By Suntou Bolonba Touray
Brixit has provided lesson for Africans worldwide, especially to those who sit comfortably in the West [America and Europe] assuming they can ignore Africa’s fight for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Being citizens of the West must not be used as a yardstick for one to turn their back on their country of origin.
Whether Africans like it or not, the world is telling us to make Africa habitable and conducive for progressive politics and existence, implying that right wing ideas will be on the rise in America, Europe and Asia. What if Donald Trump who has championed hatred towards immigrants and minorities, promising to build walls instead of bridges, win the United States presidential election in November? The land of freedom and liberty will cease to be inhabitable for Africans. It will come to a point in which they will prefer to live in Africa than grapple with racial hatred and prejudice.
Africans have no choice but to fight to have decent governments that respect human rights and human dignity.
Britain’s exit from the European Union is a demonstration of Britons’ anger towards immigrants. Their fear revolves around being invaded by immigrants who take their jobs as well as import their culture and religion to Britain. So let us not assume otherwise because this is not a vote against David Cameron or Jeremy Corbyn. It is not a vote for Nigel Farage or Boris Johnson either. It is a vote against us outsiders.
Those Gambians who shy away from talking about Gambian politics must wake up. Let them understand that the comfort, human rights and free speech they exercise and fancy in the West are badly needed in the Gambia and Africa at large.
The UK will be fine whether in or out of Europe. The exit is just a circus and entertainment for them. They have institutions that are resilient and strong to weather the storm. Alas! We Africans are now seen as unwanted and outsiders when dictators like Yahya Jammeh make our homes uninhabitable. With mad men and sycophantic bloodsuckers in charge we will continue to be seen as malignant tumour risk for the rest of the world.
The sad message the UK is sending to all patriotic, democracy and peace loving Africans to fix your backyard and leave us alone. How many of us read the Brixit between the line?
Ends
Whatever the reasons for Britain’s exit out the E.U as role models when it comes to intergrating with immigration, I think there is a much more abominable treatment of immigrants, especially Africans, elsewhere in the union at large. By upholding rhetorics like, ”it is values attached to why we are being called Great Britain”, they can revoke their European Union membership knowing that Africans are victims of modern day slavery in sister nations across the E.U despite the fact that Africans lack political sophistication at home.
I agree with the view that Africa needs to “fix” itself, but I don’t see the Brexit vote as indicative of hatred or dislike against immigrants per se.
There are nasty and quite frankly, despicable people everywhere and the UK is no exception, but the vote to leave the EU is an indication of two things, in my view :
(1)…The unhappiness of the UK population at the rate of UNCONTROLLED and UNCONTROLLABLE migration into the country, particularly in the face of cuts to services and social benefits. Many voters, who are immigrants themselves from outside the EU and immigrant populated areas, like Birmingham and the Midlands, have largely voted to leave the EU. I don’t think they would have voted that way if they felt that the vote was against migrants, in general. Turkeys would certainly not vote for Christmas.
(2)…(a) It is a rebellion or protest vote (if you like) against the establishment and “out of touch” political elite, who continued to argue for the benefits of migration into the UK, as a whole, but were oblivious and almost dismissive, of the concerns of ordinary working people who feel squeezed out of jobs, of school places, social housing, etc and have to deal with diminished and ever diminishing public services, due to the large, unforseen influx of citizens of new EU member states into the UK and the concerns at the prospect of many more heading towards the UK, as the EU greedily expands eastwards.
(b)…It is also a rejection of the European super state project by beareaucrats in Brussels, who are stealthily but steadily attempting to transform what was envisaged as an economic trading block or zone, into this monstrous and bellicose European Super State, able to dictate policy and pass laws that nullify or override national policies and laws, of supposedly independent and sovereign states, and impact lives of citizens, without citizens being able to exercise any control over the beareaucrats…
I feel these, rather than immigration per se, we’re the key reasons for the Leave Vote and I don’t think we have seen the end of departures from this union, as more and more political players throughout Europe are promising their own exit referenda if they ever get elected, and given current anti-establishment sentiments in the continent, such exit referenda are a real possibility.
