Correction: The first sentence should have read " I could not disagree more..." Chi Jaama Joe Sambou >From: Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: The Senegambian Football Crisis and its Implications (Forward) >Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 21:47:10 +0000 > >Pierre, I could not agree with you more on the root cause of this crisis. >Economics and politics are the root cause. This crisis just happened to >sprout during a football game, but it could have been sparked by something >as understandable as a traffic accident. Folks on both sides have to be >responsible in their language and tone in the days ahead, for the situation >is very volatile. However, arrogance and vengence will not cut it. Both >economies are a mess and both stand to loose big time and it serves both to >address the underlying (real cause) reasons for this unwarranted outburst. > >Chi Jaama > >Joe Sambou > > >>From: omar joof <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: The Senegambian Football Crisis and its Implications >>(Forward) >>Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:18:25 +0000 >> >>Folks, >>I must confess that I agree with most of what my brother and friend Pierre >>Gomez has indicated in his write-up. Infact the two of us discussed these >>issues a couple of weeks ago as a result of some recent ugly developments >>in >>the ties between The Gambia and Senegal. However, I most respecfully beg >>to >>defer with my brother Pierre, in his assertion that politics and economics >>have nothing to do with the recent debacle between citizens of the two >>countries. Perhaps this is a genuine Gambian perspective, but does it not >>have characteristics reminiscent of Canadian attitudes towards Americans? >>Or >>even Irish attitudes towards the English? >>Throughout the fourty year rule of the socialist party in Senegal, >>development had been centred around the state. Some deliberate projections >>were made in establishing agro-based industries.These industries needed >>some >>breathing space to perhaps catch up in growth and eventually compete >>effectively on the international scene.The Gambia during this period was >>liberalising its economy and developing re-export trade. This posed >>challenges to the Senegalese which they were at great pains to live with. >>And it must be noted that even though the socialist are out of power, >>organised labour is still so powerful in Senegal that the Democratic Party >>is bound to move about carefully in its policy of liberalisation. This >>leads >>me to the specific issue of why its no problem to take goods into The >>Gambia >>from Senegal, but one faces a big problem in the reverse. Goods available >>in >>The Gambia can effectively compete with goods from Senegal because in the >>vast majority of cases, the former are of better quality. On the other >>hand >>if the Senegalese allow a free flow of goods available in The Gambia >>across >>their boarders, their products would loss market. This would have adverse >>effects on employment and you can imagine what the powerful unions will >>resort to. >>The most difficult political issue in Senegal for many years has been the >>Southern Senegal rebellion( or struggle for independence according to the >>MFDC). It is obvious that the way the Gambia finely splits Senegal into >>two >>geographically, makes the concept of " A Republic of Cassamance" an >>attractive option. Honestly speaking, there are many Gambians( like my >>brother Pierre), who would give a sigh of relief, perhaps without >>realising >>it, if Senegal should break into two countries. I am very positive that >>many >>senegalese and the majority in their government are distrustful of the >>Jammeh regime's mediation role in the Cassamance crisis. One particular >>episode was deliberately belaboured in the Senegalese media, which could >>only have accentuated their government's distrust of President Jammeh and >>his government. This was during the last meeting of the MFDC in Banjul, >>when >>at one point the two factions which had emerged in the movement could not >>come to terms. The Senegalese media emphasized that President Jammeh(a >>Jola), Secretary of State Ousman Badjie(a Jola), GNA Chief of Staff >>Babucar >>Jatta(a Jola), National Guards Commander Momodou Badjie (a Jola), got >>together with the leadership of the MFDC (all Jola), spoke in Jola and >>resolved the differences. >>It is obvious that both governments have their syndicates of thugs through >>political party affiliations.What we saw at the Leopold Sedar Senghore >>Stadium and environs in Dakar on Saturday June 7th and in Serrekunda and >>other places on Sunday June 8th 2003, bear the trademarks of such thugs. >>For a way forward it is sad to note that presently , there are no >>bilateral >>instutions in place to promote mutual co-existence and eventual >>integration >>between the two countries. The two embassies are irrelevant because our >>realities demand something better than just that. The removal of the >>Senegalo-gambia permanent Secretariat and the death of her successor >>Senegambia confederation through the crucibles of political opportunism >>and >>parochial nationalism, have left our peoples without meanful institutions >>to >>take care of their common interests.Our current realities demand