The Secretary General of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism has asked about the body of the slain opposition activist Ebrima Solo Sandeng. In a solidarity message on the conviction of the United Democratic Party leadership and supporters published below, Halifa Sallah asked: “Where is his body? Every body would ask: When is he confirmed dead and why did it take this long for his family and party leadership to know the truth? If the law of the land was complied with in the first place, would it have been necessary for any one to take any action to find out whether he was dead or alive?”
SUBJECT: IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE UDP LEADERSHIP
FREE OUSAINOU DARBOE AND UDP MEMBERS CAMPAIGN
Dear Compatriots,
Today, at this very hour, minute and second, our hearts beat in unison with the heartbeats of your leaders and members who are incarcerated at the Central Prisons in Mile two.
Their crime is associated with holding a procession but the court has confirmed without any shadow of doubt that they were not guilty of any incitement of violence.
Despite this salient point, they were charged with 7 counts and convicted of 6 counts. They were sentenced to several terms of imprisonment which are to be served concurrently, thus earning them a 3 year jail sentence, partly because of the existence of a law which was enacted since 31st October 1961. This Act imposed mandatory jail sentence of 1 year for holding a procession without a permit. This law was allowed to continue as enacted by the colonial administration until 2009 when the penalty for holding procession without a permit was increased to 3 years by the National Assembly members. Hence the law made by Gambian members of Parliament in collaboration with the executive imposes a 3-year mandatory jail sentence, without any option of a fine to first time offenders.
This retributive style of law making binds the hands of courts and compels judges to send first time offenders to jail without regard to their circumstances, which should be given due consideration in any manner of sentencing that is rooted in substantive justice.
In actual fact, there is need to amend such a law which came into being before Gambia became a Republic. In his book Kairaba the former head of state did give a narration of developments in 1961 which provided the genesis of the Act. He explained how M E Jallow of the Gambia Workers Union turned his back at the Joint Industrial Council and demanded a 90 percent increase in wages. On 20th January his application for a permit to hold a procession was rejected. The defiance of the Union against the refusal to grant permit by going on strike and confronting the security forces led to the arrest and charging of Jallow Jallow for incitement of violence. According to Ex President Jawara Police reinforcement had to be brought from Sierra Leone to provide more security. It is important to mention that when the Colonial administration decided to hold a Constitutional Conference in May 1961 ME Jallow was invited to be a delegate.
Political protests are mere manifestations of concerns, especially when they are not linked to any incitement of violence. Permits are just instruments for the regulation of public order. Hence omission in obtaining them could be handled by dialogue and conciliation if the extenuating circumstances which gave rise to the omission are given fair assessment.
The point at issue is that Ousainou Darboe and UDP members spent over two months in detention and are now sentenced. Ebrima Solo Sandeng’s whereabouts is now known. He is dead. It is his whereabouts that the UDP leadership sought to ascertain.
Where is his body? Every body would ask: When is he confirmed dead and why did it take this long for his family and party leadership to know the truth? If the law of the land was complied with in the first place, would it have been necessary for any one to take any action to find out whether he was dead or alive?
The Coroner’s Act is clear. It states that “when a person dies while in the custody of the police or of a prison officer or in prison or when detained in any place under the provision of the lunatics detention Act, or of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Police Officer or the Prison Officer or other person having the custody or charge of the detained person at the time of his or her death shall immediately give notice of the death to the nearest Coroner……….” The Coroner shall hold an inquiry into the cause of death in the manner provided in the Act.
The Coroner in Banjul and KMC is a Magistrate of the first class.
Hence Ebrima Solo Sandeng’s death should have been immediately reported to such a Magistrate who, sitting as Coroner, has powers to hold an inquiry into the cause of death and direct a medical officer or other duly qualified medical practitioner to hold a post mortem examination of the deceased person and may prohibit the burial or order the exhumation of a body to conduct enquiry.
If such procedure was adhered to with consistency there would not have been any need for anyone to protest to find out Ebrima Solo Sandeng’s whereabouts. What had happened would not have happened.
Ebrima Solo Sandeng is the key to the case which led to the incarceration of your leaders and members.
Substantive justice demanded for the state to sort out his whereabouts and give the true picture to address the legitimate concerns of his family members and the UDP leadership.
The state should now have the moral duty to review the plight of those who were driven to action to inquire into Ebrima Solo Sandeng’s whereabouts because of the omission to abide by the letter and spirit of the Coroner’s Act which demands immediate action in making death in detention a public matter that should not be shrouded in any form of secrecy. This is what is reasonable and justifiable in any society which claims to value human life.