I hope that NATO suffers the same fate as the EU. European People need investment in jobs, social and public services and better and up to date infrastructure that is environmentally friendly. They need investment in research to deal with the ever complex medical and aging conditions that their people are facing, as well as, affordable state funded and/or subsidised treatment and medicaments. They don’t need the wastage of valuable and much needed resources into weapons of mass destruction and this unhealthy and constant funding of wars, war mongering and posturing. This situation benefits no one, except the few at the top, but puts everyone else at the risk of annihilation from nuclear weapons and their related effects.
Bax , simply focus your energy on our to remove the tyrant instead of your continue efforts to support his agents of dictatorship. U.K. Has already established their political and economic systems which can endure any negative effects from this exit . Even if uk have WMD , they don’t use it on anyone but your leader Yaya is killing more people while you refused to condemn his agents such as pdois who are spinning for him . Please read dishonest and hypocritical story below .
http://www.foroyaa.gm/archives/10997#more-10997
What is “dishonest” and “hypocritical” about the story…?
Bax , I know you will distort the truth about foroyaa. But here is recent interview of foroyaa reporter which also indicate that pdois and foroyaa are agents of dictatorship. This further shows that Halifa and SAM Sarr are working with Jammeh and foroyaa is just business enterprise and tool to legitimize dictatorship.
Please read the link story below .
http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/gambia-breaking-news-tortured-foroyaa-newspaper-reporter-shreds-his-editors-apart-after-accusing-them-of-refusing-to-publish-torture-meted-out-him-by-jammehs-security-agents-halifa-sallah-and-sa/
This is another evidence you cannot deny . Yero Ba cannot deny this story either . Foroyaa is sham newspaper for Halifa’s selfish interest.
Max…
– There is nothing to distort here…But you must be cautious with Freedom Newspaper Reports. That medium has carried so many sensational reports that time proved to be baseless and utter nonsense.
– Only the Editors at Foroyaa can explain the editorial decisions of the paper, but I can understand why an opposition organ will be cautious about publishing information they cannot, and are unable to verify, and such security related cases are unverifiable…
Are we not witnesses to the case of the opposition official who relied on information he believed to be true, but which later proved to be false, to produce a document of support for a youth…? So Foroyaa is right to be cautious and I have no doubt that it will publish any information it can verify, if it is in the public interest.
– I don’t know whether reporting these cases in Gambian papers will change anything, but it must be stressed that the lack of reporting is not the reason why it is happening and therefore, journalists/politicians who don’t report these or hit the streets should not be held responsible in any way, shape or form for these acts of impunity.
The people who should be held directly responsible are the perpetrators and the officials who order or condone it and those who support them, especially the voters, should be held indirectly responsible because they know what this regime does with power.
To conclude, I would like to know why the people you support have not started a newspaper to report on the things Foroyaa would not report…After all, it is a collective responsibility. If you are not happy with the way Foroyaa is reporting issues, then redirect your energy towards helping those you agree with and view as the real deal in Gambian opposition politics, to report as you wish . May be then, we will see real differences.
Bax , you can foolishly blame the Gambian people for foroyaa lack of professionalism and integrity. You will say and do anything to defend lies . I cannot convince a pathological and Doctored liar . I am done with this one . See you on another topic .
That’s what @Bax and co. are best at. Fattening and distortion of simple and straight forward facts, opinions, ideals and viewpoints of others just to soup up the reading appetites and their own intellectual fantasies.
Show me where I distorted your viewpoints dreamer…? Intellectual what….? I am no intellectual, never mind suffer from their (intellectual) fantasies…
If you are not an intellectual then you are an idiot who didn’t know what he is talking about. You must have been indocrinated to think in ignorant fashion.
What do you admire or dislike in the Briton’s purely democratic exercise when you have paid complacency to the killing of constitutional protesters and the torture of mothers in your country.
Call me a ‘dreamer’, thats fine because I think of coming home to a civil society and you think that is never going to happen. Go along with your zigzags witty hypocrite.
