Edi and Folks,
In November 1994, while I was president of the Gambia college students' main
union and vice president of GAMSU, we had it very rough with Sana Sabally
and Sadibou Haidara. When the two fell out with the regime of their own
creation, students rushed to our dormitory at the Brikama campus of the
Gambia college, and suggested that we had justifiable reason for "
jubilation". Our response then as a student leadership was that we never
celebrate the fall of those who have reactionary attitudes towards our
struggle for justice. Such individuals may be important, but the system of
oppression and aggression they represent takes pre-eminence over their
persons. Indeed our struggle continues as long as that abominable system
continues, no matter who presides over it.
We do not hate Yaya Jammeh, Baba Jobe or Ousman Badjie, but we strongly
detest the system of brutality, banditry and criminality they
represent.Indeed if anything, they are brothers and compatriots, but we have
been brought up to believe in the great traditions of our people, that when
your brother blunders, you should be the first one to constructively
criticize him; and always the last to praise him when he makes good and
positive points.
I think it is justified for me to say on behalf of my colleagues that we
feel strongly vindicated by the dismissal of our brother Ousman Badjie,
albeit I must quickly add that it has come too late to represent any credit
to the Jammeh regime. In the build-up to April 10th/11th 2000, we had a
series of interations with Mr Badjie. Most of these were as a result of
student initiatives in line with our fervent trust in dialogue. In the
course of all these, we found Mr Badjie frivilously incompetent and
absolutely lacking any sense of patriotic comitment to duty. If Mr Badjie
had told the commission of enquiries the facts about the build-up to April
10th/11th 2000, as he was abled to glean them from our interactions with
him, atleast the parents of our beloved brothers who were gunned down by the
forces of arrogance and barbarity would have known some of the truth; if he
had told the commission of enquiries what happened on the ground from the
moment we were released from our initial detention on the morning of April
10th 2000, up to the moment the first live ammunition was fired, he would
have resposibly discharged his duties by setting the commission on the track
of those who really perpetrated those heinous acts three years ago. But he
opted to tell lies or at best half truths.
April 10th/11th 2000 should never have been that disaster if persons like
Ousman Badjie had responsibly carried out their resposibilities. But we have
patience; and we are certain that they cannot forever avoid the long hands
of justice.
Omar Joof.

>From: edi sossoeh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Interior Minister Ousman Badjie fired
>Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 10:57:38 +0000
>
>Gambia's Interior minister Ousman Badjie who was indicted by the April 10
>Commission of enquiry has been fired with  effect from today,  reliable
>sources confirmed yesterday.  He is replaced by Sulayman Masaneh Ceesay,  a
>former official of the public service commission.  Sources say Badjie's
>sacking could be linked to his Department's failure to tackle the veil
>controversy hitting the country's public school system.  Badjie was
>assigned with religiuos affairs, and his removal is attracting a heated
>debate in Banjul.  He was not only Jammeh's friend but as well as a
>brother.
>
>Sulayman Masaneh Ceesay, does not know any thing about security and
>observer
>believe Jammeh is losing hope in his administration.  It is widely
>speculated that the dictator  may end up relinguishing power in the near
>future.  The regime is said to be faced with acute cash shortage and
>development partners such as the IMF and the World Bank have lamented about
>the increasing  level of corruption in the tiny West African country.
>
>In a related development,   reports say  senior magistrate Abubacarr King
>had absconded from the jurisdiction of the Gambia.  King is linked to a
>major corruption scandal which hit the Brikama magistrate court.  Court
>fines collected from litigants  were  reported unaccounted for.  Sources
>also say judgements were expunged from the case files.  This is estimated
>to
>be about 45 cases.  The judiciary is said to be pursuing the case.  King
>believed to be a Sierralean national, only claimed Gambian citizenship
>after
>the 1998 Sierralean war.  With the help of some Gambians he secured the
>national document.  He is believed to be in the United States with his
>family.  The judiciary says he is on leave, but competent sources say King
>will never return to the Gambia.  He was send to Mecca for pilgrimage by
>the
>ruling APRC.  This shows how the regime induces judicial staff.  It is
>estimated that court fines amounting to thousands of dalasis are reported
>missing at the Brikama magistrate court.
>
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