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How much weapons in Gambia?
Wednesday, 27 April 2011 18:37
By Sarjo Bayang, UKFew months down time lane Gambians face the polls to elect who to serve them in next five years. While the citizenry brace up with ballot tokens, the sitting president is piling up bullets. With so much talk about arms traffic in Gambia there is no count at hand regarding how much weapon stock we have in the country.
How the government or president of Gambia keeps piling up weapons while people think of using ballot tokens is a critical concern. Will the government and president of Gambia be open enough to let the population know the weapons stock at hand and how that helps peaceful and orderly elections?
Is the government or president of Gambia getting ready for war? What is there to bring about war in Gambia? Past elections have seen active involvement of army personnel taking sides with government of the day. Despite their open presence on election days there has not been any case of firing and observers considered past elections free and fair with occasional intimidation. Presence of the army and police alone is enough to induce fear.
This coming election is no ordinary one. The incumbent president Yahya Jammeh has been tested over 16 years and many in Gambia have made up their minds he is better staying on private business than clinging on political power as an over staying president. Yet in the eyes of president Jammeh’s supporters there is so much unfinished development work to carry on. Basically, president Jammeh will want the population to follow him in realisation of his big dream called Vision 2020. At first nobody knew where the count began on the way to Jammeh’s development vision. It slowly emerges that the year 2020 is targeted when Jammeh shall be transforming Gambia into a world power whatever that means.
In 17 years since he seized power by force of arms, the look of things does not indicate the feasibility and realisation of Vision 2020. Observers call it a time beating scheme by president Jammeh to cling on power. All indications are that Gambia is nowhere near conquering poverty let alone transforming into a superpower economy. However the nation boasts of numerous commercial banks and the personal wealth of president Jammeh is more than the national resources valued in monetary terms.
People are worried that president Jammeh is piling up weapons in preparation of the event that should he be defeated he will resort to using force of arms to impose his will. Evidently, president Jammeh was the only head of state in the world to support defeated president of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo. The refusal of Gbagbo to concede defeat to now president Ouattara led to civil war in Ivory Coast claiming many lives. By openly supporting Gbagbo president Jammeh is perceived as harbouring the intention to cause civil war in Gambia when defeated. President Jammeh condemned Libyan Leader Qaddafi for overstaying in power urging him to step down. Qaddafi was the first provider of resources in supporting Jammeh transform from military coup to elections.
It is not known how much weapon power president Jammeh relies on in the event of civil war brought on Gambians. On the world scale the stock of weapons in president Jammeh’s possession is considered by Gambians enough to be called ‘weapons of mass destruction’.
Logic dictates that Gambians don’t need weapons of whatever quantity while the population is starving. It can be recalled that large shipment of weapons has been intercepted in a Nigerian port from Iran bound for Gambia. Records have it that the shipment was addressed to Kanilai Farms the private enterprise of president Jammeh. Recent reports on the Cassamance rebel war indicated that some of the weapons in rebel hands are of Iranian stock. Many people believe that president Jammeh is supplying weapons to rebels in Cassamance. What many Gambians are worried about is that the rebels in Cassamance are capable of taking up arms to suppress Gambians in the event president Jammeh is defeated and refuses to step down.
Perhaps president Jammeh can clear his name by inviting weapons inspectors from United Nations Security Council or the African regional group. Clearly put, Gambians deserve top know how much weapon power the president is banking on and where the stock is held. Speculations are that some private properties are used in housing part of the unknown weapons stock.
For Gambians to hold elections without taking stock of weapons under control that amounts to facing a time bomb. Will the president come clean about what is in stock?
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Comments
One of the most potentially hazardous elements to communication is the writers inability to set tone or expression.Can we communicate without insulting each other? With good composure and a calm manner, you can make a rude person see how irrational he's becoming. Be smart and stop the name calling.
Everything revolves around Yahya Jammeh.Why do you he has find the need to hold on to the Defense portfolio for such a long time?The plain truth is , so that he can do defense deals in secret.
So why engage in the first place?
Now, don't try to find flimsy excuses for avoiding my questions none of which you can answer with credibility. As I said, EGO is what stinks in you. We don't need a rocket scientist to smell that.
My view..is to await the verdicts in Nigeria...and the possible statement from the UN.
On which we hope for transparency..and true accountability.
You know sometimes..the crowd drowns out all reason...and emotion takes over.?
Whilst there are many things to challenge Mr Jammeh over.
I tend to feel if he were guilty of everything "they accuse" him of...
He would need a faster horse that Jesse James?
If you trust what you stand for Soriba, come in the open. Mr Jammeh will not plunge Gambians in war situation, period. We don't need weapons.
"I want to point out clear that Mr Jammeh is the nation of Gambia and that Kanilai Farms where the Iran weapons have been directed is no army barracks"
Do you have hard undeniable evidence?
"There is so much weapons in Gambia and Mr Jammeh has no reason other than using that to kill Gambians."
Mere specultions and what you want people to belief.
"When Mr Jammeh brings civil war in Gambia , and I am sure that's what he is planning.."
How sure, based on what fact? Do I need to go fouther? Man, your ego-centric agenda stinks all over the place. All fools will listen to you.
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