In a message dated 4/7/04 8:05:16 AM Central Daylight Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:

"We all agree that it is a problem, let us educate people and condemn any 
tribal activities and comments"

Ndey,
I agree with you comments in general and those of Soffie, and your above 
statement is what was actually being attempted by me and others. However, let me 
set the record straight once more because there is unfortunately a tendency for 
people to decide that an exchange is about what they perceive it to be, as 
opposed to what it actually is. 

My position is that Yaya Jammeh is playing the tribal card and that we as 
Gambians must condemn it and discuss it openly so that this problem does not 
escalate into a more serious one. I also condemn the fact that Joe Sambou goes 
bizerk every time there is an attempt to discuss this tribalism issue, and most 
important of all, he uses the devious tactic of misrepresenting that what I and 
others are doing is labelling all Jolas as tribalists.

Now, I will be grossly dissappointed if you, Soffie and all others who are 
commenting on this issue actually give the impression that what I and others are 
doing is promoting tribalism semtiments. I expect that both of you as well as 
many people who I have a deep respect for can decipher between what I in 
particular wrote in every post on this issue and you can check the archives, and 
that is, problems are solved when there is open discussion and this has to be 
done regardign thsi tribalism issue.
I hope that the position is now clear as it has always been if anyone reads 
all that has been written.
The other issue has to do with both my personal conclusions as well as 
information that some of us received that seems to point suspicion at Joe Sambou as 
being a possible agent of the regime. The question was put to him and he lost 
control and started sending out numerous profanities in emails that are on the 
list for all to see.
There is no reason for that sort of language in any intelligent exchamge, no 
matter what the subject being  discussed is.
I hope that while people are in the process of being objective, it will also 
be noted that any exchange does not have to include the profanity that Joe 
Sambou levelled at me in particular. I hope that the list Managers will consider 
that issue and treat it according to the rules of this list.

Jabou Joh

> 
>   Joe, Jabou, Elhagie, Conteh et all,
> 
> I am so disappointed in you people. I just can't believe what I am reading 
> and hearing. It is alright for us to disagree with one another but it we don't 
> have to degenerate to this level as people who are advocating for change in 
> Gambia. In each struggle there are times when we are at each other but in a 
> more constructive and healthy manner but not what I am reading now. I asked 
> myself are these the people who are advocating for change in Gambia? 
> 
> I thought after reading Soffie's email all you people will go to bed and 
> sleep. Wake up fresh and digest her response to this issue. Soffie made very 
> important points, whether you people agree on it or not it is a fact. 
> 
> Yes, Yaya is using the tribal card to rule the Gambia and unfortunately it 
> is the Jolas. I do agree that some Jolas are also benefiting in it and using 
> it against other tribes. But how many are they?
> 
>  My grandmother is a Jola, I mean a true born Jola who cannot stand Jammeh. 
> It went to a point that he cannot watch TV because she does not want to see 
> Jammeh. I remember her always saying to us that Jammeh has disgrace the Jolas. 
> At the same time I have my step grandmother who is also a Jola who even goes 
> to pray at the State house Mosque because of her love for Jammeh. I remember 
> her not talking to me for days because of my position on Jammeh. She deeply 
> felt that I should be supporting  Jammeh. My mother has to warn me not to 
> talk about Jammeh in her presence. Then you have my Father who is a Mandinga who 
> felt that the Jolas are becoming too much and they are getting out of her. 
> They even refused to speak any other language apart from Jola. I had to tell 
> my Father you cannot say that just because few Jolas are doing that and what 
> is wrong with them refusing to speak other languages. Of course my father felt 
> I was not too proud of my Mandinganess. I said no I am proud to be a 
> Mandinga by virtue of my father, proud to be a Wollof by virtue of my mother, proud 
> to be a Jola by virtue of my grand mother, proud to be a Tukulorr by virtue 
> of my Grandfather. So, who am I?
> 
> I remember one Senegalese MPs from cassamance came to a meeting in Ghana. He 
> met with the late Satang and I and the first thing he said to us was " You 
> the Mandingas are the ones who hate Jammeh but we the Jolas will make sure 
> that he stays" I was so mad and really gave it to the MP. I remember Satang said 
> to me why are so going that far. Just ask the guy if the Gambia belongs to 
> the Jolas only? What is the percentage of Jolas compare to other tribes?  How 
> many Jolas have better lives since Jammeh took over? Believe me  after Satang 
> finished with the MP, he was a reformed tribalist.
> 
> Let us be very careful in our struggle against injustice in the Gambia. Lets 
> us be mindful that Gambia does not belong to any tribe but Gambians. Even if 
> Jammeh is using them let us made it clear to Jammeh that we are not going to 
> buy it. After all how many Jolas lives have change since Jammeh came to 
> power? How many?
> 
> We all agree that it is a problem, let us educate people and condemn any 
> tribal activities and comments. This is the only way forward. In all the African 
> crisis and genocide, tribalism was used  to wage wars, genocides and 
> murders. Please let’s address it maturely and carefully.
> 
>  NB:
> 
> Ebou Jallow's mail is disgusting and unacceptable. We can agree to disagree.
> 
>  
> 
> The Struggle Continues!!!
> 
> Ndey Jobarteh
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Are you going travelling? Help us to find the 100 best internet cafes in the 
> world. Click here for more details and you could win £250 and a digital 
> camera! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in 
> the Gambia-L archives, go to: 
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: 
> [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of 
> postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: 
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~