EDITORIAL


  We are shocked by the erroneous and malicious accusations  President Yahya Jammeh made against President Abdoulie Wade of Senegal. Jammeh's allegations that President Wade wanted to overthrow his government are not only unfounded, but outrageous. President  Wade,  being a true democrat and Pan Africanist will never embark on such unpatriotic moves.

  Hear Jammeh on his letter addressed to the United Nations"During his trip to France as President of Senegal, President Abdoulaye Wade declared that the objective of his mission was to seek arms in order to prepare the Senegalese armed forces against the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. This matter was taken seriously by my Government as it came as a complete surprise and without any provocation from The Gambia.
Fortunately, this request was rejected by the French Authorities. We informed all the diplomatic missions in Banjul as well as other international institutions of this unfortunate development."

  These charges are not only serious but grossly misleading in its entirety.  For one to lie that the opposition gave damaging documents to President  Wade is  baseless and devoid of  truth. Jammeh is bent on playing with the intelligence of Gambians and the civilised world.  We wouldn't hesitate to conclude that he was shown the said malicious letter he had written against President  Wade, while he was in  Dakar to apologise to Wade for his irresponsible behaviour against the Wade administration.The "Jammeh letter"  we published today speaks for itself.  Gambians will from now on know  who was bent on lying to the outside world.

  Whether Jammeh knows it or not, President Wade cannot forgive him for making such wild and damaging attacks against his personality. President Wade is a true Muslim and Pan Africanist. If the said accusations were levelled another African leader, today we will be hearing a different story all together.  Despite Jammeh's accusations that Wade was bent on recruiting mercenaries to overthrow his government, Wade decided to accept his request to meet with him to discuss the Senegal/Gambia border impasse. This goes to show that Wade is a matured and seasoned African leader.

  Hear Jammeh again in his rantings"Ever since that time President Wade has  maintained a very aggressive and hostile attitude towards the Gambia and this is manifested in a multi-faceted form. One such form was his attempt during 2001-2003 to recruit mercenaries from an African country to launch attacks against The Gambia under the code name "The Gambia Project". This project was thwarted  partly by the intervention of some western countries and partly by the lack of funds. This was followed by incessant border closures, harassment of Gambian officials including cabinet ministers at Dakar International Airport and other Senegalese points of entry. This culminated in the unprovoked attacks against Gambian football players and supporters during a football match between The Gambia and Senegal in Dakar. That tragic event was fuelled by President Wade himself who had declared on the eve of
the football match that the game was not a simple football match but a war between the two countries. Buses from the Gambia were destroyed in addition to the many Gambians that were seriously injured. We did not retaliate as a Government because we do not believe in violence and conflict but development and peace."


  On the issue of  Wade recruiting mercenaries to overthrow Jammeh, we must say that we are not surprised by Jammeh's assertions since his former spokesman Captain Ebou Jallow had said repeatedly online that he was approached by the Senegalese leader to unseat Jammeh government's. Jallow said in a posting to The Gambia Post and the L that  he (Wade) had  even took the initiative in the past to fund his trip to South Africa,  in a bid to unseat Yahya. Jallow  accuses Wade of harbouring Gambian dissidents in a bid to overthrow Yahya.  We are not implying in anyway that Ebou's so called revelations might prompted Jammeh to conclude that Wade was bent on destabilising The Gambia and the sub-region, but it is imperative that we refresh our minds on Mr.Jallow's allegations. We are not pointing accusing fingers against Ebou at this hour, but it is important that we publish what he said in the past against Wade for the sake of posterity.  Mr.Jallow himself cannot dispute that he made such
 wild accusations against President Wade.

  President Jammeh should do his findings thoroughly before jumping into conclusion that President  Wade was harbouring Gambian dissidents in Senegal. Hear him again"In addition President Wade and his Government harbours dangerous criminals from The Gambia including coup plotters and would-be assassins who attempted on my life. His sole intention in harbouring these elements is to destabilise The Gambia by launching sabotage attacks on our infrastructure and strategic economic projects and installations."

  Such accusations coming from Jammeh exposes his leadership immaturity and lack of understanding of global politics. It is a known fact that Senegal including The Gambia are required under the Geneva convention to grant sanctuary to people running from persecution.  That  is why the United Nations had it refugee  camp in Dakar. Dakar will be violating the said Geneva convention,  if it forcefully extradited  the said perceived dissidents in Dakar to The Gambia. Yahya needs to consult with seasoned legal minds in the Gambia, before making such senseless and backward statements. We expect him to know these basic things as a leader.