Max did you realize that you are becoming so fussy and tarnished on this forum? Ever since you came into this forum, you have made it less interactive always creating ogre out of Halifa and Pdois on every topic on this forum, which is totally undeserving. The Foroyaa has, as always provided a befitting response to the purported story and what is evident on both the story and the response, is that Mamour Manga was just seeking for an unnecessary attention and he was at the protest on his own accord . This he has confessed to, when he admitted that he was asked by Halifa to leave the scene, as someone had already been dispatched to cover the protest but he insisted. Mr. Mbenga had an ulterior motive of been at the protest. Could it be for the story? I hope so.Why? Is anybody’s guess. Contrary to impression you want to give, the story has vindicated more than it has indicted Halifa and Pdois.
Bamba why are you writing jealous and bad minded comics? Are your writings without ulterior motives? You cannot be a good person in any sound mind’s eye because I see innocent blood trickle in between your writen lines. Your seem full of horror in your heart because people can’t run from themselves I believe.
God have mercy on the Gambia.
@Max…”Bax , you can foolishly blame the Gambian people for foroyaa lack of professionalism and integrity.”
Two things are obvious here, one of which has to be true :
(1)…either you don’t understand what I stated, or (2)…you are deliberately distorting what I stated.
I have NOT, (repeat) NOT blamed The Gambian People for anything, rather, I placed the blame on two groups, in the following way:
Direct blame : perpetrators and officials, who either carry out, or order/condone acts of impunity..
Indirect blame : supporters of the regime, especially the voters, because they know what this regime does with power. I hope that is clear.
I think the description of “pathological and doctored liar” fits you (Max) more than anyone else on this forum. One example is your repeated lies that Halifa referred to the entire diaspora as warmongers.
Bax , according to foroyaa ” mr Mbenga was on sick leave with pay for months and management was awaiting for his medical report in order to launch a campaign for medical treatment in abroad for stabbing he sustained during his youthful days ” .
Bax , first of all you know very well when someone is on sick leave with pay , the person do not go to work , so why would foroyaa management even assigned mr Mbenga to cover the protest in the first place and later Halifa changed his mind ? Someone who is awaiting for medical report needs to stay home especially if the management offered sick leave with pay for months as they falsely indicated. Foroyaa reasons above simply did not add up because it doesn’t make any sense any where in the world. If mr Mbenga has a medical problem, he need to stay at home until he get better . Would you go to work if your employer offer you sick leave with pay when you are sick . I know you won’t go because you like to have benefits especially employer’s benefits and you are on the record here for your relentless desire for government social programs such as free money for lazy people ( people without disability or medical problems who refused to find work ) . But in the case of mr Mbenga , he was sick and still foroyaa and Halifa asked him to work which is totally not in line with employees rights or pdois empty rhetoric about the rights of citizens. Foroyaa went ahead and published mr Mbenga’s story about the protest even though they refused to highlight his own torture he sustained during the coverage of the protest. This was indeed unfair and corrupt because they are concerned about their business interest. Therefore foroyaa showed lack of professionalism and integrity.
The fact is newspapers assign different reporters to different sectors.Mr. Mbenga is not just strong headed but he has refused good advise from his editors who know better. Pushing his editors to publish a particular statement in an article which can cause serious issues for the paper should be understood as protection for him and everyone instead of refusal. Refusing to withdraw from reporting a violent scene because you are not trained to do so should be considered as protection not refusal.
Sources trust Foroyaa because they notice that its protecting them against harm. Reporting what transpired at Darboe’s home before the incident after arrests have been made could implicate the victims further in case of court. Is Mbenga aware of that or is he just interested in his own enterprise?
Read the below editorial of Foroyaa and see for yourself what concerns Foroyaa most.
Editorial
Why editors must be mature?
It is not uncommon for prosecutors to go to proper sources to search for a particular edition of a newspaper and then invite who has a proper custody of the newspaper to serve as a witness by tendering it in court. In short, reports by newspapers could incriminate an accused person if it is proven that it is uttered by him or her. How to present what happens, where it happens, when it happens, who is involved and how require professional experience. If such professional experience is utilized, the public will know the facts without implicating anybody.
