I am just back from Nairobi, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda, when I read the
information on the arrest of some of the opposition leaders in The Gambia.

This is the same kind  of actions I just witness in Kampala. Due to the
smell of tear gas, I had to flee from a small restaurant, where I had
settled for a lunch and took shelter from the heavy rain. My first thoughts
was that the police has attacked the students at the nearby University,
because the students were on strike. But later in the afternoon after gone
uphill I got the news that it was the opposition leader who was arrested,
and the police had spread the supporter.
The next day the citycenter was occupied with military police and warning
shots were fired.
I pray that the people all over Africa will see the day, where politics can
be carried out as a democratic and totally normal practise of civil rights.
The day when you can express your visions, comments and views in public
without fear. 
It´s clear that parliament members must have some legal immunity to speak
public. And certainly that the rights should be carried out in respect of
public order and the legislation.
It is also clear to me, that if a politician or parliament member has done a
criminal act, he is not over the law. But sometimes I feel, that there is
oppression of freedom to speak, by harassing or intimidating people, by
"constructing" legal cases against an opponent, so you can put him away and
out of "business" for a period.
In Kampala I felt that it could look like it might be in the interest of the
sitting president, if some actions took place in the streets, so he could
send the soldiers in and declare state of emergency.  When I reached
Amsterdam I got the message from my friend in Kampala that there is calm in
Kampala center, and the traffic and shops are back to normal. Thanks.

In Nairobi I attended "the 6th international conference on sport and
environment and peace" organised by UNEP and The International Olympic
Committee. Conflict-solving, democracy, transparency and many other topics
were debated. A very strong message "Peace and environment" was given at the
opening by Ms Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and I
should like her message to be spread all over.
Ms Béatrice Allen, Member of IOC and The Gambia NOC Women and Sports
Commissions was very clear, when she in her presentation "Empowering Women
for Development and Sport" gave people so much to think about.

just a comment from Asbjørn Nordam

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