EWS US State Department Officials Receive Gambian Demonstrators -Jammeh and his Cronies Exposed BY PA NDERRY M'BAI
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December 2, 2005
PHOTOS by: The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Gambians residing in the United States Friday, converged at The Gambian Embassy in Washington DC, the nation's Capital, where they protested against what they called the illegal and unconstitutional detention of Gambia's opposition leaders Messrs Halifa Sallah, Omar Amadou Jallow, (OJ) and Hamat NK Bah.
The demonstrators stormed the vicinity of The Gambian mission, lamenting about the growing human rights, rule of law and governance crisis in the tiny West African country. In what was expected to be a peaceful demonstration, nearly turned violent, as an official of the embassy Pa Njaga Mendy, said to be an NIA operative, reportedly provoked the demonstrators. Mendy, who is also a First Secretary at The Gambian Mission in DC, was said to have denied the protesters access to the embassy building and was heard hauling derogatory remarks against the protesters. Tempers went high, as the demonstrators could not withstand, what many observers called Mendy's "arrogant and hostile" behaviour towards the pro democracy demonstrators.
Police later intervened to bring sanity, as the protesters vowed to go ahead with their demonstration. The Washington DC show down action, which lasted for hours, attracted a good number of Gambians across the United States. The demonstrators carrying placards could be heard chanting anti Jammeh slogans. The demonstration spare headed by Gambia's US based pro democracy group called "SAVE THE GAMBIA DEMOCRACY PROJECT" was geared towards alerting the international community and the civilised world about what the demonstrators called the current "injustices and brutality" taking place in The Gambia. The demonstrators also lamented about mercenary judges hired by President Yahya Jammeh, whose pre occupation they say were to execute dirty errands for The Gambian leader. Under President Jammeh's rule, they said they don't expect the opposition to receive justice and therefore called for the unconditional release of the detained opposition leaders.
The three opposition leaders are currently detained at the Mile Two Central Prisons. While OJ and Halifa are facing sedition charges, Hamat Bah is accused of possessing "unauthorised government document". The accused persons strongly denied such charges. Even though, the constitution guaranteed them the right to bail, the men were denied such rights. Just recently, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, accuses the opposition of undermining Gambia's relation with neighbouring Senegal. Jammeh alleged that the opposition were behind the month long border impasse, which nearly crippled economies of both states. A charge the opposition rejected and challenge Jammeh to provide evidence to substantiate his allegations. Prior to the arrest and detention of the three opposition officials, President Jammeh, wrote to the UN Secretary General Kofi Ann, accusing Senegalese President Abdoulie Wade of trying to overthrow his government. He cites the border impasse and the harbouring of Gambian
"dissidents" in Senegal to convince the world body. In response Wade dismissed Jammeh's charges as "utter rubbish and unfounded." Thanks to a mediation efforts spare headed by Nigerian President Obasanjo, The Gambia/Senegal border impasse was settled. Organisers of the show down action say their move was compelled by the government's failure to respect the rights and freedoms of detained opposition officials.
On arrival at The Gambian Mission, the protesters delegated Pa Samba Jaw, Sega Jagne and Fatou Jaw Manneh to deliver a protest letter from The Save The Gambia Democracy Project to the Gambian ambassador Bami Jagne.
"It was a very spirited demonstration. I was delegated together with Siga Jagne and Fatou Jaw Manneh to hand deliver a letter from The Save The Gambia Democracy Project to the ambassador Bambi Jagne. We were escorted by a US secret Service agent, who instructed us to wait by the elevator so that he can talk to the Gambian officials. He returned with Pa Njaga Mendy, who is the first secretary at the embassy. But to our surprise, he took the letter, but said we will not enter the embassy, which we protested. We made it clear to him that this was our embassy and we have all rights to get inside. That we as Gambians, are tax payers and we paid for his salary and the embassy's rent. said Pa Samba Jaw, a prominent Gambian human rights activist.
Mr.Jaw denounced the attitude of Mendy, arguing that his action was purely provocative and uncalled for. He says the embassy officials have no reasons whatsoever, to turn down their request of meeting them.
While the protesters succeeded in making their case heard at The Gambian embassy by openly denouncing what they called "the repressive and dictatorial Jammeh regime", they later headed to the US State Department to register their case against President Jammeh. At the State Department, the protesters met Larry Andre junior, who listened to demonstrators. AllGambian Staff writer Yero Jallow, alias Dalton says the meeting at the US State Department of Justice was very fruitful and successful.
"The State Department official, promised that he will communicate our concerns and reservations against the Jammeh administration to Dr.Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State. We were impressed about the way we were received. The official listened to us and they confirmed knowing what is happening in The Gambia, as they received daily updates." said reporter Yero Jallow.
According to our reporter, the protesters, who walked under cold weather were carrying placards, some of which read "FREE THE NADD THREE, FREE HALIFA, FREE OJ, AND FREE HAMAT. The demonstrators also demanded an explanation from The Gambian Government, as who murdered veteran journalist Deyda Hydara, former Finance Minister Ousman Koro Ceesay and the killing of 14 unarmed Gambian students on April 10Th, 2000.
While walking in the busy streets of the Washington Metropolitan area, the protesters, attracted onlookers and sympathisers, some whom hailed them for taking such a patriotic move. It was emotional day, as the demonstrators could be heard crying for justice and an end to what they called "Jammeh's rule and tyranny."
This paper was reliably informed that some embassy officials for some reasons decided not show up for work in the early morning , including Bami Jagne amidst reports that he was trying to avoid the demonstrators, as he feared loosing his job. Sources say it was only Pa Njaga Mendy, who was available at the embassy, when the protesters called there.
President Yahya Jammeh, in a recent statement to the nation reaffirmed his threat that some opposition officials and critics will not be living witnesses of the country's 2006 Presidential elections. He says he had a surprising gift for them and vowed to deal with them. Observers say despite repeated calls by the Commonwealth for level playing field, President Jammeh is clamping down on his opponents. He was quoted as saying that he Jammeh doesn't care about "what the international community feels about his administration." President Jammeh toppled the administration of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara in July of 1994. Since then the opposition, the media and human rights activists had been targeted for routine persecution by his government.
The author is the former Secretary General of The Gambia press Union and also a former Voice of America radio Banjul Correspondent. Mr. M'Bai who now resides in the US State of North Carolina Raleigh was a leading political and crime reporter with the Point and Daily Observer newspapers respectively. He can be reached by email at the following addresses: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
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