By Bamba Mass
Gambians have to choose between continued state dictatorship and state democracy. Otherwise we would all remain on the peril of an eminent doom. I have nothing to say to President Jammeh for I believe the fault lies at the very feet of us all. How can one man, with Just a few, hijack an entire nation boasting to them by saying "if you don't vote for me Gins and Devils will" or that “No development will come your way”, and yet everybody fold their arms and watch, waiting for God to intervene?
I challenge our fellow Gambians/ Cassamance APRC militants and supporters with these words: "If you want to know that your leader bluffs, come this 2011 elections, let all of you vote opposition and let us see if Jammeh would win or remain in office."
Gambians choose Ousainou Darboe to lead them against dictatorship. He was not even present at the congress when the UDP was formed. He was out of the country then. But as every true son would be expected to do, he sacrificed his personal safety and that of his family and accepted the challenge. What more bravery can anyone ask for?
It was no secret that the Jammeh administration wants to retain power at any cost, but the fact is people vote for him in elections not devils or gins as he claimed.
SOLDIERS who unlawfully took power by force of arms, intending to kill to get to the top, would never honor any promise they give as their true intentions was only to reap the nation of all the achieved dignity and respect it had as a state. They said Gambians deserve better and only Gambian sons and daughters in uniform can redeem HER. So they took power to redeem us, fooling us all with one piece of news after another. First they promised to restore democracy, then accusations after accusations crept in; then they began killing other members to pave way for them to stay. Then came the removal and replacements of Alkalolus, chiefs and commissioners, who they believed would dance to their tune and help them strengthened their grip on power and, finally, the claimed that some so-called elders wanted Chairmen Jammeh to remove military uniform and stand for election.
Today Gambians cannot even elect their own Alkalolus or chiefs any more. Now, I ask those doubters of Ousainou: have we been redeemed or enslaved?
This question is for Gambians to truly answer.
Yahya Jammeh
is on record saying that the Jawara administration stayed too long in power thus allowing rampant corruption and wide spread mismanagements of public funds, even though it was with those mismanaged funds he Jammeh was granted a scholarship at the Gambia High School by the very regime he accused.
Now, Gambians, where are we heading to? If all Gambian intellectuals and labor forces fled the country to escape Jammeh and his hench men, leaving the likes of Ousainou and other opposition leaders to face the hardship alone, who are we to criticize them? I believe that what we as Gambians in the Diaspora should do is to try to find a solution to bring all the political parties together to challenge Jammeh on a single, unified ticket, based on mutual respect and understanding, rather than character assassinations, which I believe would help only Jammeh and his group.
The UDP (United Democratic Party) came to birth to fight democratically through the mandate of the people, to restore Gambia's image and prestige in the international arena, just like other opposition parties, PDOIS, NRP, GDP, ect.
It is common knowledge that great men and women of the Gambia, most of whom are UDP militants, have suffered all sorts of tortures, death and disappearances at the hands of the junta, compared to those of other opposition parties. Despite this, the UDP continues to flourish and its leader, Ousainou Darboe, continues even more vigorous attacks on the Jammeh administration in the open. It is an open fact that his party has suffered more than any other opposition party in the history of our dear nation, yet some people would rather invariably point to the wrong direction by making personal attacks against his person, when they have fled the Gambia while he stayed to fight for us all. If that is not bravery, then I don't know what is.
I personally can vouch that Ousainou's critics do not even know him one bit. Maybe they expect that he should do more and indeed it is a fact that people expect their leaders to show bravery, even at the point of death. But what use is a dead leader? I am sure that this is why a lot of those critics over look the type of the Gambia we have all found our selves in and the dangers it entails. But if they are true to themselves, they see that Ousainou may have benefited them directly or indirectly, because there is hardly any Gambian who, either directly or indirectly, through one of your close or distant relatives, may have not been served by his profession.
I agree that criticisms are necessary; when you are chosen to lead and you accepted you are bound to expect criticisms as it helps you upgrade your weak points, and I am sure with Ousainou, having people criticizing him is a blessing to him for he is infallible as any mortal.
Gambian society need to change because some of those very critics would push the whole world to be closer to Ousainou if he were president today, just out of greed to get official appointments as most Gambians do not support a political party but their pockets. We are all witnesses to these for many former ‘Jawarites’ have turned Jammehrites overnight.
There is no dispute amongst Gambians for we are too inter mixed and we all would attest to the fact that the Gambia was far more peaceful, democratic, a heaven for even foreigners yesterday than today. How comes no one trust the other today? You cannot even talk to your brother for fear he might be an informer; why?
I would do so much injustice if I should conclude without saluting some brave comrades within the UDP, who paid so much a price and their families suffering as a result of their sacrifices to save us all;
the likes of Kebuteh Jafuneh (beaten at Denton Bridge until he was vomiting blood. He subsequently died of his injuries).
Mr. Njie from Nuimi, a UDP militant, Killed at point blank range by soldiers at Talinding High Way, when UDP was holding a rally and APRC supporters at Tombong Jatta's compound started throwing stones and causing a disruption to a lawful assembly. Soldiers were called and they came and started shooting indiscriminately, thus the young boy with a bright future was seen in a pool of blood. He too died on the spot while a lot of UDP militants suffered injuries as a result of gun shots.
Omar Barrow, also a UDP militant, was killed during the unforgetful students demonstration of the 10th & 11th April, while in the services of the Red Cross, an internationally recognized institution whose services is always needed in times of crisis. He was targeted just because of his party affiliations.
Mr. Kanyiba Kanyi, a great UDP supporter captured allegedly by the most feared NIA and never seen again. He disappeared and his family and friends feared him dead as no traces of him are known).