We had anticipated that your party leader would say after judgment, if he was allowed to address the court before his sentence was delivered as required by Section 244 of the Criminal Procedure Code, that the wailings of Ebrima Solo Sandeng’s children and loved ones at his residence, with the threat that they would march to demand for their father’s body whatever the peril or the cost, would have moved any leader of conscience to march in their place and suffer the fate that would have been the consequences of their action.
This is why we have repeatedly said that when conscience dictates reaction to a life or death challenge, criminality should not be alleged. Consequently, we have spared no effort in calling on the State to take this case as a political conflict which requires dialogue and resolution rather than a criminal case requiring prosecution and retribution. Our stance remains the same.
Your leader had no intention to overthrow a government, kill a person or cause any violence. The court has confirmed this by striking out Count No. 3. There was no incitement to violence; hence there was no criminal intent. Your leader is not a criminal. He has been a member of the legal fraternity for 43 years. He chose to exercise his right to form a political party and participate as a candidate in election.
As a leader, he has an obligation to stand up for those he leads. This is a virtue and not a vice and should be recognised as such by any authority that has any regard for duty, justice and fair play.
His incarceration for standing up for his members is not an ordinary event. Today, the members of his party, the people who voted for him in the 2011 Presidential election, the hundreds of thousands of Gambians who want justice not only to be done but to be seen to be done, and the millions of people in the world, who see the issuing of permits in the exercise of freedom of assembly and association as mere formalities aimed at protecting those demonstrating or engaging in processions, would not go to sleep with ease knowing that the fate of the UDP leader and its members is hanging in the balance of uncertainty ,waiting for those in authority to act without conditionality in good faith in the public interest .
The reverberation of the tune of the National Anthem as wailing supporters displayed their shock and disbelief should drive home the message that the proper action that is required to handle the April 14 and 16 incidents and others connected to them, especially when loss of life is confirmed, is political dialogue and diligent investigation into the loss of life and not legal retribution.
In our view, every just Gambian must bear the very words of the National Anthem in mind as sang by the UDP leadership and members: ‘let justice guide our actions towards our common good’; ‘and join our diverse peoples to prove man’s brotherhood’ (meaning our common humanity). It is therefore absolutely essential for everyone whose conscience is pricked to launch a ‘Free Ousainou Darboe and UDP Members Campaign’. We will propagate this spirit among the PDOIS membership and among all those we could influence until Mr. Darboe and all UDP members rejoin their families and party members and continue to play their part in shaping the political will of the Gambian people.
This is the task before us and we wish to assure you that we will not be found wanting in working assiduously, individually and collectively to achieve the goal.
While giving assurance that we are with you in heart and spirit in your time of need, please accept dear compatriots the assurances of our highest consideration and esteem.
Yours in the Service of the People,
Halifa Sallah
For the Central Committee
Ends
I think Mr. Sallah and PDOIS are late to ask “where is solo Sanderg ?” In fact, Mr Sllah was aware of the death of solo Sanderg just like Darboe was aware of but Darboe asked the same question Halifa is now asking. Halifa Sallah’s general statements with regards to this conviction has zero benefit to the family of Solo Sanderg and UDP leadership. What is needed is the action to show solidarity at the time and now but not mere foolish lecture about what should have been done in the case. His overall message is just vague and general statements as he always do.
Max, sometimes you just have to be a “drama”. You intentionally bring up these issues for no apparent reason other than to find fault.
Do you want to tell me that you do not understand the point that Halifa is making when he repeatedly and continuously asked this question? Where is Solo Sandeng?
Kamalo , what is the point of asking this question now which should have been asked long time ago . Darboe and udp leadership asked the same question long time ago . Halifa has indicated that Darboe ” as a leader has an obligation to stand up for those he lead ” , therefore in his myopic view , since mr Sanderg was a udp member then it was the responsibility of udp leadership to stand up and fight for justice for solo and his group . This was the reason why he cowardly and hypocritically refused to stand up for justice . Showing a mere rhetoritical solidarity without action is indeed nonsensical and hypocritical to say the least. As manjou said , Halifa should simply keep quite and say nothing .
