean giving up or softening the
> demands
> we have for the regime but a potential avenue to influence policy.  It is
> an
> opportunity we should not dismiss, but a platform we can use to further our
> goals
> for a better Gambia.  This is what counts, in the end.
>
> Many vexing issues persist and perhaps by addressing the "relatively" easy
> issues,( few easy issues) we can later address the more difficult ones.  It
> is a
> question of strategy.  I do not believe, and I pray I am proved wrong, that
> this
> regime would investigate the alleged murders of Korro Ceesay or take
> responsibility for the slaughter of our children on April 10 & 11.  But we
> can
> engage them into releasing all political prisoners etc.  with the help of
> others.  The ball is in their court and let us try them and see if they
> indeed
> mean what they say.  Thanks.
>
> Abdoulaye

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