“The current crisis in Libya is not because Ghadaffi is not there as many experts attempt to argue erroneously. The root cause of the ongoing crisis is because Ghadaffi divided his society based on tribes and clans. He alienated them from each other so that everyone suspects everyone to enable him entrench himself. He devised an elaborate system of flamboyant reward and merciless punishment to put everyone in line. That mistrust, in addition to killing all national capacities accounts for the confusion in that country today. He closed all private media and silenced and marginalised all independent voices be they religious leaders or intellectuals or businesses or community leaders. Everything in Libya and life is explained in terms of Ghadaffi. There existed no independent institutions and processes outside of him. Key national institutions and processes and resources are in his hand or with his family and associates. His son Saif was a minister without portfolio. He controlled the multi billion dollar Libyan Investment Corporation which opens all sorts of businesses in Africa such as BSIC Bank and LAICO among others. His other brothers were the heads of the various branches of the military and intelligence. Such is the nature of dictatorship. That’s why when it fails, the society it leaves behind would be extremely lucky to stay in tact. So far only Burkina Faso has proved to be the exception in the world yet…. We are watching whether it will also collapse into chaos or be taken over by allies of the tyrant Campoare like Gen. Diendere tried to do. Today Egypt is suffering from that kind of scenario as Mubarak’s boys are in charge.”
Madi Jobarteh
Ends
Mr Jobarteh, you are absolutely right. We are having the same kind of situation playing out in the Gambia. Yaya Jammeh took his playbook from Gaddafie who was his mentor and Gambians like Baba K jobe and many others helped to lay the foundation of current military dictatorship. Today, majority of top positions in Jammeh’s regime are occupied by Jolas. Jolas represent less than 10 % of Gambian population. It is historic tragedy that we have Jammeh brought in an evil system which will take long time to uproot. Gambia is heading to libyan’s situation. We cannot allow these few evil people to continue to exile half of the population while he systematically enriches himself.
Very true Maxs. Jobarteh is describing something exactly the same as is happening under the Gambian tyrant and monster Yaya Jammeh. If you replace Gadafi with Jammeh, the story is the same. Dictatorship is a mentality and is more or less identical everywhere.
Why do most of you have this hatred towards the Jolas? If anyone is to blame for Jammeh’s evil, it’s the whole Gambia. If it’s only Jolas, Jammeh will never win any election. Come to think of it; Isatou Njie Saidy is not a Jola. Balance Gaba, Fatou Lamin Faye, Sanna Manjang, Sang Corea, Umpa Mendy, Fatou Mass Jobe…..the list goes on.
Intact, what is the percentage of Jolas in our Parliament? Very few. It’s high time we stop this hatred towards the Jolas. Yahya’s heartlessness can’t be blamed on a minority few. Post Jammeh, I for one as a Jola won’t take any BS from anyone for Yahya’s barbarism. Go for the enablers, but not any innocent Jola out there. Wa Salam!
This is a well dipped insight by Mr. Jobarteh here, worthy of integrating into the region’s curricula civic education and history textbooks. This is far much more than what the comments are trying to converge on. Thank you so.