Letter From Birmingham: Not In My Own Back Yard

DONATE

SUPPORT WWW.JOLLOFNEWS.COM

Letter From Birmingham: Not In My Own Back Yard

Friday, 23 December 2011 15:24

(Column) - I am busy wrapping my Christmas presents and tackling thought-provoking essays on how the internet has created new legal restrains for online journalists, but had to take a break from all of that to respond to recent comments made by Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade.

According to week's news reports, the old fart has ordered his country’s armed forces to pursue the fleeing Casamance separatist rebels everywhere even inside Gambia.

While I do appreciate the fact that suspected Casamance rebels who attacked and killed Senegalese soldiers should be pursued and brought to book, the PK_Jarju

activities of Senegalese soldiers should be limited only inside Senegal. The Gambia is a sovereign country and Wade should know that any Senegalese military activity on Gambian soil will tantamount to an act of aggression.

The issue of Casamance has been going on even before I was born, but Wade had refused to take a serious approach towards ending the conflict since he was elected president. In fact, Wade’s own government has been accused of backing the Jakai rebels who operate along villages neighbouring the Gambia and committing serious human rights abuses with impunity.

Let me remind Wade that the brutality of the Casamance rebels has not been limited to the Senegalese people only but Gambians as well. Many Gambians have for the past years been terrorised both inside the Gambia and Casamance by these rebels. And I can give a list as long as my arm of such incidences.

We are all aware of the role the Gambia has played towards finding an amicable solution to the Casamance conflict. I have personally covered loads of those peace negations at the Atlantic Hotel when I was reporting for The Independent Newspaper.

In recent years, the Gambia has taken a tough stance on the Casamance issue by arresting and prosecuting suspected rebels who enter into the country. In 2005, a contingent of heavily armed Casamance rebels were arrested by the Gambian Police Intervention inside Gambian territory.

Wade should know that the Casamance conflict can never be solved militarily. His predecessor, Abdou Diouf, tried that at the beginning and it never worked. Instead of stabilising the region, it created more rebels factions leading us to where we are today.

Ordering a full scale military activity in the Casamance may shift people’s attention away from the forth coming elections, which Wade is contesting despite his age and general public discontent against his rule. But I don’t think it would yield any fruitful results. Instead, it will lead to the killing and displacement of many innocent poor families thereby creating another humanitarian crisis in the region.

We all know that many of the people in Casamance are poor farmers who at this moment in time are busy harvesting their crops. Any fighting in the region would force them to abandon their crops and livestock.

Like I stated on my Facebook status on Thursday night, we Gambians should put our political differences aside and stick up for our country. I may not like President Jammeh and his regime and prays every day to see the back of him, but will never hesitate to defend the Gambia which will always be my beloved home.
Merry Christmas to you all.

Comments

+3 #1 2011-12-23 15:59

For any military force to enter the sovereign territory of an independant nation. Is a dangerous act without legality.

I have always admired the content of President Wades international speeches.

For many years he has been highly considered by the International community.

But I find this recent statement..very difficult to understand.

Yet another urgent need for measured diplomacy.

Quote

Refresh comments list
RSS feed for comments to this post.