wow, that's some pretty strong language and threats. does the aprc really think that this will help their plight in the international community or in gambia. jabou joh n a message dated 10/15/01 10:19:54 AM Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: > President Warns Armed Opposition Elements > > > > The Independent > > October 15, 2001 > Posted to the web October 15, 2001 > > Lamin Dibba > Banjul, the Gambia > > President Jammeh has made a thinly veiled threat to members of the > opposition who wield dangerous weapons during and after the election, saying > they will be shot on sight. > > In the first public speech since his return from a trail blazing campaign > tour of the countryside, President Jammeh told Brikamarians Friday that his > administration would apply zero-tolerance to elements of the opposition who > take to the streets armed with cutlasses and other weapons capable of > disrupting the pre and post election period. > > "You will be shot to death" he said apparently referring to supporters of > his main challenger Ousainou Darboe who have been blamed by the APRC for > sporadic skirmishes that resulted in injuries and material damage. > > The president said he was aware that opposition elements have bought > cutlasses in readiness to disrupt the election. But he warned that > heavy-handedness would be applied to deal with anybody seen holding a > cutlass and other weapons. > > In an angry tone the president also came down hard on the perpetrators of > the election dog ritual in Brikama three weeks ago, saying that if > discovered they would "suffer from a very bitter lesson than they have ever > experienced in their lives". > > President Jammeh berated Brikamarians for allowing the sacrifice of a dog in > their town to influence the outcome of the October 18 polls, which he was > sure of winning. "Where on earth have you heard of a dog sacrifice the > marabout who advised you to kill a dog for the election has fooled you" he > pointed out, underlining his disappointment with the people of Bojang Kunda > for what he called their hypocrisy and double standard. A dead dog was found > wrapped in a white satin sheet along a busy street straddling the Fire > station, apparently killed as sacrifice for the election. It drew an angry > protest from thirty starkly naked women who cursed and swore against the > perpetrators of the ritual killing. The nature of the protest also caused > shock and disbelief among not only Brikamarians but Gambians in the Greater > Banjul Area. > > President Jammeh bluntly dismissed the Bojang kunda kabilo of Brikama as > averse to progress by undermining themselves and identifying with the > opposition. "You the indigenous people of Brikama cannot fool me. You do not > want progress. You said I rescued you from buying water, but you will buy > it" he posited, straining in anger. > > President Jammeh also pointed out that the coalition was launched in Brikama > "and you were clapping for them I know you all". > > He outlined that the free education enjoyed by the daughters of some Western > Division residents excludes daughters of members of the opposition and > criticized what he referred to as the double standard of the beneficiaries > and warned them to be mindful of the imminent consequences. > > In his contribution, Yankuba Touray the APRC campaign mobiliser took a > brutal swipe at the ruling party's main challenger Ousainou Darboe, saying > he was the fool of the millennium "because his father Numukunda Darboe was > jailed to death by the PPP regime". > > Mr. Touray argued that if Darboe was not a fool why did he associate himself > with those responsible for unlawfully jailing his father to death. > > Mr. Touray was also unsparing on Dembo Jatta a PPP politician from Kombo > Central who he said had disguised as a woman to escape the clutches of the > 1994 coupists. "Even if he plaits his hair and put on ear rings with the > latest ladies fashion he will be arrested and jailed" Touray remarked. > > Sifia Hydara an APRC lady councilor disclosed that the women of Brikama have > vowed to stake their lives for Jammeh's victory in the election. She said a > flood of people have joined them in their "crusade to flush" the opposition > out of Brikama forever. "Anybody who for reasons known to them do not want > to see President Jammeh and his government should die and get to hell" she > said. > > > <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>