.



                 As training intensifies Gambian rebels
                  in Batala Gov't official acknowledges
                                    report


                 It was recently confirmed that Gambians are among West
African
                 nationals training as rebels in Liberia, with an agenda to
destabilise
                 The Gambia and other neighbouring countries. Gambian
surnames
                 have been identified among bearers who are part of a rebel
training
                 camp in the Liberian town of Batala, which is housing
prospective
                 combatants poised to launch full-scale war in the
sub-region.
                 Trainee surnames identified as Colley, Samateh, Gibba and
Sanyang
                 are said to be connected with The Gambia.

                 This is not the first time Gambians have been linked to
rebel
                 activities in Liberia. In 1996 Gambian rebels who attacked
the
                 Farafenni army barracks were believed to have surfaced from
Libya
                 and Liberian as fully trained operatives. There are also
reports,
                 suggesting that some among President Charles Taylor's
bodyguards
                 are Gambians trained as rebel commandos. Akene Philips, the
                 chairman of the West African Policy Institute, a Liberian
                 organisation based in the United States corroborated the
story
                 claiming that his institution recently uncovered that
Gambians
                 among other West African nationals are being trained as
rebels in a
                 training camp in Liberia.

                 Mr. Philips who was speaking to the BBC from the
institute's
                 headquarters in New Jersey, said his organisation
discovered details
                 about rebel training camps in Batala. He said those rebel
trainees
                 include Gambians, Burkinabes, Sierra Leoneans, and
Guineans. He
                 noted that Batala town has a reputation as a rebel-training
base,
                 accommodating close to 1,500 prospective combatants. Mr.
Phillips
                 revealed that those under training are being groomed for
ground
                 assaults, different guerrilla tactics and how to launch
attacks against
                 military garrisons.

                 According to him rebels from Ivory Coast and Mali are
joining them
                 in the camps. Mr. Philips who emphasised that the
information was
                 "true and accurate" said that the Batala rebels were given
specific
                 instructions to invade neighbouring countries or infiltrate
the
                 governments of their own home territories with a view to
                 destabilising them. He maintained that this is meant to
start
                 launching destabilising campaigns against governments
within
                 West Africa. Mr. Philips, gave the recent rebel incursion
in Guinea
                 as an example caused by such Batala rebel activities, which
he
                 believed is a serious concern for the whole region.

                 He suggested that the situation be addressed quickly and
                 decisively. " Our organisation met some people trained at
Batala...
                 infact we met with several of them over the past several
months" he
                 intimated. Mr. Philips further claimed that certain
individuals are
                 charged with recruiting West African nationals as potential
rebel
                 trainees who are later sent to Batala for training. He also
reiterated
                 that the rebels' main aim is to stir up trouble in the
sub-region.

                 When The Independent contacted the Gambian Foreign Office
to
                 react to the Gambian involvement an insider at the
department said
                 that he was aware of such reports but added that the
department has
                 not received them officially and as a result they could not
make any
                 leading comments. There were also unsuccessful attempts to
reach
                 Ansumana Ceesay the department's spokesperson.



                  As principal receives ultimatum to
                     quit Students threaten to b
----- Original Message -----
From: I K M'BOOB <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: OBITUARY ANNOUNCEMENTS



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