Ebou Colley,
I can understand the position expressed in your memorandum of 17 June.
Frankly speaking, you took me by surprise. You explained in your first
correspondence that you understood what I was getting at after some
clarification. That was sufficient. What is important in communication is to
understand each other. However, you went further to complain about the style
of writing. I explained that the letter was addressed to the Chief Justice
and copied to the L for information.
I really did not understand the source of the cynicism. I now understand
your feelings. What is important for all of us to bear in mind is that we
are not dealing with an ordinary matter. Students were murdered. We cannot
simply condemn the murder, full stop. Something has to be done. You
constantly move away from talking about the murder to talk about a change of
government. We want a change of government; that is why we have an
opposition party. However, to change a government has ways and means. How to
handle the murder of the students also has ways and means. It is left to the
political parties in this country and all Gambians to determine the most
effective ways and means of changing a government. We can debate on such
issues. We are, in fact, going to open up a website to deal with any issues
regarding our party and ways and means of transforming The Gambia.
The point at issue is how to handle the murder of the students. Each Gambian
has an opinion and should share that opinion with others to see how it can
receive support so that it can be actualised, irrespective of party
affiliation or political inclination. As far as we were concerned, when the
incident occurred, and representatives of the State gave their position, we
were the first to refute the position of attributing the deaths to firing by
released common criminals. Our journalists were among the first Gambians,
who were not students or security men, to go before the Coroner to explain
that the shooting came from the direction of the Police Intervention Unit
Camp. We have written letters to ensure that there is some action to deal
with the situation. We worked hard to deal with the situation of those who
were arrested and detained, and opened up a hot line for parents to lodge
complaints, while we took measures to facilitate release. We visited
families of the death, maintained contacts with them to answer any issue
they raised. We are still visiting those at the hospital; and are still
maintaining our links with all the families.
We called for a Coroner's Inquest because the cause of deaths was in
dispute. The Coroner also has power to expose offences committed by known or
unknown persons. We saw that there was a delay in knowing what the Coroner
reported or explanation of some sort, and decided to write a letter to the
person who should have proper custody of the report. What have we done
wrong?
Even if we had written something that is winding, the most that should have
been done is to ask us to explain ourselves clearly, which we would humbly
do because we write to be understood.
The State has also established a Commission of Inquiry. A debate arose
regarding the extent of the terms of reference of the Commission. We again
looked in the proper place to find out the content of the terms of
reference, and found that the Gazette had not been published. We called for
its publication, which has now enabled us to do a review. All Gambians now
have access to the legal document they can review and pass their own
judgment. This is all we have been trying to do, just to facilitate the
process. We did not establish a Commission. It is the State which
established a Commission. Our duty is to express our concerns and find out
how the Commission will conclude. It is left for the Commission to earn the
confidence of the Gambian people based on how it is going to conclude.
We are all waiting to know the conclusion. Some have already passed their
judgment that the whole exercise is useless. That is their prerogative. Some
feel that many issues are being clarified and are willing to wait for the
final outcome. That is their prerogative. Others feel that other steps can
be taken that would be more effective. We say that we are open to all
suggestions and would give our support to anything effective and
practicable.
When the issue of private prosecutor came, we even contacted the Attorney
General's Chambers to find out how the issue regarding the appointment of
private prosecutors in Ebrima Barry's case is going. We will contact the Bar
Association on Monday to find out whether what we were told regarding the
cost is accurate before publishing it. This is how we are proceeding.
Wherever we can facilitate something, we do do so. Ultimately, it is the
State which must render accounts for its actions and the measures utilised
to attain them.
Our schedule is very tight Ebou, and we are trying to do thousand and one
things at the same time. It would be most helpful if we are not drawn into
exchanges which do not help to build up the respect that we should have for
each other. We can have differences and still respect each other.
You have mentioned that we may not even be receiving replies to our letters.
We are receiving replies to our letters. When we challenged the Codes of
Conduct for students as draconian, we did receive a reply from The Gambia
Teachers' Union taking exception from the Codes of Conduct and did receive a
reply from the Secretary of State for Education indicating that there will
be a review. When we wrote to the President's Office to say that the
propaganda against the students should be stopped and that investigation
should precede any statements from that office, we did receive a reply
assuring that investigation will be done. We do not make publicity of these
replies because of our conviction that it is action that should speak for
the State. We take the replies as mere acts of courtesy. This is why we have
not been publishing them.
Some people have to be the social workers of this nation while we work for
change to come, if the people are convinced and determined to bring it.
Finally, I did raise issues regarding calling on the people to use force,
just to contain your use of words that are not helping very much to bring us
together to decide what we want for our nation. People do not just rise up
and change governments. There are many factors which determine that.
At this moment, what we see happening is the UDP going on tour to attack the
regime from all angles. We are also going on tour. Political parties are
very active in the country and each is trying to prove to the people that
the APRC Government is not fit to govern this country. You people can add
your voices and monies to the parties of your choices and strengthen them so
that we go beyond crying foul and remove the APRC Government from office.
There is nothing that we cannot say in this country, as long as we have the
facts. So people should not feel that Jammeh is a Goliath waiting for a
David to remove him from office. If you have any information that is
factual, forward it to us and we will popularise it among the Gambian
people. We believe we are doing our part. Each should be allowed to do his
or her own part. Each party should try to convince the Gambian people that
they can do better than the APRC. Each Gambian should support what one
believes to be a better alternative. Then there will be no reasons for
antagonistic contradictions. No hard feelings.
Greetings.
Halifa Sallah.
From: ebou colly <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2000 5:26 AM
Subject: Re: CORONER'S INQUEST AND COMMISSION OF INQUIRY (fOROYA)
> Re: CORONER'S INQUEST AND THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
> (Foroye)
>
>
>
> My dear Mr. Sallah,
>
> I must first state that when I made my observations on
> your letter I certainly did not do it with any hard
> feelings. I have no doubt that you were once again
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
