Dr. Katim Touray: Find below the amended petition. By the way, I received
few suggestions, and tried my best to incorporate them into the final
version.

George Sarr: Is it possible to have this petition signed and sent to the new
USA Ambassador electronically, like we did in the case of Dr Stovall? We
should take note of the fact that the elections are around the corner.
Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work you are doing.

Ebrima Ceesay

_____________________________________________________________________



Dear Ambassador McDonald,


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)


_________________________________________________________________
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