The protest was about electoral reforms which is national issue because it is for the benefit of all opposition parties including pdois .Solo Sanderg died on behalf of the Gambian people but not just for udp . But it is shameful and disgraceful to see other opposition parties considered his death as udp problem while those with hateful mindset has considered his death as another Mandinka problem . The peaceful protest has the chance to bring genuine democratic process in our country but it was misopportunity . Whether the solidarity is from PPP , NCP , NRP or pdois or even New political party , I still consider it as hypocritical . Kamalo , majority Gambian are not very honest about current political situation because majority is just pretending that nothing serious is happening in our country . Our behavior do not reflect the divine doctrine of any major religion because we do not act to stand up for each other when justice and fair treatment are violated . What Halifa did is what many typical Gambian will do , that is they will not do any actionable involvement to solve problem but they will later offer hypocritical solidarity when things calm down . It is very few brave , honest and truthful citizens who would stand up for justice and rule of law while the majority with their obsessive indocrinated religious beliefs will sit on the fence as if nothing is wrong. Majority of our political and religious leadership behaves in this way . If I could recalled right after the peaceful demonstration , leadership of NRP and PPP all promised that they were going to have emergency opposition meeting but to this day no one hear from them about the outcome of supposedly meeting . In the same period , pdois leadership stayed mute about the peaceful protest but only surfaced later in photo up and malicious press releases designed to sell their unsaleable political programs which has expired as useless product in the eyes of Gambians long time ago . Writing a love letter to a dictator never remove dictatorship anywhere , therefore Halifa sallah should quit writing romantic and professorial letter to the dictator . Any time Jammeh receive his letters , he keep laughing at him . Let him just take another strategy .
Max, it is unfortunate that you are deeply settled in your partisan rancor. And from this depth you have lost semblance to any objective reasoning.
You keep repeating the same thing and it never occurred to you that you are wrong.
The premise of your,arguments are not factual which also makes the arguments conclusively wrong. And you keep making them. I suppose to speak to the gallery.
We want to honor the memory of Solo Sandeng who lost his life, and give solidarity to those who are incarcerated.
For this reason I will not go back to the rebuttal we have given to all your baseless arguments. You can continue to talk about Halifa all you want.
If you cannot recognize that there is a new political reality that we must contend with it is disappointing. We want to move on.
How can you honor the victims you have no regards for since day one or even show solidarity to those who are illegally kidnapped when you have no regards for their effort in the fight for justice ? I cannot understand how heartless you guys can be . You guys behaves like a rapist in Ohio who kidnapped a young girl in his home but the following day , he showed up at the community gathering to raise fund for the victim and their family and also to give flyers in search of the victim he kidnapped . Mr Castro was later sentenced to 1000 years in prison without any possibility of parole and he later committed a suicide in prison . I think this is best scenario I can explained the behaviors of you confused and dishonest disciples . When Darboe and co were fighting for justice , none of you supported him but today you can show your fake solidarity and fake honor to the victims . This is hypocrisy and heartlessness at worst .
Mr Sallah has nothing to ask where is Solo Sandeng, You the people were thinking you were fooling the people of the Gambia since Solo was arrested. You were all keeping quiet thinking that if the UDP leader is in prison you would have chance to defeat Jammeh. Solo was claiming for electoral reforms for all the opposition parties not only UDP? So Mr Sallah keep quiet, it is too late to quit when the head is off
Proof after proof that the Gambia’s evolving democratic civil society process started a retrogression from the ’94 coup onwards.
-How comes the bad colonial law went bad on the triple during the-military-in-civilian-clothes government?
-The ’61 act did not prevent or block protests in the Gambia before 1994, especially demonstrated in the 1987 or so schools strike in the GBA where former education minister Luise Njie’s car had been pounded upon when she tried to meet with some student union leaders at independence drive’ Turntable’, in order to convince them herself, for them to keep the calm.
Mr. Sallah, remember no student got hurt much more to say ‘died’. Some however got muddied because they have to run through the swamps behind T-road (tan) if I am write, to escape something they called then gendarmerie or TSG’s pepper sprays.
Mr. Sallah is the wittiest person I have come to know. Another question to him again is;
Have there been any constitutionality in the selection of parliamentarians (representatives) and the making of laws in the Gambia since the military kick of state??
Quote Halifa “As a leader, he has an obligation to stand up for those he leads. This is a virtue and not a vice and should be recognized as such by any authority that has any regard for duty, justice and fair play.”
