Will the loud noises undo dictator Jammeh? Will public bravado and motomouthism undermine him without targeted messaging? Our addiction to scandals in the Jammeh system are a trap. Daily we are engrossed in who is fired, jailed, who is in court, about to be fired, on the run, cannot continue as activist base media operations.
The effectiveness of Yahya Jammeh’s propaganda is to do with our perceptions of him. Whilst he’s caricatured and made fond of, Jammeh and his enablers have been winning the home front. Yet, the continued perception our readers and listeners are fed with is a wrong strategy against dictatorship.
No the dictator succeeds without the back room intellectual class enabling and directing him. And the task ahead for the opposition, the activist force is that of crafting a workable propaganda agenda. For instance, Nigeria has a 10 year term-limit, Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Senegal, U.S, South Africa, nearly all credible African countries have toppositionscal and constitutional rule. The joint message should be simple, no more elections with Jammeh because he has to step aside.
This is simple, but if it is made as a formidable condition, opposition leaders be willing to be arrested on it, their youth bodies be alerted to take the fight to the regime. We can counter and stand a better bargaining ground than mere abuses on radios and social media.
Insulting Jammeh will not decrease his powers, turning him into a monkey will not do him any harm. Worst of all, Jammeh’s back room is full of capable Gambians who choose to butter their bread in the short term, and there are fringe benefits, impressive CV for outside jobs. Yet, if we look around Africa, we will notice that, even if dictators fall, their enablers tend to be the immediate benefactors.
Take Mubarak and his cronies, after feeding on the blood of innocent Egyptians for 30 years, his conies are back on the seat of power and influence. President Jammeh’s operations and networks are controlled by people who are now highly experienced. They can cripple the Gambian economy if abrupt change happens today, without the masses being prepared.
Activists cannot afford to marginalise or work against one another. The propaganda messages need redrafting, and be made very simple. The intellectuals in Jammeh’s back room study us and they devise their strategy; we don’t even know who they are, since the cabinet is mere window dressing. My program today deals with what we are doing wrong in our propaganda front.
After Natariko, our heritage and history, comes Nfansun kumo In English and Mandinka on now. Tune in.
Ends
Thanks a trillion Suntu. I have been advocating for this simple demand on Jammeh to stand down OFF the elections of 2016 as the 1995 Referendum vote was YES for the two term limit. Jammeh took it out of the 1997 constitution unilaterally. There was no new referendum to take it out or the newly elected parliament of 1997 to pass a law reversing the term limit. In other words Jammeh simply usurp our constitutional WISH without due process. Jammeh should have been legally OUT of the presidency since 2006.
I am happy someone is taking this IMPORTANT and legal fight to cast it in our gambian BRAINS and make it our mantra for disqualifying Jammeh in any future elections in the Gambia.
The International community should also be sensitized as well as the AU, ECOWAS and other NGO’s.
Jammeh blasted DK Jawara in 1994 for over staying and now he is doing the same illegaly for that matter.
NO MORE ELECTIONS WITH JAMMEH should be the simple message worldwide.
YOU MISS THE POINT! Suntou is addressing; wrong strategies, tactics and poor leadership by opposition front against Jammeh.
Refer back and digest properly article. Take note of Suntou’s comments especially these;
1. “Propaganda Messaging: Why No Impact”???
2. “…..what we are doing wrong in our propaganda front.”???
Thanks
Let us start with organising a youth congress for civil society and opposition youths. Let them talk frankly and then a single demand be tabled.
Short and sweet!
I wish you attempt to offer some alternatives. Not stated but it appears you suggesting our current posture is not winning (or not doing the job).
I have been saying such.
More importantly though if we made such recognition – then the next logical question should be what should we do?
Better late than never!