Overthrowing Jammeh: The Inherent Weakness of a Dictatorship

 

By Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor

 

As a country, much of what shapes the politics we observe is not based on reality, but on the flawed way our brains process what we see around us. We draw conclusions that rely on limited information, which often result  to a myopic representation of the reality. In my experience living in and learning about various totalitarian regimes, the one constant is their inherent administrative weaknesses and fragility. Because dictatorial regimes use fear as an instrument of gaining control and compliance, they are able to create a false sense of stability, strength and invincibility. The truth, however, is far different from the perception. The more the terror that a regime like Yahya Jammeh’s unleashes on its people, the more it will be consumed by a morbid fear of its population. Dictatorships, therefore, are able to survive only because they learn to develop and manage the “cloud of suspicion and mistrust” that they plant among the population. Different regimes use a variety of methods to achieve their objectives, but the end result is always the same: the establishment of a police and military state as instruments of repression.

The remaking of The Gambia into a police and military state, has been a long time-a-coming, but with all intents and purposes, it has arrived now. Having committed so much atrocity over the years, this was perhaps a foregone conclusion, because the alternative would be a violent and brutal uprising that would put the lives of Jammeh and his

collaborators in mortal danger. Today, because Jammeh cannot undo the past, nor can he placate the present, the only other course of action available to his regime is to continue his brutal oppression. The big secret weapon the Jammeh regime has on its side now is no longer a secret. By leveraging the unconstitutional powers granted to the National Intelligence Agency and military to “plant fear and suspicion” among the population, the regime has managed to forestall any criticism directed at it. Additionally, efforts by civil society organizations to present a united opposition front against the regime is preempted by the looming presence of brutality from the regime’s agents of repression.

But, so much has changed in the last ten years that it is difficult to imagine how we got where we are in the first place. The fear of the Jammeh regime is so pervasive, that

families, neighbors and friends have been ripped apart as a result of the cloud of mutual suspicion that pervades all levels of our society. Political dissent can and does result to

capital punishment, and criticism of and complaints about regime's failures could result to harsh punishment. It is these draconian measures that enable the regime to survive, but such a scenario does also present answers to a different reality of the dictatorship. Rather than represent the true face of strength, stability and invincibility, the regime’s oppressive methods do more to expose its weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The regime’s show of  strength and stability, expressed in the brutal and intolerant attitude towards the citizens, is actually a façade that masks its fear and child-like vulnerability.

As we have seen, one of the misconceptions surrounding the Jammeh dictatorship is the perception and aura of invincibility and formidability. While the vast majority of the

Gambian population share a poisonous hatred of the Jammeh regime, we remain so suspicious of each other that we are unwilling to confess our frustration and hatred of the

regime to each other. In the constant grip of this fear, we as a society have remained mute and unwilling victim’s of the regime’s abuses and excesses. If only we could read each

other’s minds, it could be possible to start a spontaneous revolt that would have the ferocity and brutality unlike anything Jammeh could ever imagine. Today, even selective

targeting of the regime’s interests could shake it to its foundation, since it will project a regime in loss of control.

At this juncture, it is imperative for every Gambian to understand that what the regime projects as a sign of strength, is the psychological equivalent of staying calm even

when one’s body is convulsing with paralyzing fear. Once we as a nation come to this realization, we will begin to understand that only a handful military and security officers are willing to fight to keep Jammeh in power. It is not a question of tribe, because Yahya Jammeh has hurt the Jolas as much as he has hurt the rest of us. As far as many of the Cassamance and Bissau Jolas who are the bulk of Jammeh’s support are concerned, the road to Selete may prove to be a very long and hard one to travel in the event of a change of regime.

For now, we as a country must realize that no one is coming to save us, and as the saying goes, it is we that we have been waiting for all these years. The time to begin organizing resistance is now. Such resistance must begin with a show of defiance that will include tearing down or defacing Jammeh posters around town with feaces or vomit. Once we start a campaign of defiance, it will be easy to observe how the regime will be crumbling like a sand castle,

because despite Jammeh’s frequent show of bravado, his smiles really betray the reality of a man who is scared to death. His regime is unsure whether each day would be its last, yet it can sense the writings on the wall portend what for the regime is a doomsday scenario. We must save our country from further disaster, because we are the real saviors we have been waiting for. Let us stand up to this challenge. We are tired of the dying, the arrests, the

detentions, the torture, the brutality, the dysfunctional government and the enslavement of our people. The time to begin resistance is long overdue. Jammeh’s regime is standing on one foot and overthrowing it is much easier than it appears. Let us get organizing for the final push to liberty.