MAY ALLAH GRANT THESE Jambars OF UDP PARADISE IN ‘JANNAH TUL FIR DAWSI.’... Amen!
Many UDP party militants have suffered so much at the hands of the APRC and its organs of suppression. Have Gambians easily forgotten the chammoi Bridge incident? The Baba Jobe and Jara Soma attack on the UDP? … and many similar attacks on Ousainou and his party militants by the Jammeh administration?
Brave Single Nyassi was tortured and beaten all the time. Dodou Kassa Jatta, my friend, a UDP official, was arrested and tortured. Baba Drammeh had to flee the country for his life. Solo Sandeng and others were arranged before a sham court, accused of murder, when they were only defending themselves against foolish young men whom Momodou Soma Jobe and his men used to cause havoc and spread fear amongst Gambians, so that their leader can retain power for as long as he chooses.
Even Waa Juwara suffered while he was a UDP official.
Most recently, a great champion of democracy and UDP Campaign manager, Mr. Femi Peters, was unlawfully arrested, sent down one foot by the Junta's chosen employed Nigerian Judge, and sentenced through a kangaroo court to a year’s imprisonment, for organizing a rally.
Even non politicians who are brave, true sons of our land, have suffered.
Our dear uncle, brother and father, Dayda Hydara (R.I.P.), was killed cowardly for standing up against dictatorship. Ousman Koro ceesay paid with his life when he chooses to serve his country and work with the junta. Even our own brothers and sisters in uniform are not spared; a lot of them have died or disappeared. Students, too, fell to the bullet in their tens while many hundreds suffered injuries. And a lot of our brothers and sisters still languished in jail. The Government is even planning to build more prisons as Hotel Mile Two is full to the brim. People of Yundum, prepare your selves for this new Hotel.
We all knew for a fact that this administration would not stop at anything to cling to power. Ousainou's personal life and that of his family is all the time under constant threat and yet some few anti Ousainou Gambians still question his bravery? Where were those critics when all these things were happening? Why can't they go home and challenge Jammeh? If not then let's pay kudos to those brave men and women who are still there challenging Yahya Jammeh, remembering that they stayed fighting for us all, because we cannot question them when we all ran out leaving them to face the music.
AFPRC is a regime that over threw the former leader, because of corruption, they claimed. They accused the first administration of leading flamboyant lifestyles and the like, but, my God! unless I am blinded, there is more flamboyance in the Gambia today than in any African state. Not only over rich our “redeemers” are today, but they continue to plunge the nation deeper down the ocean while they remain afloat. Every Gambian is held by the throat
Gambians need to take a closer look at Ousainou Darboe. When the regime came to power, there were many Gambian intellectuals, but no one dared challenge the soldiers. So if Ousainou chose to sacrifice his safety and that of his family, I personally believe Gambians should be grateful that they have a son like him. He could have chosen to serve the Gambia by joining the men in uniform just like many other greedy Gambians did, but he chose to lead by example. It is no dispute Ousainou is a well to do lawyer who never choose personal interest above collective one. Therefore, he is truly a model leader to follow.
Therefore, Ousainou and UDP extends their hands of peace, democracy and the lost Heaven to all Gambians and foreign nationals who love the Gambia to help it unseat this regime through national and international franchise, for all Gambian citizens at home and abroad. So that THIS REGIME that cheated us all of our most peaceful, democratic and friendly nation, once called the Smiling Coast, will be history.
I also would like to salute other opposition leaders and their party militants for their bravery in this struggle. We are in the same sinking ship, so there is no time for blame game, join us to find a new and better captain who would lead us to a safer Gambia. PDOIS' Halifa, Sidia and party militants, PPP's OJ and party militants, NRP's Hamat and party militants, GDP's Gomez and party militants, Lawyer Mai Fatty and party militants and the entire media fraternity abroad. You are the voice of the broken children of the Gambia. Thank you.
The author is a UDP militant based in the UK.
Comments:
PA-PIERRE
If Jammeh is so brave a man,then let him walk down the streets of Gambia unescorted.Since he is claiming to possess all sorts of esoteric powers and spiritual knowledge why has he got so much bullet-proof kevlar under his robes? You wonder why he always got a handkerchief in his hands to wipe his fat oily face? Because his skin is over-heating under all those layers of kevlar and jujus!
His convoy reminds one of a convoy of Somali warlords;they got enough weapons to equip a small army! When he travels to the provinces his convoy usually icludes a a Vietnam-era truck-mounted anti aircraft battery!
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-1 #9 2010-08-24 16:07
Mr. Mass,
Did you really really say (write)this: "I challenge our fellow Gambians/ Cassamance APRC militants and supporters with these words: "If you want to know that your leader bluffs, come this 2011 elections, let all of you vote opposition and let us see if Jammeh would win or remain in office."
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+3 #7 2010-08-23 15:07
The fact that the humble writer did not offer any example to highlight Darboe's bravery is self verdict that the writer was merely pandering n grandstanding. He knows more than anyone that there is no credibility to what he is saying, but he decided to say it anyway.
We have to check journalists 4 check-book journalism. Because journalists like politicians can be manipulated by fanciful gifts doled out to them by competing parties.
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+5 #6 2010-08-22 07:01
You still have not proved in your long essay, where Darboe showed bravery for once. Femi Peters is still in jail and I have not heard of any political rally yet, is he till waiting for a permit? My bad, they had a congress recently.
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+2 #5 2010-08-19 13:44
Is Darboe a Gambian? This is what we need to figure out first b 4 we talk about his bravery...
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