– This virtue ISN’T limited necessarily for Ousainou & UDP leadership alone but TRUE for ALL other political leaders whosoever represent TRUTH individually & collectively including the MURDEROUS aprc & the kanilai KILLER ALLIGATOR & you Halifa yourself….?
How did you (Halifa) known & managed to tell that the alleged witches persecution barbarities were against ‘PDOIS only’ when you demonstrated without a permit, if that’s the yardstick for political hypocrites; aren’t there any PDOIS Mandinka supporters when you deaf-played KILLER yaya DEVIL ethnic hatred, etc etc; yet Ousainou Darboe stood up & “defended” you Halifa when you had your own brush with the same kanilai KILLER DEVIL…??
Whilst yaya MURDERER Jammeh is indeed DEVIL in EVILNESS for real who continue to murder opponents & perceived enemies including own family members & own supporters & enablers alike, it’s constitutionally OBLIGATED, COMMITTED to, & INCUMBENT upon ALL politicians & political leaders & including all those in leadership trusts, to stand up & defend the peasantry population transcending political boundaries at ALL times WHETHER in serving leadership capacities &/ in waiting opposition postilions…???
Mr Sallah has nothing to ask where is Solo Sandeng, keep quiet you have nothing to say. Mr Sandeng was protesting for electoral reforms for all the parties, not only UDP? So you guys were thinking that if the UDP leader is in prison you would have chance to defeat Jammeh. If you guys have the interest of the Gambia like Mr Darboe both of u supposed to be in prison now. Keep quiet Mr Sallah.
A fitting message of solidarity, from one independent opposition party, to another independent opposition party…
Sincere and genuine people should note and applaud the pledge by PDOIS, to launch a campaign of “Free Ousainou Darboe and his UDP members” (presumably on its political platforms) and propagate the idea amongst its members and those they can influence, until this goal is achieved ..
This is not only action oriented, but it is also a clear demonstration that outside of the UDP, no other groups or individuals on the ground (political or not) have shown more visible interest in this crisis, and dedicated more time to finding a sensible solution to it, than PDOIS and its leadership.
The inability of folks to applaud this effort from PDOIS, or even acknowledge this plain fact, whilst indulging in idle and endless yakety-yak every time PDOIS releases a statement, is a clear testimony of their insincerity, divisiveness and ignorance : even idiotic and spiteful at times, in matters being dealt with by this online community..
My advice to you all is to get a life and utilise your free times in productive ventures that will benefit Lawyer Darboe and his party members. Prattling endlessly about what Halifa and PDOIS should do will not only make them do it, but it does not benefit the incarcerated people in Mile 2 and elsewhere…Rather, you should be telling people what actions you have taken, so far, to advance the causes of the UDP members in prison, to achieving their freedom.
Bax , for how long do you confused disciples will continue to say that pdois is working on the release of Darboe and other kidnapped citizens ? I have been hearing the same garbage from you guys for two months . What influence did pdois has to ensure that these political prisoners are release ? At first you stated that it wasn’t a wise decision for pdois to Join udp in the peaceful protest because you are afriad that may lead to liquidation of all opposition leaders , therefore pdois will be helpful to fight for the release of Darboe and co . But it is two months nothing pdois has achieved so far . Stop pinning . Pdois should have simply joined udp leadership peaceful protest and that would give more weight and strength for the purpose of electoral reform protest . Right now pdois is engage in unproductive political campaign .
What influence has PDOIS got to ensure that these political prisoners are released, you asked…? That’s the most foolish and ridiculous question ever…? What influence has anybody got…? Didn’t almost everyone that matter raise their voices for the release of these detainees, with no avail : USA, UN, EU, AI, UDP,PDOIS, PPP…? Have they been released…? Does that mean that no one is doing anything…? See how thoughtless you are sometimes…!!
“PDOIS should have simply joined UDP leadership peaceful protest and that would give more weight and strength for the purpose of electoral reform protest..”
Isn’t it clear that you are admitting something here (PDOIS significance) when you say that their participation would “give more weight and strength” to the protest…whilst at the same time contradicting yourself when you have claimed many a time, that PDOIS is an insignificant 3% party…Make up your mind…Which is it…?
Whatever your opinion is of PDOIS’ political campaign is irrelevant, and as far as I am concerned, completely devoid of any significance whatsoever because of your well publicised prejudice against that party…You are incapable of making any honest assessment of PDOIS at this point in time…That’s how far down you have sank into this pit of hate and prejudice you dug for yourself..
