By Suntou Touray
A Gambian in the United States asked what the United Democratic Party (UDP) did for jailed UDP treasurer Amadau Sanneh. And the writer did not venture into what crime Amadou Sanneh was jailed for? It is like blaming the Muslim Brotherhood for the jailing of President Morsy [ousted Egyptian leader] or blaming Thomas Sankara for his killing. Who do you question when oppression is taking place against innocent defenceless citizens? The oppressed or the oppressor?
The UDP did a lot for comrade Amadou Sanneh and are continuing doing even more. Some of what we did or planned to do cannot be divulged willy nilly. But the UDP don’t have guns, neither tanks..to free Amadou we need fighting men and women not pen pushers and public attention seekers. Is Sam Phatty willing to enlist and fight? I don’t think so.
The UDP will not call a unilateral protest at this juncture..with hearts disunited and eyes wide shut. We will do actions appropriate for our wider members. Amadou Sanneh himself urge such efforts. If Sam want us to call our supporters and break into Mile 2, that can be done provided we have men with rifles to defend the ordinary civilian. Amadou Sanneh is among many UDP militants oppressed: Kanyiba Kanyi, late Sedia Sanyang, late Sarjo Kunjan Sanneh, late Kebuteh, Femi Peters, late Shyngle Nyassi, and many others. Some of whom were assaulted by military and para military officers resulting to their eventual death..hence our records in fighting President Jammeh and his dictatorship is unblemished.
We can tolerate constructive criticism..and given that is what democracy is all about.
Did i hear Sam Phatty say anything on the arrest and persecution of UDP youth Secretary Solo Sandeng? Did i see any article from Sam Phatty on the recent arrest and persecution of the 14 UDP militants? Did i hear or read any article from Sam Phatty and his ilks on the current persecution of UDP press officer Lasana Jobarteh? So Sam we have been fighting our fight and we don’t need opportunist name seeking ramblers to use Amadou Sanneh as a pretend crocodile tears card.
UDP members visit Amadou Sanneh regularly just like they do with Femi Peters when he was jailed, just like they did with the 14 youths, with Solo and now doing with Lasana Jobarteh.
Fighting dictatorship is not a celebrity contest. Some of you are failing to see that. It is the poor, the weak and vulnerable who are suffering. And the UDP leadership has been standing for Gambians since 1996. We have never wavered or run from this fight. Our party leadership has defended the innocent plea of 15 party activities in the past 14 days. We deserve support and compliment not ridiculous opportunist caricature.
UDP IS READY FOR PEOPLE UPRISING BUT ARE YOU SAM? Photo opportunity Facebook posting will not scratch the surface in this fight. In the coming days UDP is hosting a lunch for our brave youths and more youths are listening for a Gambian uprising. UDP is a political party by that partisanship will stop non-members to attend a UDP general call for protest if that is what you opine.
We are reading both the dynamics of Gambian diaspora individuals and groups and Gambians at home well. No rash action young man. Enjoy your coffee and think properly. This is about human lives. I have no clue in your orientation, however Jammeh and his Monodou Sabally recent comment should pump some fresh air into you. Thanks.
Ends
Amen, Suntou. Time and again, Gambian youth refuse to be identified with opposition political parties but we are so ever ready to crack a whip at them in the name of holding them accountable. Until we see that we are all failing our people in this fight instead of apportioning and/or abdicating responsibility, we are going to be on the losing end. As awful as the laws are, the Gambia is a nation of laws and all opposition parties but the UDP in particular, have been at worse end of persecution and brutality. It becomes the duty of all gambians to brace this fight on the grounds of Nationality and not which party you belong. All Gambians are oppressed and are all constrained by the political climate.
Good response suntou
I am unsure what more anyone can do in Amadou Sanneh’s case other that go to Mile 2 Prison with an AK 47 and a Molotov Cocktail determined to free him. It is not a legitimate criticism of what has been done to secure Amadou”s liberty.
UDP will not do uprising for anybody. Gambians have to decide when they want to take their country back and how.
Thanks
Well, well, wonders never cease to exist. Sam phatty’s father, Babung, betrayed the UDP and left the party for the APRC and here comes Sam bashing UDP because some people from his father’s village are arrested.
The arrest of Amadou and co is an unfortunate misuse of the criminal justice system. All he wrote in the attestation are true exception the fact that the boy was not arrested by the police. Amadou was misled on this point and did not intentionally and deliberately misrepresent the facts and therefore , not criminally culpable. Criminal libel punishes an intention to deframe and the threshold is always high.
Writing an attestation is not a crime especially when the addressee lives outside the jurisdiction.
Defamation should be about lowering the image/character of a person in the eyes of the public with malicious intent. To say that somebody is arrested by the police is not capable of doing that , and in this case there was no intent to misrepresent facts let alone a malicious intention. The attestation not even put in the public domain meaning the public did not even have knowledge of it until the NIA published it themselves.
Sedition law in The Gambia is a serious affront to freedom of speech and not necessary in a democratic society. It is therefore unconstitutional even by gambian standard.
It is Sam Phatty’s relatives who put Amadou into trouble. Thus, instead of bashing the UDP, he should be bold enough to ask his relatives in Bantanto and else where to do exactly what he is asking of the UDP.
Darboe’s of Bansang supported Sam’s father in his bid to become a member of parliament and he won. But what did he do to the Darboes in return?? He did not only abandoned the party a member of their family heads, he also sided with his political opponents to help deny him the presidency and yet Sam dare to talk?
Thanks
Also Halake, the evidence used against Amadou are not admissible because they are obtained through toture. His lawyers brought this up but the court refused to inspect the toture marks on the prosecution witness’s body.
You see, some of these people are living in the west with their families and telling UDP leadership that removing dictator Jammeh is you duty and we want you to do it now by all means so that we can start going home for hlidays or start business back home.Do you want others to die for you so that you can enjoy? What are you doing for the families of those who died in this struggle from 1994 TO 2014???.
thank you Mr. Touray for your wonderful work(reply)
Thank you Amara. UDP is struggling for funds and none of them is coming forward. If is not for Lawyer Ousainu Darboe, the party would have been dead by now as a result of lack of funds.
Suntou you are right thank you!UDP is not a SOLIMA PARTY where SOLIMA can decide what UDP should do. But you can hear them ranting, shouting in their houses like a mad men and and women because they do not really know what is going on in this struggle from 1996 to date. They insulted brave men who defended this country, they called them names, but the true UDP supporters knew what is good for the Gambia, so no dissemble character can ridicule this united peoples party, come rain, come sun sign.Before we talk about an issue like this you have to know and understand the situations on the ground.But many people shouting Amadou Sanneh, do they know how many Gambians have been falsely accused,or how many Gambia have been trapped and jailed with bogus charges,just because they are UDP supporters.Gambia belong to all Gambians what is happening therein is very sad but unless we speak the truth,and only the truth will safe our motherland not the lies you listening to every day and night.
Suntou and folks you are right in your bid to defend UDP’s inability to do it alone. Changing the status quo as history teaches us will only come through, when concerted efforts are made by all groups and political parties against a common enemy. Our dictator chooses to batter the peace of thousands or million of people while he makes a sensational smile on our faces . One party cannot do it. It requires the full participation of all and sundry irrespective of party affiliations or geographical location. until that day, when our intellectuals will choose to enlighten the masses not base on their personal interest but the interest of the state . And untill we share a common spirit and objective to change the status quo, the dictator shall batter and shatter us ruthlessly.