Foroyaa has been providing information on arrests, detentions, inhuman and degrading punishments and has carried out many investigations which led to the release of many people who were unlawfully detained; or provide redress to many grievances. The editors strive to conduct their duties without fear or favour, affection or ill will in accordance with the dictates of truth, good faith and public interest. We challenge anyone to give evidence of any article published by Foroyaa which is censured to sacrifice the principle of publishing the truth in good in the public interest.
Yerro Ba , Going by your assumption that mr Mbenga was not trained to cover protest , therefore Halifa’s call to ask him to withdraw from covering the protest is a form of his protection is indeed malicious. Did Halifa sallah and Sam Sarr has ever attended any school of journalism in any where in the world ? Are they professional journalists in the first place ? Please answer these questions. Halifa sallah and Sam Sarr are not professional journalists but they still claimed to have trained journalists while you indicated that mr Mbenga was not trained to cover protest . Do you see your double standard and hypocrisy I always point out . Mr Mbenga was with foroyaa all these years but foroyaa never claimed that he was not trained enough. I do not believe that the issue was about him not having training to cover protest. Today , you have many outstanding citizens journalists who report and cover political protest or demonstrations throughout the world . You also many outstanding citizens in many media outlets who are not professionally trained journalists but they are in media business doing a great job in covering stories . Many respected media outlets encourage citizens journalism or i-report to educate population about issues happening in their communities. social media outlets and information technology play a huge role in journalism or in education of citizens in this day and age . Mr Mbenga must be credited for being an outstanding citizen who reported on the protest and provided vital information for the world to expose the brutality of the regime . Pdois and foroyaa knew that mr Mbenga had such a capability to report factual story to the world but they do not want such story to reach the world , therefore Halifa sallah asked him not to cover the story to protect his business interest and the image of the regime . Foroyaa is losing credibility and they are on download spiral . Today they have put the picture of pa Nderry on their front page in retaliation of mr Mbenga story and my article on freedom for their selfish end .
Foroyaa and pdois are only interested to safeguard their business and political interest which is why they are going extra mile to defame , tarnish and caricature mr Mbenga in their paper . Gambians are not stupid people they know what pdois / foroyaa stand for . In your posting you have indicated that it is ok for foroyaa to bury Human rights violations of their own reporters as long as the protection and business interests of the management and leadership are concerned. That is not the type of leadership that Gambians want in our country. We want leaders who will stand up for rule of law, human rights and freedom but not for protection of their business interest.
@Yerro,’The fact is newspapers assign different reporters to different sectors. Mr. Mbenga is not just strong headed but he has refused good advice from his editors who know better’.
This makes journalist babies, and the Foroyaa editors the babysitters. You lack a clear idea of professional journalism in a civil society otherwise you wouldn’t have said something like, damn, ”he has refused good advice from his editors who know better”. Are Pdois seriously aspiring for leadership in the Gambia? I think the horror of Gambia’s state of affairs out there now is a mishap and a terrible lesson we are still learning to find resolutions.
Bamba , I am on a crusade against PDOIS and I want to make sure that Gambian people knows who are these people behind PDOIS and what they really stand for. I know that PDOIS did not stand for freedom , justice and human rights and rule of law but they stand for their selfish business interest. This is why they are expose . Mr Mbenga’s case is an indication how PDOIS operates. You can call me all kind of names if you want but i will continue to write as i see evidence. In fact , since i joined this forum , i was able to successfully argued and exposed PDOIS for their hypocrisy and dishonesty based on evidence. Mr Mbenga was a good reporter for foroyaa but today foroyaa is trying to paint him as bad guy who has history of violence or medical problem . Some one who was covering the protest , why would halifa suddenly asked to return but at the end of the day his story was featured in the newspaper while halifa refused to highlight his torture . something is fishy on Halifa’s action .After two months , foroyaa never bother to write about his case until today when Mr Mbenga told his story to Freedom . Halfa and foroyaa are on defensive mode . there are many similar cases like that of mr mbenga who are never reported because of business interest of foroyaa . why would halifa even sit on the editorial board if he want to have accountability and transparency?
