For those who fought the white domination in an Apartheid South Africa, the sons and daughters in Palestine against Israeli occupation, Civil Rights movements in the United States - ALL designated as Terrorists, WE the Oppressed Gambians understand your struggle. We can sit in our corners, accommodate and apologize for Jammeh and his ruthless barbarism by pretending to 'WANT TO SAFEGUARD OUR PEACE' but the Gambia is only peaceful to you as long as Jammeh's interests are not threatened. To a caring, concerned and reasonable Gambian, peace has been an illusion since 1994! If you're counting the absence of gunshots and bloodbath, you're myopic in your definition.
The tall walls of the prisons, NIA and many detention centers, the woods and streamlakes in Sting Corner, Nyambai Forest, Kanilai wells, Sofaniama bolong, the many covers of darkness are a witness to loud/silent cries, the blood and last breathes of countless Gambians in the hands of Yaya Jammeh and his killers. Peaceful, is what Gambia IS not.
It's been a month and two days since Solo Sandeng and co were picked up, a month since Ousainou Darboe, Kemeseng Jammeh, Femi Peters, Lamin Dibba and some senior members of the UDP executive have been arrested by disrespectful sons in uniform and confined within the inhumane walls of Mile 2 prisons. Dragging them to and from court in what is clearly a political persecution, while Solo was last seen brutally tortured, laying lifeless on the ground at the NIA exactly 30 days yesterday. #WHERE IS #SOLO? That question must be answered as we struggle to understand Jammeh's obsession with dead bodies. And to my disappointment, the country is fluid but still calm. Let Solo Sandeng be our Steve Biko who was brutally murdered in state custody and sparked a new breathe in ANC's freedom struggle.
You need NOT be party affiliated to be concerned and disgusted by the murder of a father arrested on broad daylight who did not resist, or the torture and sexual assault of mothers and daughters in the hands of the State at the orders and okays of a president who presents himself as caring, God-loving and God-fearing man. Solo Sandeng, Modou Ngum, Kafu Bayo, Nogoi Njie, Fatoumatta Jawara, Fatoumatta Camara and unnamed many, committed no crime other than legitimately supporting an opposition UDP. And their quest on their day of arrest was not even a selfish party issue but a national project seeking fairness and betterment of our democratization process. That was their only crime.
Yaya Jammeh, his mother, wife and daughter are enjoying a 24-hour assured security at your expense while he orders and derives pleasure from the arrest and unreasonable detention of your parents and sons, and violent rape of your mothers and/or all females in your lives. What would you do should you set eyes on a stranger doing that to your family? Would you celebrate them or lay your life down for the defense and protection of your family? This tragic episode isn't any different.
In 1994 when Jammeh and the unruly soldiers violently overthrew the first Republic and suspended the constitution, everything they sold us then became a lie today. On that 22 July morning, they claimed was bloodless but more Gambians have been murdered, killed, disappeared and exiled than during the British colonialism and the PPP years combined. Denying that would be an affirmation that YOU, a disingenuous soul who would slap their parents before God.
In as much as I get frustrated with adults seeing all what's wrong with Jammeh and his 22-year regime but still support it, my problem has never been your right to political association. My disappointment and sadness are because YOU chose to side with EVIL instead of GOOD. Yaya isn't good and never has been. Truth is a painful thing for him and lies and hatred are a fuel to his soul. Disrespect and disregard for Gambians and Gambian lives come so natural to him, and we let. The day Yaya will be killed like Qadafi and Samuel Doe, or be banished and caged like Laurent Gbagbo or Charles Taylor, he'd be concerned about himself and his family. YOU, who are killing, torturing in his name are going to be at the mercy of the Gambia and her people. And we will NOT avenge but certainly will pursue and dispense justice.
To Gambians with conscience and love, we have to fight for the country and what is left of it. Yaya is only 50 years old and he doesn't own or love Gambia any more than you and I. The myth that he's the best the country ever has is wrong. The myth that he's all so powerful than Gambians has been proven to be untrue. So join the great, patriotic and brave sons of the country in defense of what is right. Go out to the courts in show of support and solidarity to defy and change this undeserving government and leadership. Doing that would not be for Darboe and the UDP but for you, your kids and I - GAMBIA! This has to end, and we can end it without violence which evidently has only been coming from one side (Jammeh and his savages) against perceived enemies but innocent, patriotic civilians seeking a new Gambia.
Pata PJ
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