Bax , you are indeed very dishonest because while I emphasized the need to unite to join peaceful protest at the time , you and your party leadership refused to answer to that call . Hence what I implied was that if there was unity in the form of pdois join of the protest , we would have more weight and strength to peaceful protest . Instead of acknowledgement of that important point , you went on your usually confused and dishonest propaganda . Peaceful protest for electoral reforms was a national issue but not only for udp as implied by you and your party leadership .
I will keep asking you about the influence of pdois to release these political prisoners because you guys have been saying that pdois is working on their release for months . We are yet to see your efforts . If everyone called on the regime to release these prisoners but Jammeh refused then why would pdois disciples continue to spin that pdois is making efforts as if pdois has significance influence . Pdois cannot act as mediator in this case but they should have acted as fighters to ensure that constitution right of everyone is respected . Pretentious solidarity is hypocritical and malicious . Solidarity was needed at the time when peaceful protesters were raped , tortured and killed but not when dust settle down . You cannot show up with your solidarity when the war is over , that means you are either a hypocrite or coward . Gambian people do not need pretentious and false leaders who refused to stand up for justice when it is really needed and most difficult time . So I say any pretentious solidarity is disingenuous and malicious. Those who truly showed solidarity to peaceful protesters are currently held as prisoners of conscience and true freedom fighters . They are in the same club with Dr King , Nelson Mandela and many great freedom fighters . I hope you get in your myopic mind .
Shivering cold. Isn’t it. I am here by urging the political scientist/s, to ‘note and applaud’ the pledge by PDOIS, to launch a campaign of “Free Ousainou Darboe and his UDP Members”.
Reading after them is a much more puzzling out than I guessed indeed or they themselves never care a grain with respect to what they may have said previously in the public debates, demonstrated in their habit of requesting for an evidence every now and then that they said this or that. Isn’t this strange of them?
What’s your point…? “Shivering cold !!!”…I’m not surprised…The stuff you are on must be the reason…
No; My intention is to say, (I am hereby urged by the political scientist/s, ‘to note and applaud’ the pledge by PDOIS, to launch a campaign of ”Free Ousainou Darboe and his UDP Members”).
-This is only meant to express the ridicule in @Bax’s urge to sincere and genuine people to ‘note and applaud’ a PDOIS……….what?
This is what dictators, oppressrs and even intimidators want; to tell you when to be inert, when to act, when to eat, when to sleep, when to be sad, when to be happy, when to laugh, when to smile and even when to frown. This is my reason of not liking them. I is my strong coviction that the PDOIS are no offset agaist the Gambia’s decayed state of constitution and Aprc’s cooked-up and stooge majority in parliament.
@ Manjou When Halifa Sallah was in prison, arrested and detained many thimes fighting for “the people” and “interest of The Gambia”, did Darboe join him?
Also is Darboe supposed to be imprisoned or was Solo Sandeng supposed to face this tragedy? Both of them, are they supposed to face tragic events; beyond expectation of UDP?
Even crocodiles seem to have more tears than some hypocrites without any backbones who can come in all shapes, forms & characters; the characteristics of hypocrisy exhibits manifestly even with mere pretentious gesticulations, much more in words & deeds; insincere solidarity pretentions disguised for sympathy buying purposes only fools sycophants who sees not beyond own noses; the genuine people know the Gambia is what matters first above anything else; the struggle continues against the MURDEROUS kanilai KILLER DEVIL & EVERY aid abet enablers until successfully completed; truth always triumph over evil no matter how it takes…
Long live the Gambia…
The pot calling the kettle black! Look at yourself in the mirror with your general malicious slanders and false allegations.
Who are these referred (or dissed) indirectly? Ridiculous comments and mere cheap rhetoric!
Hey look Dawda! both my kettle and pot are stainless steel. Your have to know the simple procedure to glisten yours or help others to, if you know how to.
“The pot” personify you and not a property, so you don’t know what you are spewing or discharging here!
I shouldn’t have wasted my time to react to your original comment!
Oh! you have reacted to a comment of mine? I haven’t followed it. Arrogance is a bad disease it can be hardly concealed. Why are you talking like, ‘I shouldn’t have wasted my time to react to your original comment’? Who are you in the first place to be thinking that your time is so precious and it can be wasted by someone somewhere here, in the national debate at Kairo news.