What nonsense…! Absolute garbage and hypocritical…When did you know about Mr Mbenga . ..Isn’t it Foroyaa that gave Mr Mbenga the opportunity to develop himself and learn a trade, like they do for many Gambian youths..? Your types are the worst of hypocrites..
How many Gambian Youths did the people you support help to learn a trade and make a life for themselves…? It is unfortunate that Mr Mbenga has suffered such maltreatment but if he had listened and left the scene, may be this would not have happened to him…Nonetheless, the alleged behaviour of the Paramilitary is inexcusable and utterly repugnant.
It is difficult to understand why he chose to ignore the order to leave the scene if he was indeed on official Foroyaa assignment. I think he sent himself there because he was a freelance journalist and in that case, Foroyaa reserves the right to “buy” his story or not.
And the fact that he was almost desperately trying to get his story published by other papers does raise a few eyebrows, given what we now know about the whole situation.
Max you have a very fertile mind and I advise you to venture into novel writing. How you twist and turn statements with your sulphuric lies to suit your narratives is artistic. Foroyaa and Pdois do not value paper qualifications, and so do not rely on them to create names for themselves. If you want to know whether they have any journalism training or have attended any journalism school, tell your udp faithfuls to challenge them on the issue. When Yaya Jammeh took your position of lying to the whole nation that Halifa is not a degree holder, Halifa organized a press conference to prove him wrong, the end result of which was Yankuba Touray had to retract that statement that Yaya was just joking.That is who the Gambia’s heavyweight intellectual Halifa is. A cosmopolitan who refused to go back to complete his studies because he realized that he has acquired the knowledge required to advance his country. Journalists who passed through Foroyaa will not subscribe to your this outlandish claim. Did I hear you say on a crusade? Take it from me your’s is a failed adventure even before it starts.
@Bamba”A cosmopolitan who refused to go back to complete his studies because he realised that he has acquired the knowledge to advance his country”
Is this declaration not horrible to the ears?
Bamba you are the finisher with the Pdois tiredness. Good!, to cut off this scrap once and for all. Well done @Bamba. I never know Mr. Sallah is all this arrogant.
Ggapm, clearly you can see arrogance and self-righteous belief in mr sallah’s refusal to continue on his education and indocrinated beliefs of the confused disciples. This is the claim that he is very knowledgeable and he knows more than his professors at the university. Bamba and Yero will continue to make outlandish claims. Last time , Bamba also claimed that mr sallah taught maths , economic, political science and sociology at the university of The Gambia, when I confronted his lies , he disappeared in thin air . They always claimed that Halifa sallah is the best educated Gambian as Bamba just suggested but they failed to understand that Halifa sallah studied sociology not even at Ph.D. Level . If the man has the belief that he has acquired education to advance his country , therefore he was not going to finish his education at the university then that tell a lot about Halifa . No man can said he has acquired all the knowledge except a self-righteous man who never listened to anyone. Bamba has finally diagnosed the problem of pdois and Halifa sallah . These are people or a party with knowledge and therefore all other people and parties doesn’t matter as far as their ideas and knowledge is concerned. Bamba keep exposing the arrogance, ignorance, pomposity and self-righteousness of pdois and mr sallah .
The Pdois just won’t stop to amase Gambians with booga booga, @Max. They are fools who think Gambians shoul be waiting on their orders. Who knows Bamba is out here to bust their Pdois chops by himself. Guys don’t have a wee bit idea about nowadays democratic processes across the civilised world that’s why they are trying more and more northwards to Korea, though they are liveless now thanks to @Bamba and his likes of their Pdois clique, to be able to take Gambia for such horrible journeys.