  The man who recently admitted that  The Gambia was faulty on the border impasse can turned  round and accused President  Wade of subversive activities. "Without provocation in August 2005 President Wade closed the borders between the two countries with armed soldiers in violation of several agreements and treaties including ECOWAS Protocols, UN Charter, the WTO Agreements and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, under the pretext that The Gambia has increased ferry crossing tariffs – a measure which falls within the sovereign rights of The Gambia. This illegal and provocative closure is still in force as you read this letter."said Jammeh in a letter sent to the UN.

  Hiding in the name of Guinea Bissau is unacceptable to the people of The Gambia and Africa as a whole. The charges brought against Wade better suits Jammeh himself and not Wade. The same Yahya Jammeh granted sanctuary to the MFDC rebel spokesman Alexandre Gibba to The Gambia. Mr.Gibba's hotel bills and feeding were footed by this government,  bent on black mailing President  Wade.  Gibba  was seen at the premises of the Foreign office on a daily basis,  as some even mistaken him to be a staffer  of the said institution.

  This was during the days of Dr.Momodou Lamin Sedat  Jobe.  When Gambians started raising concerns about Gibba being hosted in a  FIVE STAR HOTEL called the Atlantic Hotel, the government decided to move him to a  Bakau apartment, where he resided  up to his deportation.  As a Voice of America Radio Correspondent in The Gambia, I interviewed Gibba on numerous occasions and the said interviews were aired on VOA.  Listeners of the VOA can attest to this fact.  Search the Point and  Daily Observer  achieves to see Gibba's pronouncements on the Casamance rebellion.  He also used to come to the Point to see me and my late mentor Deyda Hydara. It is  totally unfair for Jammeh to turn round accused Wade, when Wade could relied on Gibba's presence in The Gambia to do the same.

  I for one,  will not buy the story that the opposition forwarded damaging documents to President  Wade. We  challenge Jammeh and his allies to  produce  such so called documents to  substantiate their charges.  The reality is that, Jammeh has time and time been  finding ways and means to frame the opposition. Gambians should remember that Jammeh is good at diverting public attention. He very well knew that the said damaging letter he had written against Wade,  had been circulated and he thought that the best way to play with Gambians minds was to "cook up" a story against NADD officials.  What Jammeh sought to achieve in such a  controversys is to create  what political scientist called "crisis of confidence" within the NADD leadership and its supporters.  We must bear in mind that Jammeh will do whatever it takes to disintegrate the opposition. The detention of Halifa, Hamat and OJ is  a challeget for  the opposition. They are being tested by Jammeh and NADD should prove to its
 supporters that they are ready to pass Jammeh's test with honours come what may.

  We are  shocked by Sedia Jatta's statement that they have decided not to take to the streets,  in view of Jammeh's culture of killing his opponents.  Sedia's  statement is not well received by NADD supporters. We expect our political leaders to be ready to take risk to emancipate our country from mental slavery,  as Bob Marley used to call it. Jammeh is now relieved,  since Sedia is saying that they are  afraid of his security forces. We could not believe that such a statement will come from Sedia, considering the current dilemma we found ourselves.  We are between life and death and must be ready to salvage our country from the current dictatorship. We challenge Sedia, Darboe, Waa and others to take to the streets,  in the interest of  peace, democracy and the observance of the rule of the law in The Gambia.  Failure of which, people will continue to question their sincerity and commitment to serve as political leaders.

  On a final note, we want to inform President Wade,  that The Gambian people are taking exception of  Jammeh's baseless and unfounded allegations. We cherished  and respect Senegalese. If President Jammeh thinks,  that by making such charges will earn him international sympathy, he must be living in a dream world. Instead, the said letter is doing him more harm than good. President's Wade's credibility as a leader remains unshaken and untainted. Jammeh,  should think twice before jumping into conclusion on matters of this nature. The Gambia is in wronga hands and we hope and  pray that Jammeh will soon be history. He is a threat to humanity. God bless The Gambia and her people. We rest our case.

  The author is the former Secretary General of The Gambia press Union and also a former Voice of America radio Banjul Correspondent. Mr. M'Bai who now resides in the US State of North Carolina Raleigh was a leading political and crime reporter with the Point and Daily Observer newspapers respectively. He can be reached by email at the following addresses: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]























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