You are personifying yourself as ‘the black kettle’ and personified Bajaw as ‘the blacker pot’. Your kind of proverb makes the most stupid sense so I would like you to be using appropiate proverbs in the public debate. What I am trying to tell you indeed is that we’ve got to know how to get the soot off our cooking utensils because it is wrong to be using them coated with soot. That is a proverb that needs to be trashed. It is a senseless piece of humorous garbage.
Shallow!
I am told that coward called himself max is undercover NIA he is out to sabotage any effort to get UDP PDOIS coalition because his boss Yaya Jammeh scare of UDP/PDOIS coalition to dead,so let UDP be mindful of him,no matter how close he is to UDP and its leader, in Gambia very few people that money cannot buy.
Gibiri s smateh , I cannot stop laughing when I read your posting in which you claimed I am undercover Nia agent . This is by far the most ridiculous and outrageous claim you confused disciples continue to make about me . Bamba has accused me of using pdois to file for political asylum which was the biggest lie ever . I think it is better for you guys to come up with better explanation to attack me but foolish and laughable claim will only exposes your igonrance . I am not close to udp leadership as you suggested . I currently support udp because they are the only geniune opposition party which has stand for justice , rule of law , truth and decency to fight for the rights of ordinary citizens . This has been demonstrated in udp leadership and entire party efforts . I will be glad to see pdois abandon its rigid and dogmatic approach to current problem and be interested in geniune fight to restore democracy in The Gambia . Halifa must quit writing foolish letters to the dictator
You are the one wasting your time and energy with your foolish rhetoric and malicious slanders.
You have not realised that you already wrote hundred pages of malicious slanders against Halifa Sallah/PDOIS without any effect!
What have you achieve campaigning to tarnish image of PDOIS of Halifa Sallah? Nothing but wasting your time and scadalising yourself!
The public (especially citizenry) are highly being politically informed and gaining civic education from PDOIS, Halifa Sallah and Foroyaa!
what else will we expect from undercover agent when he or she is discovered except denying it? i do not meant you are close to UDP leader, what i meant is that in a world of dirth politics driving by dictator there can be dirth undercover security agent,no matter how close he or she is to opposing side, so i hope you understand this mr.max Gambia is a village where one can run but cannot hide.
Do your best in participating towards restoring a civil democratic society, the rule of law and bringing an end to the evil state of impunity that is endorsed by and dwelling the hearts of many wicked and creepy citizens like you @gibiri. You said, ‘I was told………………..brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp’ and you hope to be listened to with a destracting and distorting tied old efforts in bringing state gangsterism to and end.
What i would guess you are up to is brnging about an interested to verify the identies of your already suspected and hunted ‘UDP cyber warriors’ or so-called sympathisers, as some ‘Gambia-status-quo-debate-bittered-cyber-police’ may refer to them. If you are a Gambian, you’ll agree with yourself that you have all the tones of a cold blooded creepy Nia about to cause distraction to the debates on about their horrible and heartless crimes that they have possibly conifed with none Gambians to commit against innocent people of the Gambia. It is a dirty world of politics from the Vikings’ conquering of most of Europe down to the scramble over Africa but where I intend to contribute my efforts to is simply restoring the value of rule of law in the Gambia, that has been robbed from it’s No Problem people since 1994. It is my individual opinion that, most people belonging to faiths in the Gambia are superstitious, thus encouraging the art of deconstruction of sacred teachings and voodoo, which spices up well with hypocrisy and greed, could be the reason why Max may choose to have being doing all the self-destructive work for his employers at that criminal installation/s in the country, as you claimed.
”what i would guess you are up to is, bring about interest in verifying the id………………………”
Gibril, thank you for the cautionary advice to all of us who want unity of forces to unseat Jammeh. Those who are vehemently opposed to sensible suggestions must have some personal reasons for doing so.
Well come back deep throated landlord @Yerro Ba. It is true as you said that one has to be very caustious in the midst of Gambians touching sensitive issues like the art of voodooism, superstition, malignous and hideous cultural beliefs. The latter are combustibles for the demons journey flights and one has to be steadfast and ready to sacrifice one’s state of mental focus, health and very life in trying to bust and neutralise this evil mindsets and energies keeping us in the dirt, dirtier than your lazy zigzagging.
