Yahya Jammeh Against The Whole World.

By Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor

A Lonely genocidal murderer 

In thirty years of Jawara’s rule, his government (s) had never created any brouhaha by which the international community could view our country in a contemptuous fashion. But, that was a different person and those were different times. Nowadays, The Gambia has gained notoriety as the region’s political pariah, and under the brutal dictatorship of the high school educated Yahya Jammeh, this is not about to change now or anytime soon. To begin with, Jammeh has his own interpretation of settled political theories and philosophies, thus setting him apart from the rest of us, but Jammeh is hardly the person with the moral qualification to challenge the behavior of any western government, especially when his own regime is engaged in murders, tortures and illegal arrests and detentions. The past couple of months saw The Gambia increasingly featured in the international media for all the wrong reasons, which have to do not with what the regime of Yahya Jammeh has not done, rather, with all the odious things it has done over the past several years.

      Senegambian Matters

The recently concluded interministerial meeting between Senegal and The Gambia has failed to achieve Jammeh’s designed objectives. The ministerial working groups had an expansive menu of areas to discuss, but truth be told, Jammeh’s primary and perhaps only interest, was to cajole and trick the Senegalese into signing a coveted “extradition” treaty with The Gambia. Everything else Jammeh’s government laid on the table for discussion was merely a treacherous inducement that would make the Senegalese authorities succumb to this bait. But, Jammeh’s underestimation of the intelligence of the Senegalese authorities actually speaks to his own lack of an intelligent, analytical mind. In the end, the Senegalese Foreign Minister made it clear to the African media that it was against International Law & Conventions to return refugees to their countries of origin for slaughter, a veil reference to Jammeh and his brutal regime. If Yahya Jammeh harbored the thoughts that some day, Gambian refugees, who under international law are guests of the Senegalese people, would be extradited by the Senegalese authorities, that hope should be erased from his sadistic, cruel mind.

Apart from that, as international pressure is brought to bear on this rogue regime, he is increasingly feeling squeezed and on the way to isolation, and he needs friends. This is the main reason he is trying to mend fences with Senegal, a country he has mocked and bullied for all these years, as he dangles the threat of the Cassamance rebels before the government of President Wade. For Jammeh to suddenly turn around and be so charitable as to try to rebuild relationships he destroyed on purpose, there must be an ulterior motive behind his unsolicited largesse towards the Senegalese people. But, truth be told, this is once again Yahya Jammeh trying to save his most favorite person: Yahya Jammeh.  He could care less about what happens in Senegal if it does not serve his purposes.

The Commonwealth Forum

Efforts by The Commonwealth Forum to have The Gambia expelled from that august body could not come at a better time. It is now evident that Jammeh has attracted enough attention to himself and his illegal regime, and now the pigeons are coming home to roost. If Yahya Jammeh believes he can continue to use the power of the military, The National Intelligence Agency, or contracted civilian killers organized around Jammeh’s APRC military political party, in order to silence his opponents with impunity, he is mistaken. Jammeh’s atrocities have gone unchallenged for a long time, now the winds of change are blowing all around, and one thing is certain, this momentum is unstoppable. The Commonwealth Heads of States must take action to disown Jammeh and his regime, but more than that, they must resolve to expel The Gambia from that fraternity. Jammeh has shown repeatedly that he does not deserve to sit at the same table with such illustrious sons of Africa as Thambo Mbeki, Omaru Y’ar Dua and others who are trying to do the right thing for their people, not prosecuting and murdering them. It can be recalled that Yahya Jammeh allowed the murders of 44 Ghanaians, and ten other nationals of Senegal, Togo and Nigeria, and efforts to expel The Gambia from the esteemed Commonwealth club, has primarily to do with these cruel, callous murders.

Commonwealth Human Rights

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) like the Commonwealth Forum has its work cut out for it. The litany of atrocities committed by the Jammeh regime since it assumed power, is unthinkable in most African countries. The Commonwealth HR Initiative has the full support and blessing of the suffering people of our country. It is clear now that in the event of an overthrow of this barbaric regime, The Gambian people will have the support of all international organizations that have knowledge of the sorry state of political events in The Gambia. The African Commission, to which the Commonwealth HR Initiative will submit a report of the brutal, cruel violation of human and civil rights, which include summary executions, proxy murders, tortures, destruction of the independent media, murders and exiling of journalists, daily and routine intimidation of the population deserves the attention of the African Commission. The African Commission must be able to police the countries to ensure they comply with national, regional and international law for the protection of human and civil rights. No Head of State should any longer be able to walk free after committing the kinds of brutalities Gambians have suffered all these years.

