Direct Confrontation is the only way out of this mess

By Pasamba Jow

The conviction and sentencing of the innocent GPU Six by a corrupt mercenary judge, acting on the orders of an arrogantly vindictive tyrant, Yahya A. J. J Jammeh, is neither shocking nor surprising to those who have followed the actions of this notorious government. In fact, it is not by any stretch the most atrocious crime committed by Jammeh against the Gambian people since usurping power in 1994. Unless we are suffering from amnesia, this unjust conviction does not equal the numerous political murders committed by Jammeh. If anything, it confirms the extent to which the Gambian cowardly tyrant is willing to go to cling onto power.

There is a lot of justifiable anger and frustration on how we the Gambian people have stood nonchalantly by while our nation is being highjacked, our rights abrogated, our limited resources pillaged, and our very ideals bastardized by an innate liar and fraud in Yahya Jammeh.

We are yet again confronted with same question: what are we going to do about it? Are we just going to moan and cry about how bad Jammeh is, or are we going to write, intellectualize, and hope that some international community will come to our aid? Are we yet again setting ourselves up to go the same old route of legitimizing this barbaric regime by participating in elections we know are never going to be free and fair, expecting to go to the courts for redress, the same courts that have sent the GPU Six to Mile 2? Courts that are under the whims and control of the dictator? Alternatively, we can explore and take a more practical and proactive role in challenging and exposing this regime through civil disobedience. The reality is that Jammeh will not go quietly, and no matter how long we postpone the inevitable, confrontation is the only one way we can take back our country and begin the arduous task of rebuilding.

The politicians on the ground must realize that Yahya Jammeh’s presidency and government are illegitimate and must be seen and dealt with as such. He came to power illegally and has been running that country for the past 15 years illegally. Jammeh ceased to be the legitimate president of the Gambia the moment he violated the oath he took to defend and protect the constitution of the Gambia. Jammeh is a criminal who belongs in Jail not the GPU Six. He cannot be treated as a legitimate leader by any serious entity looking to bring about change. It will be futile to take the approach that this is a situation to be treated with respect and legality, hoping to contest an election that will be stolen and can never be free and fair. To go that route is tantamount to enabling the tyrant’s hand. Jammeh’s crimes for the past fifteen years have made it impossible to accord him any respect, and he has none for anybody but his quest for power. Yahya Jammeh embodies the worst among us, and any attempt to play along and expect the international community to come to our aid will only be a pipe dream.

The only viable way of dealing with such a notorious regime is through direct confrontation and total civil disobedience. We must bear in mind Dr. King’s counsel that “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

To all of us living in the Diaspora, the armchair revolutionary tactic we have utilized in the past in dealing with Jammeh must cease. We must become the architects of change in the Gambia by becoming active agitators. It is not enough to analyze every action and/or perceived inaction by the politicians on the ground, and characterize it as their problem and responsibility to fix. The opposition must be seen as partners in the struggle, not as sole owners of it. We will all have to win together or lose together. We have as much responsibility in ending Jammeh’s tyrannical rule as they do. We must not play secondary fiddle to anyone and still expect to choreograph the show. In addition, there is a limit to what the international community is going to do. Their help will come in handy if we take the lead. We will never bring change if we continue to stay in the comfort of our own homes, or try to manage the risk we are willing to take. Again, Jammeh is a criminal and we have to go after him like a criminal.

The overwhelming majority of us claim to fear no one but GOD. But that comes with the responsibility to stand up for what is right regardless of the consequences, or abdicate that responsibility and be judge harshly by history. Jammeh’s rule is grossly unjust and must be confronted by any means necessary. The time is ripe for people power to retake our country from this criminal gang. This is not just the responsibility of the politicians, Imams, Bar Association, GPU and other civic organizations. It is the responsibility of all Gambians who believe in justice and freedom.

We must not rest as long as Sarata Jabbi’s son continues to live in an orphanage; we must not rest as long as the families of the massacred students, Deyda Hydara, Koro Ceesay, the murdered soldiers, Chief Manneh, Kanyiba Kanyi, and all those murdered by Jammeh and the innocent people languishing in jail get the justice they deserve. We must not rest until Jammeh and his partners in crime are brought to justice. Then and only then can we join the community of people who, when confronted with tyranny, stood up for justice in spite of peril


"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.