By Associate Editor Muhammed Jawara, New York
On Lamarana, Sam and Jabang.
I enjoy sitting back and reading the former military officers throwing punches at each other. In my opinion, the debate about the allegations levelled against Sam Sarr are legitimate issues of public discourse. I think Mr. Sarr has performed as expected, giving his own side of the story. Whether we beleive him or not is a dfferent matter altogether.
Growing up in the late nineties, i have always seen people like Sam Sarr and Bubacar Sankanu as inspirationalal for diffrent reasons.
Having said that, i have one or two points of observation about editor Jabang's reaction to what what he considers Lamarana's senseless pieces. "That Suwaibou Conateh of Gambia News and Report Magazine was held at gun point by Sam Sarr to "write a coup statement" for the military junta in July of 1994. Mr.Lamarana Jallow, I am not disputing that Mr. Conateh might have been held at gun point by the junta but, it certainly does not make sense that it was about "write a coup statement". What about this allegation does not make sense? Do you have any information contrary to this claim, if so what is it? With all the due respect, just because something does not make sense to you does not equate it to utter senselessness. True, Yahya Jammeh might be able to write a coup statements, yet he may use someone else's experience with addressing a large audience where Swaibou could be significnat. Again, am not trying to legitimise Lamarana's wild allegations in any way.
Rather, i am asking you to refute this point beyond merely calling it senseless, such as providing a contrary version of the story as you know. And, if you were in the Gambia between 1994 to 2002, listening to all the news moguls, that does not necessarily make you privy to most information behind the curtains of our sneaky bearocratic network of politics. Another point that interests me is that you tend to beleive that BB Darboe could not have been behind the coup d'etat and later advocating for Jawara's return.
These two things are not opposites. Lamarana did not claim that the two things were done simultaneousely. They are two ambitions done at separete moments by a man who might have change positions, or he might have been a man of many colors. Is this not posible? Can't politicians change positions as Waa Juwara has often done? Now the clarification, instead of being Lamarana's, is yours Mr. Jabang.