By Ebrima G. Sankareh

Unimpeachable sources from Kanilai reveal a welcome development, the confrontation of President Yahya Jammeh by a senior no-nonsense police officer at the dictator’s slave farms at his native Kanilai. According to eyewitnesses, the tussle between President Yahya Jammeh and the senior police officer (name not disclosed) at Kanilai was unprecedented among the ranks and file of the security forces in The Gambia where people have been systematically cowed to believe that Yahya Jammeh has supernatural powers to presumably, fly if he wishes.

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By Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor  

A little more than two thousand years ago, as Jesus Christ was being nailed to a Cross and dying, he turned His eyes up towards the Heavens and said: My Lord, my God, why have thou forsaken me? That of course was a rhetorical question, but there is nothing rhetorical about the question of why God seems to have forgotten our dear homeland. Every new day seems to birth one bad news after another, and any hope that things will get better soon, is nowhere in sight, and not by a long shot, it seems.

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The Verdict

By Adama Hawa 

What is presently happening in The Gambia is not only enough to make all genuine Gambians embarrassed, it also seems reminiscent of what used to happen in this country back during the dark ages when the colonialists used to employ forced labour to construct roads and bridges. Then the colonialists used to ask the chiefs to mobilize all able-bodied young men to do some community work.

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            By Tijan Nimaga, New York                 

On July 18 2007 the BBC Focus on Africa’s Umaru Fofana interviewed former Gambian President Alhagi Sir Dawda Jawara on his relationship and feelings of the regime that ousted his government. During the interview, Sir Dawda agreed that the July 22 1994 coup was something common in Africa since the 1960s.He described similar incidents that occurred in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia as well. 

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By Ebrima G. Sankareh Editor-in-Chief 

When Gambian business tycoon Amadou Samba jetted to England five years ago and sealed an amnesty deal for deposed Gambian President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara to return home, numerous exiled politicians, family members and supporters of the ex-President were outraged and continued to raise eyebrows over the amnesty deal with errant Head of State Jammeh who had seized power in July, 1994, banned the Republican Constitution, named a four-man junta and decreed Martial Law promising to fix corruption.

Sir D. K. Jawara's family Estate for the grabs  

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By A Special Correspondent 

Following the sudden withdrawal from service of 'WILLIS' the replacement boat of the 'Joola' and in his frantic efforts to return to normalcy, the Senegalese Transport Minister Farba Senghor called up an emergency meeting on Friday 24th August, of transport owners, Union leaders and other affected parties to address the pressing issue of providing a transport link between Dakar and Ziquinchor.   In attendance was also His Excellency, High Commissioner of The Gambia to Senegal Gibril Joof.

Transport Minister, Farba Senghor 
 

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   A Message To Gambian On Line Newspapers

  By Omar Saidy-Khan, Louisville Kentucky

Once again I want to urge fellow Gambians to keep their eyes on the ball. Petty feuds and phantom personalities have joined the fray on behalf of enemies of the Gambian people. They are aspiring pseudo intellectuals who try to impress you with their intellectual prowess. They quote the common Western luminaries like Burke and Carlyle in order to buttress their false claims; at the same time that they make these claims even though they are claiming to be no expert .We must watch their subterfuge as they parade for honesty, decency, and fairness they have no desire to be fair at all.

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By Ebrima Ismaila Chongan 

Among the numerous victims in the wake of the July 22, 994 coup in the West African state of The Gambia was Major Ebrima Chongan who spent a long time in detention at the country's Mile II Prisions (Africa's Hell On Earth). Numerous stories have been written about the Major's gruelling encounter with Captain Singhateh but none rivals the recentyly written hot cake by Lt. Col. Sarr. Major Chongan who now lives in the United Kingdom has just finished reading the text and here are his reactions captioned: "MY THOUGHTS ON SAM SARR’S BOOK"  

1. It is my view that this is the first exposé by one of the principal actors in the initial stages of Yaya Jammeh’s regime. The work clearly reinforces the author’s intellectual, moral and ethical qualities. Naturally, we will not agree on everything because opinions can indeed be subjective.

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Mr. Editor: 

On the 21^st March 2006, the quasi-military government of the West African state of The Gambia announced that it has foiled a coup to topple the regime of President Yahya Jammeh. Several senior military officers and some prominent civilians including a sitting member of Parliament from the ruling APRC, Hon. Demba Dem were subsequently arrested and, with the exception of Ms. Mariam Denton, a prominent lawyer-cum-politician and the disgraced Ex-Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Sheriff Mustapha Dibba among a few, charged with offences ranging from treason to concealment of treason. Under the 1997 Gambian Constitution, the offence of treason is punishable by death.