The civil society where I live in don’t even know if state security agents have anything to do with politicians much more ordinary people in demontration. Your kind of view of a civil society for Gambia will not be any much better than that of North Korea and so I will bet. The process to unseat Jammeh was not deterred by anyone if not people like yourself who from start of knowing you have said very thing a snitch would like to say and fade away in thin air. It would have been a much bigger problem for Jammeh had he kidnapped the whole of the Gambia’s opposition leaderships and executives. Thereby, we could have been in the post dictatorship by now. The erudite political scientists at the PDOIS haven’t seen that necessity but still want themselves to be seen as the most resourceful, intelligent and most legal elements in the efforts of bringing about electoral reforms in the Gambia and have yet demonstrated the same in their suspicious heartless request for Solo Sandeng’s release ‘dead or alive’.
Rect; ‘malignant and hideous cultural belief’
Halifa Sallah strongly assert his statesmanship on these four premises or propositions and the issues are based on them;
1. Having realised that it incumbent upon himself as Party Leader to extend solidarity message against injustice meted out to UDP and done accordingly (following the civil route).
2.Referring to due process of Law and observed that injustice is done; especially failing in Solo Sandeng’s death procedure by pointing out the gross violations of Coroner’s Act and Section 244 of the Criminal Procedure Code on related court cases.
3. Citing the precedent on the judicial decision and cover brief civic and political lessons from this case to create more awareness for citizenry.
4. Resonate that it is “absolutely essential for everyone whose conscience is pricked to launch a ‘Free Ousainou Darboe and UDP Members Campaign’.”
It’s beefy and Halifa Sallah haven’t offered a bone to those always picking up bones.
Thank you.
But atleast he has considered himself to be in possesion of bones to offer. Witchcraft perhaps is nothing real; what may be real in the Gambia possibly is broad daylight cannibalism. We don’t have enough meat that is why the criminal state went as far as slaughtering donkeys , an animal the Gambians have always used as a farming partner whose meat has never been need by Gambians. @Dawda, Halifa got all the steak to stew so now he can go fatten some dog somewhere with bones. Ain’t no problem about this because their will be an expertised training of all the fattened dogs in the promising future.
Petty mind with pettiness!
Response to Max..
(1)…”Hence what I implied was that if there was unity in the form of pdois join of the protest , we would have more weight and strength to peaceful protest . ”
Comment: I did not say anything different from what you claim to have implied. All I did was to point out the obvious contradiction that claim exposed, in relation to your earlier claims that PDOIS is an insignificant party.
The rationale being that an insignificant party will have no impact on the demonstrations. Its presence will only be for the sake of being present alone…It cannot add any weight or strength to the protest, nor can its absence reduce any weight or strength from the same protest.
The only time PDOIS’ presence can add any weight or strength to the protest is when it has any significance at all. So you have to deal with that contradiction. Calling me names will not solve it for you..
(2)…” ….because you guys have been saying that pdois is working on their release for months . We are yet to see your efforts . ”
Comment : What you seem to be saying here is that because there is no end result (ie, Darboe & co are not released) PDOIS is not making any efforts for their release.
Fair enough, but if this is the standard you set to test (PDOIS) efforts to securing the release of Darboe and co, then your conclusion about PDOIS can only be correct if we apply the same standard across the board and get different answers.
In other words, if we ask : Is PDOIS making any efforts to secure the release of Darboe and co..? By your standard, our answer will be “No”, because Darboe and co are still in custody.
But if we apply the same standard across the board, the answer will be the same, I’m afraid.
For example if we ask : Is the diaspora making any efforts to secure the release of Darboe and co, our answer will be “NO”, because Darboe and co are still in custody. You can ask the same question about the EU, UK, USA, AI, SI, or even UDP and by your standard, the conclusion will be the same because the answer will be an emphatic “NO”… You have to deal with that flawed standard too..
Cont….
‘Fair enough, but if this is the standard you set to test (PDOIS) efforts to securing the release of Darboe and co, then your conclusion about PDOIS can only be correct if we apply the same standard across the board and get different answers.”
A salient point. This is the sort of deductive reasoning that is absent in most of Max’s arguments. If your premise is wrong your conclusion cannot be correct.
You cannot base an argument on accusation. And this is what Max is good at. You base your argument on facts and then you can make a logical deduction to arrive at the correct conclusion.
“….while I emphasized the need to unite to join peaceful protest at the time, you and your party leadership refused to answer to that call . ,……”
Comment : Unity anywhere in the world, as far as I know, is preceeded by formal engagements, either in the form of meetings, consultations, discussions etc, to reach agreements and take decisions together or plan joint actions.
