FWD
Clinton 'Concerned' Over Events In The Gambia
The Independent <http://www.qanet.gm/Independent/independent.html> (Banjul)
June 12, 2000
Banjul - United States President Bill Clinton has expressed concern over events
in The Gambia and instructed Ambassador Haley to keep him informed about
progress in investigations into the events of 10th and 11th April.
In a letter to members of The Concerned Gambians Abroad - US Chapter (printed on
page 2), President Clinton assured the group that his 'Africa team' was
'monitoring both the human rights and political dimensions of the situation in
The Gambia' and keeping him informed.
A US Embassy official has confirmed the letter's authenticity.
The Concerned Gambians Abroad - US Chapter had sent a letter to President
Clinton soliciting his 'assistance and support in restoring The Gambia to a
peaceful, free and democratic country.'
They told the American President that 'The Gambia has deteriorated from a
peaceful country with respect for human life, to a country tailored by Jammeh's
capriciousness and infantile lust for power with constant kidnapping,
harassment, violations and vicious murders.'
'The atrocities and carnage demonstrated by Jammeh and his administration in The
Gambia since 1994 has resulted in blanket anger, frustration and despondence in
our country,' they added.
Writing after the events of 10th and 11th April this year, they described the
shootings as 'the latest incidence of carnage...in which security officers
acting in direct response from Jammeh's administration maliciously gunned down
over 14 innocent high school students and citizens and more than 128 critically
wounded.'
They accused President Jammeh of failing 'to act to address the appalling
incidences' and claimed that 'Jammeh's inert reaction to these atrocities
indicates his full-fledged involvement and support in this reign of terror.'
'Never in the whole history of The Gambia have human rights been so blatantly
violated,' they wrote.
The Concerned Gambians Abroad told Clinton they were seeking the intervention of
the international community to 'initiate an independent judiciary commission of
inquiry to thoroughly investigate all the heinous crimes by President Jammeh and
his administration' and to demand the unbanning of all political parties and
monitor elections in The Gambia.
'The presence of international representatives will also curb potential
murdering of Gambians who have the courage to oppose Jammeh's regime, which
occurred during the last elections,' they said.
They warned that 'if the human rights violations are not arrested and those
responsible held accountable and brought to justice, The Gambia will evolve into
another cataclysmic situation similar to the one in Sierra Leone.'
In seeking President Clinton's support they said, 'it is only through the
demonstration of support of individuals in your prestigious status that the
international community would respond to our ardent pleas for assistance.'
One of the members of Concerned Gambians Abroad - US Chapter, Soffie Ceesay said
President Clinton's response was 'a welcomed development in our struggle to
expose the lawlessness of the APRC regime and their total disregard for human
life.'
'It is imperative, however, that all sons and daughters of Gambia understand and
accept, that the building blocks of our society - law, justice, freedom - rests
on our shoulders. Nothing and nobody should be allowed to do away with our basic
rights and our lives with impunity. The scales of justice will not be rigged as
those of the elections. We will make sure of that!' she added.
Cop
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