Justice? Akeyome Agim, money comes first

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By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor-in-Chief 

The Imam Ratib of The West African state of The Gambia, Imam Cherno Kah has called on Gambians in the Diaspora to respect and honour every facet of their marriage life as instructed by the Holy Quran and the Prophet Mohammed. “Marriage is the most important Covenant among humans, it is the most basic yet, most cardinal contract among us and its significance lies in its result; the procreation of off springs whose molding and nurturing is our ultimate responsibility” he told a large crowd of Senegambian Muslims Saturday night in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Dear Editor: 

I have returned from the provinces some time ago. Am happy that the Echo is running without interruption. May it continue like this! Mr. Sankareh I am sure you are aware of the sale of 50% of the shares of both GAMTEL and GAMCEL to an unknown Lebanese Company or Individual(s). Yahya Jammeh did this as a result of the sustained pressure mounted on him by World Bank and IMF.

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Lt. Col. Samsudeen Sarr’s Book Now Available In Raleigh

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By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong 

Despite the apparent incursion of Judeo-Christian tradition into Ghanaians’ spiritual life since they came into contact with Europeans some 500 years ago, broadly, some aspects of traditional Ghanaian cultural cosmology see God as battling major evil, personified in fearlessly diabolical figures. The diabolical figures can come in all sorts of imaginations, images and physical attributes. Broadly, most of these major evil figures are interpreted as either witches or wizards.

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 By Foday Njie, Kansas City 

It is difficult if not totally misleading for one to conclude that a vision for unified government for Africa is just idealistic and not pragmatic in this natural world. This topic has been lingering in the minds of many Africans and their development partners ever since the beginning of the post independence struggle across the continent. Many concerted efforts are continuously geared towards the realization of this vision, but the reality presents major obstacles towards genuine progress for achieving this aspiration. These predicaments cannot be ignored and must be used as a weapon of strength and motivation for Africa’s effort to seeing the feature of the continent, a unified government for her people.

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When The Gambia Echo began a year ago, we published numerous stories that so many people missed precisely because the paper was new and not yet found by our readers.With the thousands who navigate our side on a daily basis today, President Jammeh inclusive, we think it is apt to revisit some of our most revealing scoops about the cruelty of the Jammeh government moreso, Edward Singhateh. The man who stops by The Gambia high school to offer rides to poor school children, has klilled more people than Bombarde and Musa Jammeh combined. Singhateh's only impunity is that he is the Co-President (a.k.a. Mabally-untouchable) because everyone knows that Yahya Jammeh worships the ground where Singhateh urinates. 

Gambia's Two Presidents, Singhateh & Jammeh, face victim Fafa Nyang's ghost

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Less than 24 hours after we ran a clarification from a Gambian baed in the UK regarding our Tijan Nimaga's criticism of the Senegambia Community- UK for awarding President Jammeh a good governance award, information is trickling in about the dubious character behind the award. The first letter comes from our own Kissy Kissy Mansa (a.k.a KKM) at State House. Read on.

Editor:
 
I have not been following the news as closely as I should lately and thus did not get to the Wagga Jagne character until now.  Waka is a cousin to our US Ambassador Bammy Jagne.  He has been a resident of the UK for close to two decades or more.  If my memory serves me right, he was busted for dealing in cocaine.  He was arrested, charged with traficing and subsequently bailed. 

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 By Mathew K Jallow, Associate Editor 

Senegambia News.

The continued detention of 75 Gambian deportees from Spain is one of the most egregious pieces of news for the week. Gambians everywhere want to know why deportees should be held in detention after the ordeal they already went through in their deportation process. This is yet another manifestation of Yahya Jammeh’s abuse of power, and his total disregard for our laws? The fact that deportees who have committed no crime should be held in detention makes no sense whatsoever.

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Dear Editor: 

I read Tijan Nimaga's opinion with interest. Whilst I totally agree with the thrust of his argument, I beg to differ. The Senegambian community in the UK did not give Yahya Jammeh any award. What was the basis and which organization?This was a Waka Jagne one man run show NOT in our name the Senegambian community in the UK. Many people who attended the musical event were very disappointed, even the Senegalese comedian Saaneign was shocked that nobody clapped when the award was mentioned.

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By Lt. Col.Samsudeen Sarr 

On it’s Monday 6^th. August issue, The Point Newspaper carried a lead on the visit to The Gambia of Prince Yormie Johnson; Rebel Warlord turned Senior Senator of Nimba County, Liberia. Johnson who was on a business tour to lure potential investors into Liberia, flatly lied to The Point Newspaper when he told the paper’s Momodou Justice Darboe at Johnson’s hotel room at the Kairaba Beach Hotel that: “I could recall meeting the Gambian leader in Liberia when he led a contingent of soldiers and officers from Gambia to help keep and build the peace in Liberia in the early 90’s.

Senator Johnson        Lt. Col. Samsudeen Sarr

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By Ebrima G. Sankareh 

The sudden and tragic death has been announced of Sergeant Omar Ndure, 39, in Oslo Norway on Monday July 6^th. 2007. Ndure, the son of Ya Neneh Sarr and the late Alhaji Sainey Ndure of Barra, North Bank Division was until his retirement from The Gambia National Amy, a presidential guard at State House dating back to the pre-coup years. Once the bodyguard to then TSG Commander Press Jagne, Omar Ndure was moved to State House shortly before the July 1994 coup and continued to serve his country with discipline and an unwavering sense of patriotism. He immigrated to Norway in 2004 after retirement benefits from the army could not afford him the opportunities that life may offer.

