In the aftermath of the 1994 coup in the Gambia a lot of Senegalese adored
the
new coup leader to an extend that they compared him to the late Thomas Sankara
For a Gambian visiting Senegal, the first question you will be asked is "Ana
gandaghi
Yaya Jammeh ?" _where is the great guy Yaya Jammeh? They would then engage
you in a long conversation about the new Gambian military leader.
          Naturally these Senegalese were moved by the new measures being
taken by the new military regime. And they would always
conclude that they needed a Yaya Jammeh more than the Gambia.
      In retrospect I am happy that the Senegalese did not choose to change
their government with the gun.
    What happened in Senegal is very important for the whole of Africa but
more so for the Gambia. The myth that no African President can removed by the
ballot box has been shattered
. An African president can indeed be removed by the ballot.
    It is true that The political conditions in Senegal are not entirely
 synonymous to those in the
Gambia, even though they have a lot in common, with a united opposition the
Gambia
 can rid itself of this military heritage most of us are so ashamed of.

                                                  KOLI TENGELA  BAH

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