Sister Jabou,
Great Britain  was made up of the English, the Scotish, the Welsh and Irish.
These are called nations. When the British colonialist arrived on the banks
of the river Gambia, they found there the Mandinka, the fulani, the wollof
and Jola amongst others, but they were called tribes. It is fundamental for
us to understand that in order to justify the establishment of an unjust and
exploitative regime over our peoples, the colonialists had to use with
regard them terms which paint deplorable pictures of them. In colonialist
discourse, the terms tribe, ethnic and native, were always used  with
derogative connotations. It is sad to note that many years after political
independence, we still regard ourselves as belonging to tribe E or Y thereby
embracing the colonialists' depiction of what we are.
The colonialists used such narrow segmentations to divide  and rule us. In
the post independence era also, selfish politicians use them for purposes of
political self-perpetuation. For a people whose present circumstance is
deplorable and the future blurred, the good old days mostly serve as a
bastion of solace. This rekindles ancient glories and grandeurs, which
provide succour for the frustrated mind. There is a deviation here which
serves the purposes of failed politicians. The realities of the present are
forgotten and ancient rivalries which have no bearings on our present
predicament, take center stage. Our energies which should be used in
creative work for development and advancement, are used instead in tearing
us apart and advancing the interests of those who wish to establish a regime
of manipulation over us.
We should indeed discuss all forms of fragmented nationalism, especially
when that is the crux of our detractor's strategy. Let me remind our Jola
Brethren that we may feel the heat on us because Yaya Jammeh is one of
us.But that is to say if we see ourselves in the deplorable state in which
the colonialists wanted us to be seen. We indeed have certain things in
common with him which we can never deny. That is why when he goes wrong, we
should be the first to tell him that he has blundered. Matters that have to
do with the Republic of the Gambia, have nothing to do with tribe. None of
our peoples should benefit or be victimized because of matters that have
more to do with their history than present realities.
However, when a regime combines the characteristics of arrogance and
ignorance, it fans sentiments that can tear the nation apart. GOD SAVE THE
GAMBIA!
Omar Joof.


>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: ANOTHER RWANDA LURKING BEHING GAMBIANS!!
>Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 21:03:40 EST
>
>Binneh & Elhadj,
>
>Yaya Jammeh is not only a tribalist, but he is trying to set up a Jola
>kingdom. That is the reason he has made Kanilai, right there at the foot of
>Casamance, a capital, otherwise, what is his reasoning? He is preparing his
>capital
>for the Kingdom he envisions.
>It is also the reason that he has been meddling in the Casamance affair as
>well as the reason that he was knee deep in the affairs of Guinea Bissau.
>The
>only reason he has given up on Bissau is that Kumba Yalla has no use for
>him.
>
>My theory is that he envisioned a Jola Kingdom comprising of Gambia and
>Casamance and bordering Bissau.
>It is the same reason that he has been amassing arms and supplying them to
>the rebels in Casamance as reported by those who have the evidence.
>It is the same reason that he has been trying to bring friction between
>Gambians and Senegalese through propaganda and the passage of ridiculous
>laws that
>will aggravate the Senegalese.
>It is the same reason that all the rebels from the sub-region have been
>allowed to come to our country and stay there.
>I propose that Yaya Jammeh, like those dictators before him who have used
>the
>same tactics to instigate civil wars so they can have the excuse to let
>loose
>murderous elements into the general populace and get rid of those they
>wanted
>to get rid of, is embarked on the same course unless he is stopped.
>Yaya Jammeh knows that he cannot just attack Senegal outright, and he
>cannot
>kill Gambians en masse although, Lord knows he is picking them off one by
>one.
>The method he wants to use is to pit Senegalese and Gambians against each
>other as well as Gambians against Gambians through his tribalistic
>favouritism,until fighting breaks out among the people and he will use the
>occasion to
>murder those he wants to get rid of en masse with the help of rebels who
>are used
>to spilling blood and other ugly acts, and perhaps also with the help of
>his
>friends across the border in Casamance.
>He is foolish enough to have this vision and to believe that he can then go
>off and establish his Jola kingdom.
>He is not fooling anyone.
>
>Jabou Joh
>
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