The ECOWAS Court

With the fate of former Daily Observer journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh still unknown, and the case of Fatou Jaw-Manneh still dragging in the corrupt and incompetent judiciary system, it is no wander that the Jammeh regime is once again being reported to the ECOWAS secretariat. The free press has effectively died in The Gambia, and Gambian journalists have been hounded out of the country for fear for their lives particular after the cold-blooded murder of the revered and respected head of the Gambian media: Deyda Hydara. To this day the government has undertaken no investigation into that death, because it is an open secret that the government was complicit in his tragic murder. For the past year, the media has relentlessly demanded answers to the many questions regarding the whereabouts of Chief Manneh, the assassination of Deyda Hydara, and the kangaroo trial of Fatou Jaw-Manneh. In the latter case, it appears finally that there is someone who understands the law and for once, is willing to obey it. If this venerable Justice Yameawa can pull this one and save Fatou Jaw-Manneh from this continued agony at the hands of a government that is supposed to protect her, she will deserve our nation’s highest commendation. The ECOWAS secretariat deserves to know what is happening in our country, and where it can, force the regime to put its act together or risk further isolation. As things are, it is only a matter of time before civil unrest will explode in Jammeh’s face. Gambians are tired of being afraid; they are tired of the arrests and detentions; they are tired of the intimidation; they are tired of hiding to read newspapers; they are tired of fearing to criticize the regime; they are tired of the disappearances of their brothers, friends, fathers, uncles, nephews; they are tired of being tired of all of the above. We will fight back from now on until Jammeh is brought to account for all his crimes against The Gambian people.

Other Matters

Yahya Jammeh’s pool of dwindling manpower is finally dried up. What else would explain his hiring of overseas Gambians to fill his vacancies? Alieu Mboge, who all these years lived in the U.K., has not only returned, but got himself hired for two positions: Chairman of Banjul City Council and Ambassador to the Middle east. How lucky, but how is he going to pull this off? Two jobs, and two different locations!! Uuh. But, by the way, is this not the same Alieu Mboge who sold or rather, gave our National Trading Corporation (NTC) to Cherbel Nachief? And where in the world is our money, Alieu? Is this not the same Alieu Mboge I frequently saw entering Senegambia Hotel arrogantly and striding through the lobby acting like he was the god there? Alieu Mboge detested anyone who was not a Banjulian, and he employed only Banjulians, because for him only Banjul and Banjulians mattered. Alieu Mboge should have some grace (jumm) and refuse any position from this murderer who kept away from his country for all these years. Or should I ask whether all these murders, tortures and incarcerations don’t make him question the wisdom of what he is doing to perpetuate this killing regime? Alieu, Alieu, Alieu!!

As for Waa Juwara, it does not surprise me the least, but in hindsight, I think he was pulling the strings behind the APRC Niamina, Dankunku candidate in the last parliamentary elections. Waa has never been a serious politician; he was a man in need of attention and did many political things to grab and quench his thirst for attention. From Juwara’s declaration that Jammeh must step down barely two months ago, to a subdued “Jammeh won the election” now, what a turn around. By the way Waa, Jammeh won a minority vote as only a third of eligible voters cast their votes. Oh Waa, Waa, Waa.

Forget about the corrupt opportunists, Alieu Mboge and Waa Juwara, but how could Gibou Jagne fall prey to Jammeh’s snare? It is hard to believe that a man of such statute and commanding much respect and admiration, will allow himself to be used to legitimize this dictatorship. But, I have a theory. Jammeh uses money to buy favors from people around him, and after he has used them, he would dump them like garbage. Mark my words, Alieu, Waa and Gibou. It is not a matter of when, but how soon.

The biggest surprise for me is the offer of the position of ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union to my friend Sajo Jallow. Sajo served under Jammeh before, but later left and fled to Sweden. I don’t want to believe this is true, and I hope it is not. I keep my fingers crossed. And you Sajo, did you not learn anything from your first tour of duty with Jammeh’s regime?