By Tijan Nimaga, Bronx, New York

Over looking the Atlantic Ocean towards Banjul, just few nautical miles from Barra Ferry terminal stands one of the most important historical monuments of The Gambia. This monument is Fort Bullen. Unlike the modern day houses made of bricks, Fort Bullen is made of huge rocks which were crafted by the early British settlers in The Gambia to repel French slavers along The River Gambia. As a school boy, I went in this old abandoned building to see what Jen Finke described as the “the riverine hulk of Fort Bullen, built by the British on Barra Point in 1826 to defend Banjul against French slavers” and also to pay tribute to the millions of our brothers and sisters that were transported from Barra to the new world. At the time of my visit, this centuries old historic monument that still stands firmly on its original foundation was barely empty. Some of the most important sites were the small underground passage, which contrary to what many thought to be the storage for the salves before their transportation, was instead a room for injured soldiers and rescued slaves from Frech slavers. Other than that, were the isolated weeds that grew there each raining season. That is what makes this building a unique one of its kind in The Gambia. The recent press report, indicating the presence of The Gambia National Army on Forth Bullen, is both confusing and pathetic. This is a sacred place for the millions of our fellow Africans who began there journeys from here and never made it back. Today though, no one knows what kind of prayers were left behind by those brothers and sisters of ours before they began their mysterious journeys, journeys which many of them could not see the final end. Painting its walls and tampering with its infrastructure is a huge blow to the entire nation and the international community who use this unique historical site.

   President Yahya Jammeh’s fear of The Gambia being destabilize by the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade should in no way make him tamper with our national historical assets. Gambians don’t care if the Senegalese government lunched an attack just on President Yahya Jammeh and remove him from power just as they did in that senseless attempted coup plot by Kukoi Samba Sanyang in 1981.Gambians as far as I am concerned don’t want President Yahya Jammeh and his regime. Why can’t he just resign before he creates a national disaster, which if it ever happens he will no doubt be the looser? As a matter of fact, if the Senegalese government is to lunch an attack on President Yahya Jammeh, it will not come from the North Bank Region. Let him just stop his deal with the Cassamance rebels that is the only solution to his problem with the Senegalese government. Each time President Yahya Jammeh did something it does not suite the ordinary Gambian citizens. Forth Bullen is both economically and historically viable to our impoverished nation’s economy. During the tourist season Forth Bullen is one of the centers of tourist attractions. Many tourists would prefer visiting Forth Bullen to Georgetown or Wassu to visit a similar building in Georgetown and the stone circles of The Gambia at Wassu. Now that this historical site has become some kind of a prepared killing field, the joy, happiness and sorrowful sense of nostalgia it brings to the tourists and the younger generation will just fall prey to Yahya Jammeh’s destruction of our national treasures. With the whitewashed walls, which are the new image of Fort Bullen, the captains that enjoy the old image of Fort Bullen as their ships drew near the outskirts of Fort Bullen will now have fear of the unusual military presence on this unique national monument. My final words to President Yahya Jammeh not to tamper with our national treasures for no matter how long you rule, there must be a day you must leave. PLEASE Mr. President Preserve Our National treasures. Tampering with their image will never keep you in power forever.