Hi folks,

Following is the final version of the petition to Amb. McDonald.  Please note that I
am yet to add the address it is to be sent to.  I hope to get the mailing address
tomorrow, and in time to be included in the paper copy of the petition that will be
delivered in person to Amb. McDonald when he meets a number of us on Fri., Oct. 12.

Also, I have gone ahead and setup an online petition collection script for our use.
The script also includes the petition, and you can sign it at:

    http://www.concernedgambians.org/petitions/ambmcdonald/

Please note the following:

1.  You can choose not to have your name shown to the public.  I suggest this, for
the simple reason that it will protect you from people who would want to collect a
list of names and addresses for purposes such as direct marketing (junk mail - folks
in the US will know what I'm talking about), and whatever else catches their fancy.
In order to prevent your name and address not being shown to the public, you should
make sure that you remove the check mark in the box to the right of the question:
"Would like your name to be displayed in public?"  Just click once on the box to
remove the check mark.

2.  You need to confirm your "signature" of the petition.  For this reason, the
e-mail address you provide must not only be valid, it must also be yours, or
accessible to you.  You will be sent a confirmation-request e-mail after you sign the
petition, and provided a link to follow to confirm your signature.

3.  You can also send e-mails to your friends to ask them to sign the petition.
Information about how to do this is provided after you complete the form, and is
fairly straightforward.  If in doubt, don't worry about it.

4.  I will e-mailing Amb. McDonald a  copy of the petition to enable him review it
prior to meeting our representatives on Fri. Oct. 12.  As I indicated above, a paper
copy, and the list of people who signed the petition will be provided him at the
meeting.

5.  Please sign this petition as soon as possible.  We have only about 2 days to
collect signatures, before we submit the petition on Fri., Oct. 12.

I guess that's about it.  Have a great week(end), and best wishes.

Katim
------------------  Start of petition  ----------------------
October 9, 2001

Ambassador Jackson McDonald
U. S. State Dept.
(Address to be completed)

Dear Ambassador McDonald,

A PETITION FOR YOUR HELP IN BUILDING A BETTER GAMBIA:

First, congratulations on your recent confirmation by the US Senate as the US
Ambassador to the Republic of The Gambia. Your nomination by President Bush, and
confirmation by the Senate, is testimony of your notable career with the US Foreign
Service, and we wish you a successful tenure as US Ambassador to The Gambia.

Second, we would like to express our sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathies to
you, the US government, and American people on the tragic deaths and injuries caused
by the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11th. Like the tens of other
countries around the world, The Gambia also lost some of her finest citizens. For
this reason, we understand the pain and suffering these terrible attacks have visited
on the American people, and indeed all civilized peoples around the world.

The terrorist attacks also emphasize the importance of people all over the world
working toward a better, more peaceful, and equitable world. In this regard, your
appointment as the US Ambassador to The Gambia is especially timely given that
Gambians will be going to the polls later this month to elect their President. It is
our sincere hope that you will be able to use your good offices to strengthen ties
between the US and The Gambia to the mutual benefit of citizens of both countries.

As has been demonstrated in many African countries, the development of democratic
institutions and values is of paramount importance to economic, social, and political
progress. For this reason, we are writing as Gambians and friends of The Gambia to
express our concerns about the present political atmosphere in the Gambia, and to
seek your help in improving it during your tenure as US Ambassador to The Gambia.

Since President Jammeh came to power in a military coup in July 1994, he has
instituted a government which has little regard for human rights, democracy and the
rule of law. The human rights situation in The Gambia continues to be an area of
grave concern to Gambians and to the international community.

President Jammeh has stated publicly that "anyone bent on disturbing the peace and
stability of the nation will be buried six feet deep." Ordinary citizens, ex-security
personnel, journalists and politicians have all been subjected to human rights
abuses, such as arbitrary detention, and torture by Gambian authorities.

Indeed, annual reports from the US State Department, and Amnesty International have
consistently pointed out gross and continuing violations of human rights by the
Jammeh government.

One example of the Jammeh government's disrespect for human rights is the killing of
at least fourteen young students and a journalist (Omar Barrow) by Gambian security
forces when they opened fire on a peaceful student demonstration in April, 2000. The
students were protesting the death of their fellow student, Ebrima Barry, from
injuries sustained when he was detained by agents of the government. Not only did the
Jammeh government refuse to accept responsibility for the deaths of the students,
they also defaulted on paying for the medical treatment of injured students sent to
Egypt. Subsequently, the students were repatriated to The Gambia before the
completion of their medical treatment.

President Jammeh has continued to ignore the plight of women in Gambian society. He
has indicated publicly that he is not against Female Genital Mutilation, and the
public official who committed rape on a twelve year old girl from Brikama Ba, has
never been brought to justice.

As the presidential, and National Assembly elections approach, President Jammeh and
the APRC are using every trick in the book to stay in power. Already, there have
reports that they issued Gambian Identity Cards to non-Gambians to enable them to get
a Gambian voter's card.