Halifa Sallah is the father of the modern day Gambian politics. I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this but is the fact. Anyone who disputes this must certainly be living outside the gambia or must be on pseudonym. He has been writing on wide range of issues and challenging anyone to a debate if you so disagree, since the PPP era and since then no one including the UDP has come forward. The only one who came closer was Hamat Bah but his love ones prevail over him because of the consequences of being reduce to a floor mat.
Well my namesake Halifa should not be proud about ability to reduce people “to a floor mat” as you describe it. Yes, Halifa is a good man and erudite politician. But he is not “the father of modern day Gambian politics”. That honor is reserved for much older figures like D. K. Jawara, P.S. Njie, E. F. Small and J. C. Faye, among others. Halifa’s fatal flaw: his tendency to assume a position of infallibility. One fears that were Halifa to come to power, he would be worse than Jammeh in his rigidity and intolerance for criticism.
@Bamba, truth lies in the right side of our hearts where even the individual won’t be able to distort it. Thanks Halifa Jagleh. I am always inner urged to respond to @Bamba’s mental shallowness but I couldn’t have done it better than you did now.
Pdois in general must have been mad by now of @Bamba’s self-destructive habit.
Perhaps you want people on pseudonyms too learn their bitter lesson as you claimed resistance to the Status quo in Banjul have. I urge you to stop celebrating blood spill because when stitched with a pin you will feel the same pain. Time will tell you.
Halifa Jagleh , you stated the truth and summed up all the problems associated with Halifa Sallah leadership quality , temperament and character. He is going to be worse than Dictator Jammeh if he becomes the president of the Gambia . I am glad a lot of Gambians are now seeing the true color of Halifa Sallah. Yesterday freedom newspaper wrote very good editorial about why Halifa sallah has failed woefully and why he is not electable despite he spend all his adult life in politics . the confused disciples should take note..
I will not mention your name but at least you have qualified my assertion of Halifa being the father of modern day Gambian politics by quoting names who no longer exist. When I say modern day, logic dictates that I was referring to people who are existing and are active in politics. Max you have a problem am not sure I can solve it for you. UDP executive has spent the entire holy month in the mosquito infested Mile2 and must certainly to spend the feast at the same place and you are sitting on your laurels not directing your efforts to their release but on an imagine enemy. Shame on you.
Look at this stiff naked fool, @Bamba, saying, ‘I will not mention your name’, as if his mentioning a name makes a difference here. Look at his idiocy implying that ‘modern day’, cannot refer to people who are not alive. Blood is trickling down from the smelly corners of your lips, an indication of your contempt. You definitely want @Max and many more in the mosquito infested mile2. The Udp kidnapped executive will be freed and mark it.
The Pdois and others like them are fathers in fueling and endorsing dictatorships and their subsequent misrules and despotisms in the Gambia and elsewhere in the continent.
Ggamp you are a small bigot and if you observe i don’t normally respond to your bigotry. I deal with the bigger bigot Max and in any case, today is the Koriteh and you are telling me that the udp executive who are not yet convicted and who knows that they will be convicted will be freed. The question is when? Did I hear you say fathers in fuelling and endorsing dictatorship? If it is their refusal to join the “peaceful request”, then is a blessing and may it be prolonged. You an absolute dunderhead and I advise you to go and engage in something meaningful than wasting your time and effort on a person who don’t know you exist.
@Bamba, what is it really mean to you that someone knows you here?? What the hell you think this, ‘you are not known, I am well known’ and rubbish like that of yours means to civilised minded people in a civil society.We have debated on the ills of our society and one of those were ARROGANCE and the love of being seen as important thus love of praise singing which you are a perfect example for.
Let Gambians learn to respect the binmen and peanut sellers’ voice in the markets and taxi stands. You pompous and ignorant types are a silent malign to a poor peoples liberty and progress.
Bamba, Bamba, Bamba! hah, now I’m sure are dancing your head off happy, kook in the Gambia peasantry’s liberty and state of minds.
Max is really great you are right. Thanks for the assertion.
Bigotry describes nothing within a state of despotism like in the Gambia, if not the misruler and his enablers out there and here like wide mouth Bamba.