OBAMA SWORN IN, PAN AFRICANS REMEMBERED,

By Capt.(Rtd) Alhajie Kanteh 

As the world celebrates the wearing in of a black man as the president of the most powerful nation on the surface of the earth, a myth has been broken; history made. The nation with a blemish of institutionalizing slavery has come of age. If in America not everything is possible, certainly many things are. The election of Barrack Obama to the presidency of the United States of America has rekindled the spirit and hopes of the black race and opens up new opportunities that are possible when a people are proud, and not shame of themselves; strong in the face of challenges; and steadfast in common purpose. 

But this event of global significance must be viewed as a point of departure and reference if we are to map out a clear strategy and align our compasses towards the direction of hope and aspiration. This day should also be dedicated to the founding fathers of our struggle against oppression and inequality on both sides of the Atlantic. The struggle of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement in America, that has made this day even more colorful; The struggle of Madiba (Nelson Mandela) of South African against the oppressive system of Apartheid; and to the general body of men and women on the African continent who resisted colonialism such as Dr Kwame. Nkrumah of Ghana among a long list of illustrious sons and daughters of Africa who fought against domination of all kinds. Nkrumah, a true Pan-African, believed back in 1957 that “the independence of Ghana was meaningless unless it was linked to the total liberation of the African continent.” 

Despite this euphoria and hope for the future on the global stage, as Gambians the sweet moments are cut short by the thought of the type of regime that calls the shots in our country. Since 1994 the self-perpetuating rule of the current regime has plunged our country into a political impasse. The catalogue of human rights abuses continue to be documented: Dozens of citizens executed in cold blood; the disappearance of countless number of people yet to be accounted for; and the plunder of the country’s wealth by one man who claimed to come to power to rescue the country. 

For the second consecutive time the regime of Dr. Jammeh has been legitimized by feigned elections that the international community reluctantly considered orderly and legitimate, while in reality they have been rigged before ballot were actually cast. We have seen unprecedented voter intimidation; State control of the public electronic media; State control of the electoral commission that is supposed to be independent; and the constant arrest and intimidation of members of the opposition. To this day a few opposition supporters have not been accounted for. The opposition’s chances of winning elections became even slimmer. It is therefore a share waste of time and resources to engage Jammeh in a civil discourse let alone compete with him in elections. Jammeh has shown his true colors and it is left to the Gambian people to read between the lines. 

We have come a long way since 1994 when Jammeh told the nation in a colorful speech that saw white pigeons released in the air as a so-called “sign of goodwill”, that he had come to fight and eradicate corruption and mismanagement in government. Very soon we were able to spot several differences marinated in indiscipline and corruption going. I wonder what on earth has happened to slogans like “Soldiers with a Difference”, or “Transparency and Accountability” If the Jawara regime was criticized for flamboyant life style, clearly that was child’s play compared to what obtains under Jammeh.  

Today, the country and its recourses are the personal property of Jammeh which he spends so foolishly most of the time. This brings to mind his sponsorship of American Beauty Queens on a holiday Island when the average Gambian could hardly afford prescription drugs for malaria or a single descent meal in a day. See him shamelessly pose for an intimate picture with one of those girls in his office.  

When would this man learn that his scheme is unsustainable? The act of forcing respect and love through threat and intimidation is an exhibition of cowardice and paranoia. Don’t Jammeh understand that the very security forces that he is using to force his will on the people can one day turn against him? I wonder if he will ever understand that power ultimately belong to the people; and that when they rise, no force on earth can stop them. The defining moments are being shaped by the people’s rejection of his policies as shameful, oppressive, and outdated.  

Of all the unpleasant information coming out of the tiny West African country, of late, nothing confirmed my fears of the insanity of the Emperor as his recent moves to strip hard working public servant naked in search of Jujus. The case of Sergeant Kumba has hit me like a thunder bolt. Despite his megalomania behaviors in the past, one would have thought that the president could have avoided such a move that earns him nothing but scandalous infamy. No where in the world is such a behavior of embarrassing people in such a manner an acceptable code of conduct by a leader of a nation. It will be gross miscalculation for any one to assume any further that our president is in his right frame of mind. The country is held at ransom against its will as the decision of one man, insane as he is, sounds above logic. 

We as Gambians, concerned about the deteriorating state of affairs in our country, herewith urge Human Rights Organizations across the globe to weigh in on Gambia as a potential breeding ground for conflict and human suffering. It is for this reason the people of the Gambia aught to put their differences to rest, unite in common purpose to remove Jammeh from power. Our resolve has been tested several times over and the time has come to take the bull by the horn and show the lunatic what we are made of. This is where our salvation lies; this is how we can regain our respect. It is no longer acceptable that the bulk of the people of our country should languish in slavery while a coward tramples on our fundamental rights and freedom.  

The message to the dictator is clear and simple: make no mistakes; we will stand our ground when the inevitable time arrives because our core values are under threat. The country’s destiny lies in freedom and human dignity. Our desire for a Gambia that is free and tolerant will be worth dying for. When the moment comes, we will be armed with something no force on earth can defeat: the Truth. There and then you shall be reminded of the solemn pledge you had made to God and the country you have woefully disappointed.