BY TIJAN NIMAGA, Bronx, New York

In 1980, independent African countries watched and listened to Robert Mugabe with fascination, wonderment, joy and patriotism as he delivered his first presidential speech on the BBC. During the colonial days, Zimbabwe, formerly Southern Rhodesia was ruled by a predominantly white aristocratic government, which brought more wealth to the early white settlers than the ordinary Zimbabweans relegated as NATIVES. Like many of Africa’s independent heroes, Robert Mugabe quickly opened a new chapter in African history by becoming one of the favourite politicians of the continent at that time. His victory became a beacon of hope for the blacks in South Africa and many South Africans thought that the 1981 victory of Robert Mugabe would help end the ongoing racial segregation that was predominant in South Africa’s political scene during the apartheid era.

However, it seems that those glorious days of the Mugabe era never happened. The man who was once admired by the entire continent is now facing hatred from every human rights organisation due to his denial and lack of respect for democracy. Robert Mugabe is one of the few independent heroes whom the younger generation had hoped could bring good governance to Zimbabwe but, due to political chaos, many Zimbabweans are left waiting with bated breath. Due to his disgraceful human rights record almost all the white Zimbabweans fled the only country they knew as home to the other parts of the world for fear of their lives and the safety of their properties.

As the African continent and the entire world tries to find a solution to Zimbabwe’s political crisis, our very own president, Yahya Jammeh, with his own political egotism supports the result of the run off presidential election held last month in Zimbabwe. As ordinary Gambians I think we should look to examine every move and decision taken by Yaya Jammeh since anyone who supports Mugabe and accepts him as the winner violates the rule of law and the rights of the ordinary Zimbabwean. Yahya Jammeh is the only president in the world who accepts Robert Mugabe as the winner and he continued his speech by saying that Zimbabwe could not be colonized again and that the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai is a blue-eyed boy, meaning that he is being controlled by the West to go against the Mugabe regime.

The Quadrilogy of President Yahya Jammeh’s political egotism; -

First, president Yahya Jammeh has always jumped to conclusions without considering what is politically correct before making decisions. His recent comments about Zimbabwe’s run off presidential elections should tell every Gambian what kind of president Yahya Jammeh is. The presidential elections in Zimbabwe and the run off have claimed the lives of thousands of Zimbabweans. The first results of the election gave a clear victory to Morgan Tsvangirai but, due to vote riggings and foul play by the government of Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai was denied his constitutional rights. What we have heard from Yaya Jammeh can typically tell us that, if a similar political crisis occurred in The Gambia, just like Mugabe, President Yahya Jammeh would claim the victory for himself. Or, if a run off election is required and the opposition decides to boycott the election, he will let it go ahead giving himself 100% chance of winning. In other words, a joke of an “election.”

People who think that president Yaya Jammeh does not know what he is doing are dead wrong. He is sending his own message to the world and the Gambian people that, if the situation that occurred in Zimbabwe should happen in The Gambia, nothing more could be expected other than what Robert Mugabe did to his own people. Any right-minded person knows that, despite the results of the elections in Zimbabwe, an 80-year-old man should retire from active politics or perhaps serve only as a presidential adviser. That is what is left for Robert Mugabe and declaring himself the winner is undemocratic, to say the least.    

While president Yahya Jammeh is concerning himself with the already illegal election of Robert Mugabe as president, time is being wasted on the thousands of unsolved murder cases, theft, and court cases in The Gambia of which the president is the prime witness or has some links to. Why are ordinary innocent Gambians illegally kept behind the harrowing walls of The Gambia’s Mile II prisons in secret from international human rights organizations? Why is the Hon. Suku Singhateh, The Gambia’s Ali Baba & The Forty Thieves allowed to rob innocent farmers of their entire livelihood in a deal in which many believe Jammeh played a role? Many comments were made on the grand larceny of the Hon Suku Singateh, and President Yaya Jammeh has never taken action or commented on the grand theft of a million dalasis. Yet now he is asking the Taf Holdings CEO to pay him D30,000000 over a construction deal. Similar issues have occurred on several occasions but Jammeh, the master of all plans, knows how to deal with      them. Mr. president, Gambians are watching your every move and, when the time comes to expose you, no stone will be left unturned.

Macdouall Gaye, the erstwhile Information Minister was fired and then hired just a few months later by the president after all the corruption charges had been made against her over her illegal calling card business. Now the pro-government newspaper did not know Mrs. Gaye, whose relationship with the media before her assignment, at the Daily Observer, leaves a lot to be desired. Everyone knows why president Yahya Jammeh appoints and fires and then re-cycles. It simply proves that those who were part of the corruption and misuse of public funds will always find some position in Jammeh’s government because he knows that he must either keep those who can expose his evil deeds close to him or put them behind bars in the Mile II Prisons where the dictator thinks he is safe from such individuals. But time will tell.

Finally, Now that president Yaya Jammeh has advertised his feelings about Zimbabwe’s political crisis, he should also prepare himself for the oncoming G8 move against Robert Mugabe. The G8 leaders currently meeting in Japan have promised to establish their own sanctions on the Zimbabwean government over the June polls. The United Nations narrowly missed imposing hasher sanctions against the government of Robert Mugabe. Many world leaders believe that sanctions will only worsen the current intimidation and the illegitimate holding on to power by Mugabe, the tyrant. These leaders continue to veto a resolution that will improve the ordinary Zimbabwean, not worse.

President Yahya Jammeh should also know that the United States has already tabled a resolution calling for an arms embargo against Zimbabwe, which also includes a travel ban and the freezing of Mr. Mugabe’s assets and those of 11 top Zimbabwean officials. Those in favour of the resolution have nine votes of the fifteen needed to pass it. Finally Mr. President, since you share the same political views with Robert Mugabe whom every African admired and loved until recent years when he began intimidating his own people and killing them, get yourself ready, because the United States is just waiting for six more countries to add to the already 9 votes in hand to remove Mugabe from the power which everyone in the world knows he possesses illegally…everyone that is, except President Yahya Jammeh. That said, you still need to be forewarn that a powerful, no-nonsense Senator, Dick Durbin is now aware of your extra-judicial activities and blatant human rights and the lesson here is that  Uncivilised dictators will no longer intimidate the civilized world.