EDITORIAL


what's wrong with Gambia's dictator president Yahya Jammeh.?  Is he really
okay.? We are compelled to ask,  in view of  his negative attitude towards
Gambians and the civilised world. Jammeh expelling Senegalese from The
Gambia,  will not move our country anywhere. Instead, it will further cause
more economic hardship for our impoverished nation.

A news story carried by The ALLGAMBIAN says"As tensions continue to mount,
sources say a recent move by president Yahya Jammeh to expel the Senegalese
Community in The Gambia was blocked by Gambia's vice president and APRC'S
self styled griot Fatou Jahumpa Ceesay." This latest diplomatic blunder on
the side of Jammeh is indeed worrying. It's a total madness.

Considering the long cultural and bilateral ties,  we had with neighbouring
Senegal, it would be suicidal for Jammeh to think about  expelling our
Senegalese brothers and sisters. Expelling them for what.?  We had always
insisted that the border stand off  was due to Jammeh's reckless business
policies. You don't expect to run your government on tax base schemes.
Exorbitant taxes,  sometimes scare potential investors and commuters.

It's time for Jammeh to wake up from his slumber and accept the realities of
  sub-regional trade and globalisation. We at the ALLGAMBIAN believe that
both countries cannot realise any economic advancement in the absence of the
other. It's therefore imperative for dictator Jammeh to rethink about the
consequences of  such a backward diplomatic move.

Our Monday lead story on the current border crisis says"The
Gambia/Senegalese border impasse had an adverse effect on the fragile
economy of the tiny West African country, as unimpeachable sources at The
Gambia Ports Authority in Banjul unveiled a loss of state revenue amounting
to the tune of D1.5 Million dalasis in a span of one month."

Our reporter  went further to states" According to our sources, Senegalese
transporters had told Gambia's authorities in no uncertain terms that they
will not back down on their demand for total reduction of ferry tariffs. In
an attempt to dose the mounting tensions, said our sources Gambia's
authorities recently sent a delegation to Dakar, Senegal to prevail on
transport unionists to reconsider their show down action. However, the
request was reportedly turned down, as Senegalese transporters insisted that
they will not settle for anything other than tariff reduction. "

There is indeed a problem. Judging from the current position of the
Senegalese transport unionists they say,  without ferry tariffs  reduction
they will not open any room for dialogue. Jammeh on the other hand, is
insisting that there will be no reduction. Two wrongs cannot make a right.
One of the parties involved in this impasse must accept responsibility for
this crisis. We wouldn't hesitate to blame Jammeh's government for causing
such a mess.

We have been reliably informed that the Senegalese Community in The Gambia,
formed the largest number of aliens in that country. The Immigration
Department alone,  collects revenue amounting to thousands of dalasis from
the Senegalese community  each year. The said money represents alien tax
paid to the state. Is Yahya Jammeh trying to deprive Gambians such an
income.? Is Yahya Jammeh trying to isolate The Gambia from the civilised
world.? What's going on with Jammeh.? Is he really mentally stable.? We are
not being rude here. We just want to know.

Jammeh's recent move to snub an envoy sent by the Nigerian President
Obasanjo to mediate in the ongoing Senegalese/Gambia border crisis is a
cause for concern. This goes to show that Jammeh is up to something, which
he is not ready to disclose.  Time will tell.

We have also learnt about Jammeh's claims that president Wade wanted  to
over throw his government. Jammeh's contention  they say,  was based on
Wade's decision to grant sanctuary to the former junta Vice President Sana
Sabally.  There is not wrong in President Wade's   government granting
sanctuary to Sabally,  if  his government believes in Sabally's account that
"he  had a well founded fear of persecution upon his return to The Gambia."
We have no intention of defending Sabally,  who is linked to all kinds of
atrocities. We thought it necessary to expose Jammeh's charges against
Wade's government.  We had always entertained that Sabally himself  had
aided and abetted Jammeh's intimidatory tactics gainst innocent Gambians.
The ball now lies on the side of host Nation Senegal, and whoever is
interested in granting the former rude boy political asylum.

We are not the least convinced by Jammeh's alleged claims that that "the
Wade government wanted  to destabilise his government."  Jammeh's bogus
charges against the Senegalese government  started  when he accuses the  NRP
leader Hamat Bah,  of being an agent for president Wade.  That Hamant is
being used for espionage activities by the Wade administration. Hamat had
flatly denied Jammeh's  accusation through an interview with one of Gambia's
local press.

Jammeh should stop his madness and realise that some of his actions will
cause our country dearly.  Let us pray for an end to these hostilities
between the two sister countries. Jammeh don't seems to care about what
would be the end results of such a crisis. But we do care.  Peace.!!!!

_________________________________________________________________
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