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By Tijan Nimaga, Bronx New York  

When dictatorship and intimidation collide, some pundits or opportunists driven by cowardice or a desire to be co-opted into the corrupt machinery of the status quo will credit anyone whom they believe wields power and authority over them. This situation more than anything else, encapsulates the senseless so-called development and better governance praises being attributed to Gambian dictator Yaya Jammeh. The Senegambia Community based in the United Kingdom is a party to such cheap propaganda only to please the dictator. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a disingenuous fortune seeker who claims that none of us (cyber journalists) is competent to

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Due to some on-going technical adjustments with our computers, readers of The Gambia Echo may experience difficulties navigating the site beginning today, Friday.This adjustments are expected to be seamless and may run for up to 72 hours according to our computer  technicians. We apologise to all of our readers for the inconvenience and appeal that you be patient with us as we fix these things.

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Kofi Akosah-Sarpong discusses Ghana’s Health Minister, Mr. Courage Quashigah’s statement that Ghana’s progress should be driven by its culture

Ghana ’s Health Minister, Mr. Courage Quashigah, part of the emerging Ghanaian thinkers, who are convinced, beyond all reasonable doubt, like all progressive thinkers world-wide, that Ghanaian/African norms, values and traditions should be hugely factored in Ghana ’s development process. Not just factoring in the culture in the development process just for factoring in sake but rather that while appropriating the good aspects for policy-making, bureaucratizing and consultancies, at the same time the inhibiting parts, too, should be refined.

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Lt. Basiru Barrow seen extreme left with Gambian flag and white stripe was also murdered by Captain Edward Singhateh on November 11, 1994. In the photo, Singhateh stands extreme right with red flag.

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By Captain Ebou Jallow 

Until his high-profile defection in late 1995, Captain Ebou Jallow was a Council member of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council, the junta that ousted the PPP regime, suspended political activity and the Republican Constitution. At the time of the coup on July 22, 1994, Captain Jallow was a student in the US Marine Corps about to graduate. He graduated and returned only to be co-opted into the Council and after a brief honeymoon as its spokesperson, Jallow defected and told the world what many Gambians had suspected, that Captain Edward Singhateh murdered Finance Minister Ousman Koro Ceesay. Captain Jallow was a good friend of Korro and is currently an officer in the US army poised for deployment to Iraq. He has sent us this piece in Korro’s memory and for the records. Read on.  

Edward Singhateh, a callous killer on the loose.

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By  Kofi Akosah-Sarpong 

As Ghana ’s 2008 general elections closes in, the type of leadership Ghana needs has become a recurring subject, sometimes even unsettling, despite figures like Prof. John Atta, Nana Akuffo Addo, Mr. Aliu Mahama and Edward Mahama hovering on the scene. The broader views are that Ghana needs a visionary leader to replace the incumbent John Kufour in 2008. The Ghanaian media are, as ever, obsessed with the leadership issue, too, as if the democrartic dispensation, with its political parties and insitutions, does not have a process of selecting leaders to contest for offices and run the development process. Some talks even border on autocracy and a blind search for visionary leaders as you just go and pick visionary leaders from anywhere despite the running democratic institutions. Good or bad, the democratic process selects its own leadership in an on-going process.

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By Mathew K. Jallow          

       The Gambia Journal

Clearly, the most important news of the past week dealt with the sale of Gamtel and Gamcel to a Lebanese interest. The Gambia Journal’s report on this illegal and criminal transaction between Jammeh and the Lebanese party, is from the business point of view, one of the worst business adventures Jammeh has undertaken supposedly on behalf of The Gambian people. While there is support for privatization of government interests, the way this transaction was done, does not reflect the interest of the Gambian people who own both Gamtel and Gamcel.

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By Bubacarr Sankanu, afromediafilmtv.net 

Mr. Editor:  

I cannot help but take a break and congratulate your Verdict Columnist Adama Hawa. Her piece titled “Gambia Armed Forces Not Fit for Peacekeeping Operations”(The Gambia Echo, Monday, July 30, 2007) is ground breaking. Unlike some people who indulge in second hand reports, rumours and insults, Adama Hawa has, in exhaustive details, catalogued the atrocities committed by our security forces in a clearly-worded manner that will convince any serious decision maker.

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By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor-in-Chief 

Unimpeachable military sources reveal that Captain Pierre Mendy’s treason charges and subsequent conviction with numerous other soldiers had nothing whatsoever to do with the alleged military coup of April 2006. A senior military officer, who begged anonymity, revealed to The Gambia Echo during an hour’s long privileged phone conversation, that Captain Mendy’s trouble with the regime started two years before the alleged coup

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