Kukoi Asked To Apologize To Gambians!!!

By Jai Ceesay

Thursday 31 July 1981, is  the darkest day in the history of the Republic of the Gambia.  In my memories, this was a day when irresponsible Gambians took the law into their own hands to topple a democratically elected government. This group of bandits, who by then had no agenda, not well organized caused a lot of deaths in our country.

 I was shocked when I read the freedom newspaper, seeing one of the masterminds of the bloody incident trying to justify his deed, which makes me angry. The then leader  Mr. Samba Sanyang in my humble opinion has no say in our fight for democracy , the rule of law  in our country. Here is a man who have blood all over  his hands  trying to use our fight to justify his deeds. I for one  is appealing to this man to speak when spoken to  and  when he speaks I  expect words from him like I am very sorry to the pain and lost I cause during my  unsuccessful unorganized , crazy and idiotic moves,  I spearheaded then.

One thing for sure under the APRC regime we witnessed  killing, torturing and jailing of brothers and sisters,  but hopefully not to comparable to Sanyang’s one week genocide.
 
I am scared  by the  comments coming from some brothers  , especially those in the ( GAMBIA ARMED FORCES). Please for God  sake stay in the barracks , we do not need an uprising from the army .The complications are too severe for our beloved nation.

To start with,  you have a divided armed  forces wherein you can't even get 40 percent to be behind you and what is the repercussion to the locals?  I hate to even think of  The Gambia in war , and is obvious the uprising of the military will result to war. Let  use the barrel of the pen instead of the gun. I was old enough to remember the July 31 1981 coup of those irresponsible, selfish , egocentric Gambians trying to make themselves as heroes. All what I want to hear from these individuals is  a sorry and be quiet. So I do not want history to repeat itself.

Therefore I  ask peacefully to fellow Gambians  to desist  from thoughts of a military uprising. I know we are desperate; we are tied of the lack of the rule of law, the seizure of our freedom of speech and expression. The rampant corruption and the flamboyance life style, they promised to eradicate and we seeing now the worst.
 
I for one, July 22nd was a revolution, listening to then military spokesperson making the announcement of the day I had been waiting for, mentioning all what I thought of the PPP government, I was behind this men who sacrificed their lives for all Gambians to eradicate corruption and maintenance order, but 15 years now on am disappointed, still there is nepotism, corruption, flamboyant life style and injustice which I really don’t expect then. But the then Gambia was able to handle a day like that and now the divided Gambians can’t.

Let’s revisit events in our minds and we will all agree those days are over (07/22).  An army  whose machinery is less than that of the state guard and the green boys. An Army  which is  divided for selfish  reasons.  An army who will kill anyone  posing treat to the administration, IE, the  student riots

I will like to use the freedom newspaper as they play a pivotal role in restoring democracy back home to express my views.  Keep up  the good work.  Keep up the fight.  I  believe in the barrel of the pen .  Instead of those empty barrels  making unnecessary noise we do not need a Sergeant SAMUEL DOE  in the Gambia. We do not need a KUKOI SAMBA SANYANG. What we need is the unification of all Gambians home and abroad to organize a strong force in defeating the APRC in the next general election.  It seems it is impossible,  but where there is life, there is hope , where there is struggle,  victory must be certain. I have faith in you all using the pen.  Never give up the fight… one day we will.
 
The interview of  Kukoi triggered me to pen  this reaction. I will once again  ask Mr. sanyang if he have another opportunity to talk to A widely read media ( Gambia Journal) to use the opportunity to  apologize to the hundreds of Gambians he made orphans , due to his egocentric act , irresponsible uncalculated move he did . I for one will never forgive even though,  I did not lose my parents in  his act. I know people whose relatives died during Kukoi’s failed coup. I ask Kukoi to shut up if he is not willing to apologize to Gambians.  

Editors: Views expressed here do not represent the position of the Freedom Newspaper. This paper cannot take liability for the author's views. Thanks.