In December 2000, President Jammeh dismissed the Chairman of the Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC), in violation of the Constitution, and in a bid to make
the Commission more favorable to him, and the APRC. It is thus not surprising that
the IEC has not only refused to count votes on the spot, but also decided against
allowing Gambians abroad to cast their votes. All in the name of lack of funds, even
though the Jammeh government paid about one million dollars for the services of a
public relations firm in Washington, DC.

Recently, President Jammeh's government expelled Mr. Joshi Bharat, the British Deputy
High Commissioner, from The Gambia, simply because Mr Bharat attended a meeting of a
coalition of three opposition parties. In return, the British Government also
expelled The Gambia's Deputy High Commissioner, Mrs Fatou A.K. Njie, from the United
Kingdom. It is fait to say that Gambian diplomatic relations with Great Britain are
seriously strained.

President Jammeh and his cronies are also corrupt, and blatantly so. In April, 1999,
Chantrils SA successfully sued The Gambia government in London's High Court for
breach of contract. According to court documents, Chantrils contracted to sell, for
twenty US cents per barrel, twenty thousand barrels of Nigerian crude oil a day on
behalf of The Gambia, and deposit the initial payment, and proceeds in a Swiss bank
account. The trial in London concluded with a fine against the Gambia government,
even though from all indications, it never received any proceeds from the sale of the
crude oil.

During the seven years he has been the Gambian head of state, President Jammeh has
had dealings with, and been close to many unscrupulous people. For example, Mr. Baba
Jobe, an adviser to President Jammeh, was last June listed by the United Nations as
an arms trafficker, and barred by UN Resolution 1343 (2001) on Liberia from entering
and/or transiting through UN member states. Although the Gambian government wrote to
protest Mr. Jobe's inclusion in the UN list, it is obvious that President Jammeh has,
in Mr. Jobe, an international pariah and criminal as his adviser.

Recently, there have been reports in the Gambian and international press that the
Jammeh government has been involved with one Clark Enslin, who reportedly promised to
transfer several millions of dollars to an account in New York to fund President
Jammeh's election campaign. In return, Mr. Enslin would be appointed as Gambia's
Ambassador-At-Large and Trade Attaché, and presumably be accorded the rights to
travel with diplomatic immunity.

If the allegations are true, this would not be the first time that President Jammeh
has given Gambian diplomatic passports to rich, unscrupulous people. A few years ago,
Malian businessman Foutanga Dit Babanding Sissoko, who started Gambia-based Dabia
airlines was awarded Gambian citizenship, and provided a Gambian diplomatic passport
by the Jammeh government. Mr. Sissoko's airline has since folded, and furthermore, he
was charged in 1997 with bribing a US customs officer.  He ultimately pleaded guilty
to a reduced charge of offering a "gratuity" to the customs office, and was sentenced
to four months in prison.

Sir, in the light of the dismal record of President Jammeh's government, we urge you
to, during your tenure as US Ambassador to The Gambia, help ensure the stability in
the following ways:

1. Strengthen democracy in The Gambia by:

i) helping ensure that elections in The Gambia are free, fair, and peaceful. Even
though the Presidential elections will have been held before you present your
credentials in The Gambia, there will still be time to help with National Assembly
elections, which will be held early next year.

ii) Encouraging and pressuring the Gambia government to let publicly-owned media
outlets provide non-partisan election coverage, and equal access to all political
parties.

iii) Encouraging your government, other governments, and non governmental
organizations to send observers to monitor the elections.

2. Restore human rights and the rule of law

i) We urge you to call on President Jammeh and his regime to immediately release or
bring to trial Momodou "Dumo" Saho, Ebrima Yarbo, Lt. Lalo Jaiteh, Lt. Omar Darboe,
Momodou Marenah, Abdoulie Sanyang and Ebrima Barrow, who have been detained illegally
for over one year now, and in total disregard of the provisions of the Gambian
Constitution.

ii) We urge you to help end the persecution of independent media in The Gambia,
arbitrary arrests, and the Jammeh government's interference with the Gambian
judiciary.

Sir, we trust that you will give our concerns due consideration in discharging your
duties as the US ambassador to The Gambia. In this regard, we sincerely hope that
when and if the Jammeh government seeks economic assistance from the US government,
you consider the request in light of the fact that President Jammeh and his cronies
have swindled millions of dollars of Gambian public funds, and continue to deny many
Gambians their basic human rights and freedoms.

We wish you a successful tenure as US ambassador to The Gambia, and a pleasant stay,
for both you and your family, in the country.

Sincerely,

(signed)

cc:
1. Senator Russell D. Feingold
     Chairman
     Senate Subcommittee on Africa
     SH-716 Hart Senate Office Building
     Washington, DC 20510

2. Senator Bill Frist
     Ranking Minority, Senate Subcommittee on Africa
     SR-416 Russell Senate Office Building
     Washington, DC 20510

3. Rep. Ed Royce
     Chairman
     House Subcommitte on Africa
    1133 Longworth House Office Building
    Washington, DC 20515

4. Rep. Donald M. Payne
     Subcommittee on Africa Ramking Minority
     2209 Rayburn House Office Building
     Washington, DC 20515
------------------  End of petition  -----------------------

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