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Disappearance of jailed rebels in Gambia threatens peace talks
Sunday, 02 May 2010 09:22
By Kemo ChamThe prevailing rapprochement between the government of President Yahya Jammeh and his Senegalese counterpart, Abdoulie Wade may have been extolled for its obvious potential significance in strengthening vital linkages between the two sisterly peoples, but beneath the facade of collaboration between the two formerly bitter foes lays a thick air of suspicious dealings.
Presently, a faction of the rebel Movement of the Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) is already crying foul after five of their members, recently released from Gambian jails, went missing.
Although their whereabouts are unknown, the missing rebels are believed to have been taken into custody by the Senegalese authorities moments after they said good bye to the inside of their Gambian cells.
According to Dakar based L’observateur, the men were reportedly delivered to the Senegalese authorities by their Gambian counterparts, on Monday. They were made to communicate with their respective families on phone from the village of Karang, the first settlement on the Senegalese side at the border with the two countries, apparently to show proof of their release. Their failure to reach home and continued disappearance, however, worries the armed wing of the faction of Atika, which raised the alarm with L’observateur.
The missing men, named as Mamadou Teuw Sambou, Pape Tamsir Badji, Ansoumana Diédhiou, Abdoulaye Diédhiou and Joseph Diatta, were released after having spent four years in jail in Gambia.
Sources here said the men had also shared cells with a one time head of the same faction, Kamougué Diatta, founder of the northern front, but who was lucky enough to have been released in recent years and now operates quietly in Ziguinchor.
This is not the first time Gambia has been linked to the rebels in the restive Southern region of Senegal. There have been reports of connivance in the unrest by the Gambian side, with rebel leaders reported to have been murdered to destroy evidence.
This latest situation, coming as hopes for renewed talks heighten, has reportedly provoked ire in the bush, where colleagues of the missing rebels are calling for their immediate release.
The rebel faction, which is described as among the moderates of the various highly unpredictable factions that constitute the MFDC, are reported to be tying finding their disappeared men to any future negotiations between them and the Senegalese government. They are holding both the Gambian and Senegalese governments responsible for the disappearances.
"We ask the Senegalese and Gambian authorities to clarify the issue,” L’observateur quoted a member of the group as saying. "The State of Senegal will benefit greatly when we have helped find our brothers in war who have just been released by the government of Gambia."
At the beginning of the year, President Wade mounted a diplomatic offensive that saw the two political dinosaurs patched up a severely strained relation which they have so far managed to keep going. While in Banjul later in the year, Wade heard Jammeh requested possible change of policy in Senegal towards the increasing Gambian dissident community here. But in spite of his open dismissal of that request, the Senegalese leader failed to convince observers of his stance thanks to the spiral nature of his relationship with Yahya Jammeh.
This latest development now demonstrates how far either men can go to maintain the clearly fragile but cordial relationship.
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Comments
The Golden Rule is golden.The lips of the righteous teach many but fools die for want of wisdom.THAT is righteous
The most noicy, empty and insignificant voices; and
The silent, most pragmatic and significant voices.
At the end of the day, the latter prevails and come 2011, the reality will again establish itself. Then the rest can spend another 5 years with irregular heart-beats.
So Lamin and Righteousness, spare your breath.
I tell you,all those bad wishers of the President and his government must clean up their mouth and purify their heart with Jah words. for the refreshment of their life.They carrying too much trouble and pain.
Those witch-hunters were hired for a contract of two years so every village and town in Gambia could be "cleansed" of witches but thanks to Halifa Sallah's reaction and international outrage the exercise was abandoned.Can you imagine the number of elderly Gambians who would have died? And you telling me it is not a confused man who is at the helm?
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