Rebels Threaten Gambia Following Massacre of 15
By Mathew K. Jallow & Ebrima G. Sankareh
Well-placed and well-informed sources have confirmed the massacre of yet another group of non-Gambian nationals. Our unassailable sources disclosed that the murders occurred in September this year, and involved Cassamance rebels from the MFDC faction, one of whose leaders Ismaila Magne Dieme was recently said to have been executed by fighters from an opposing faction led by Salif Sadio. This recent execution of Ismaila Magne Dieme was preceded by a Kangaroo Court trial in Banjul, orchestrated by the Jammeh government, following the executed rebel leader’s capture and detention by Gambian security forces. However, our source denied allegations pointing to Salif Sadio’s fighters, emphasizing instead that Ismaila Magne Dieme was actually executed by Gambian security forces.
The recent development surrounding this new and gruesome massacre of 15 Cassamance fighters comes in the heels of the murders of their leader. Paradoxically, the group walked into a trap set up by Yahya Jammeh, who first invited them, and later decided to use them to play a diplomatic football with the government of President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal. The new revelation surrounding yet another mass murder on orders from Yahya Jammeh, has stirred emotions and heightened tensions with the Kassolol rebel camp causing Cesar Atoute Badiate their leader to threaten to attack Kanilai. This would be the first time The Gambia would come close to the direct line of fire since an obscure Catholic priest; Father Augustin Diamacoune Senghore founded the rebel movement for Cassamance independence back in 1982.
The group was apprehended just when they were finalizing preparations from Gambian territory to launch an attack on the opposing forces of Salif Sadio, who now happens to be in the good books of the mercurial Yahya Jammeh. Until now, The Gambia has been spared direct involvement in this ongoing low intensity conflict, but that is about to change. Should ongoing investigations confirm that Gambian territory is being used to launch attacks into Senegal’s Cassamance region, it would be difficult, if not impossible for Yahya Jammeh to extricate himself and The Gambia from accusation of prolonging this quarter century long conflict. Jammeh has long denied allegations that Gambian territory was being used to wage war in Cassamance, and as recently as 2005, invited Senegalese Prime Minister Macky Sall and his delegations to look around his Kanilai village for any signs of incriminating rebel presence.
Over the past week, delegations led by prominent citizens of Cassamance have been sent to meet Cesar Atoute Badiate in Kassolol in an effort to try to convince him not to launch an attack on Gambian territory. His rebel group is at this very time holding high level talks to decide on a course of action, and all this happening in spite of sentiments opposing attacks on Gambia territory, more precisely on Kanilai, Yahya Jammeh’s home village. Meanwhile, the MFDC group morale is at its lowest since Yahya Jammeh has decimated their ranks through executions and imprisonment in Banjul of so many of their members who have over time used The Gambia to seek refuge from Senegalese government forces. Whether the massacre of these fifteen rebel fighters will finally draw The Gambia into this conflict or not, one thing is clear, thanks to Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia is without a doubt involved in meddling into the affairs of Senegal, and it remains to be seen what the Senegalese government of President Abdoulaye Wade will do about it.