the >>immediate creation of such institutions. >>I am as good a patriot as my brother Pierre Gomez,but it is very important >>that we try to deal with the entire background which led to the >>unfortunate >>incidence of June 7th and 8th. A broader perspective will always be a >>better >>one for us, particularly in terms of arriving at just and viable >>conclusions. >>Omar Joof. >> >> >>>From: Momodou Buharry Gassama <[log in to unmask]> >>>Reply-To: Momodou Buharry Gassama <[log in to unmask]> >>>To: [log in to unmask] >>>Subject: Re: The Senegambian Football Crisis and its Implications >>>(Forward) >>>Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2003 21:58:32 +0200 >>> >>>Hi! >>> I received this message from a Pierre Gomez who asked me to forward >>>it to the L. >>> >>>''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' >>> >>>I agree with you my brother. But take it from me that the problems >>>between the two sister countries, is the sole making of Senegal. >>>Senegal has over the years looked low on Gambians and have in many >>>instances regarded us second class citizens in our country because we >>>want to speak their own dialect, dance or listen to their music, etc., >>>etc. During the years following their occupation of the Gambia, >>>brutality and immorality was the order of the day. They raided police >>>stations and tortured policemen on duty; they took married women to >>>mosques to have sex with them in religious places. Gambian travelers >>>in transit through Senegal have over the years witnessed endless cases >>>of pilferage and extortion. Equally, those who travel by land were not >>>spared. You cannot travel with even a packet of cigarette from the >>>Gambia to Senegal because they will seize it. But buying the commodity >>>from Senegal and bringing it to the Gambia is not a crime. You have >>>also read about cases ! of Senegalese security crossing into the >>>Gambia to arrest or physically assault anybody with impunity. >>> >>>The aggregate sum of these provocations have reach their climax. >>>Consequently, the ordinary Gambian was left with no option but to come >>>out in this magnificant way to reply violence for violence. To be >>>honest with you, my anger against these provocative neighbors got to a >>>head during the 1992 African Cup of Nations. During that time, there >>>was widespread violence in urban centers because Gambians were >>>supporting Cameroon when they knock Senegal out in the second round. >>>In the finals of that year, Gambians supported Ghana, but Senegal >>>supported French speaking Ivory Coast. >>> >>>My brother, belief me, the reason for the rise of tempers has nothing >>>to do with economics or politics, but the fact that Gambians ran out >>>of patience. We played Senegal earlier and they were protected >>>gallantly by our security forces. Why were the Senegalese forces >>>beating up Gambians instead of separating the two sides. The simple >>>reason was Gambia made a gallant comeback into the game with a crucial >>>goal, which reduced the tally to 2-1. This was greeted with an uproar >>>of support by Gambian fans. It was from this point according to Seyfo >>>Soli, that the Senegalese hooligans and security forces began beating >>>up Gambian fans to silence them. >>> >>>My brother, Senegalese fans are notorious for this type of behaviour. >>>Anytime they are scored a goal, they will resort to tensions. Let me >>>give you an example: During the semi-final match of CAN 2000, >>>Senegalese players matched out of the field when Nigerian goal poacher >>>Julius Agaohuwae (excuse me for spelling) scored and equaliser at the >>>75th minute. At exactly the same time in Dakar, the hooligans went on >>>the rampage ransacking Nigerian businesses. In short, as far as >>>Senegal is concern, no one must score them when they are leading or >>>else trouble. >>> >>>Take it from me, this is not an economic or political matter, Gambians >>>are merely fed up and are simply out to give the Lions the food they >>>like most "Violence". >>> >>>Pierre Gomez, A concerned Gambian >>> >>>PLEASE POST IT IN GAMBIA-L >>> >>>Have a nice Day Brother Barry. >>> >>> >>> >>>----------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>--------- >>>Do you Yahoo!? >>>Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). >>> >>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>>To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >>>http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >>>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >>>[log in to unmask] >>> >>>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >>>Web interface >>>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >>> >>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online >>http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 >> >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >>http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >>[log in to unmask] >> >>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >>Web interface >>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >> >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >_________________________________________________________________ >STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* >http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~