If you can show conclusively and with evidence that PDOIS and other parties have had engagements and reached agreement to go on demonstrations, which they later reneged on, then your claim that PDOIS refused to join the protest would be true..
It is unfair and completely illogical to blame PDOIS for not joining a demonstration they knew nothing about.
You can interpret the participation of the UDP or the non participation of PDOIS in the demonstrations anyhow you wish, but you cannot change the facts that holding a demonstration was not a known item on the political agenda of any party..That situation was enforced on The Gambian People and opposition and how each party reacted was entirely their decision.
“Solidarity was needed at the time when peaceful protesters were raped , tortured and killed but not when dust settle down . You cannot show up with your solidarity when the war is over…”
Comment : Every body knows that PDOIS have been engaged with the situation from the very moment the crisis erupted and the evidence can be found in Foroyaa…
The question about the whereabouts of Solo Sandeng were headline stories carried by Foroyaa from the very beginning. The PDOIS Leadership was even accused of showing up in court and Lawyer Darboe’s residence for photo ops during the earliest days of the crisis..So how can you say that they did not show solidarity until after the war is over…?
You are definitely incapable of rational discussions and logical reasoning where PDOIS is concerned because of your prejudice and unfortunately, that is your biggest problem.
Halifa Sallah asks for Solo Sandeng’s body and elucidated on due process law (especially gross Coroner’s Act, Section 244 of the Criminal Procedure Code and flawed judgement).
GMC Leader Lawyer Mai Ahmad Fatty Post on FB 29 July at 19:53 ·copied and pasted which states that;
“JUDICIAL LAWLESSNESS ON SOLO SANDENG
The fulcrum of a habeas corpus application is “production”. The body (corpus) must be produced, either dead or alive, save as to exceptionally extenuating circumstances that must be clearly and unambiguously presented to the satisfaction of the court. The failure to produce the “corpus” cannot be substituted by judicial rationalization from the bench. That was what Dada did. At that point, the judge notionally descended down from the bench, entered the bar at the legal arena of the contestants, and sided with the prosecution as if she was a member of that team. This woman’s gross misconception of the law, is the only thing obvious about her. The failure to ‘order’ production of the corpus, in the absence of extraordinary extenuating facts submitted by the State after its admission of death under its custody, constitutes humongous misapplication of the law. Judge Dada is a judicial guillotine doing what she is being paid to do.”
Thank you Halifa Sallah with another feather on your cap.
@gibiri, you sound like a creepy, coward and deadly Nia yourself when you spoke with such arrogance like, ‘I am told that coward call himself Max is undercover……………………………………’ This is a kind of hypocrisy we have been talking of about ourselves as Gambians all the while in the debates. Why wouldn’t that person come on here in the forums to uncover Max undercover.
I have agreed and disagreed with the particular Max in several occasions reading the content of his participations and not curiousity as to what his real identity is. For this being the case, I would like to urge you (gibiri) to call this guy to come here and tell us how, when and where was it Max, for the benefit of the good cause of essential journalism.
Ggapm, don’t mind this gibril, he is another confused disciple who lacks independent thinking. Yaya Jammeh will be the last person on this earth who I will support or work for. I despise him in every aspect.
Bax PDOIS photo up at the court is not the same as UDP’s effort of standing to fight for justice. PDOIS was simply an observant of the court cases just like ordinary journalists. Halifa showed up so that he can observe the court proceeding and later write it in his newspaper, which is sorely about his business interest. If he care about showing true solidarity, he would have joined UDP peaceful protesters. I don’t know how many times I need to remind you that peaceful protest was about electoral reforms which is non-partisan agenda, therefore it is foolish idea to suggest that PDOIS should be informed of the protest when UDP party was never informed about it. UDP showed leadership by acting on the best interest of the innocent citizens and defended justice and constitution. Halifa not only failed the people but he refused to support his own employee who was the victim of peaceful protest as a journalist. Mr Mbenga was tortured and fled the country while Halifa refused to publish his story so that he can protect his business interest.
Bourne, I’m humbled indeed from your fountain of wisdom & needs not to have responded as Halifa Sallah & anybody else including my (little) self are all open to criticisms as fallible human beings; particularly in eyes & times of deception…
Dawda
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe stood up for Halifa Sallah whilst he (Halifa) Wasn’t UDP supporter’ but PDOIS member; ask Halifa to tell you where Ousainou was which might provide answer your question…
Thank you
Thanks Bajaw, for your humbling acknowledgement of your observed fountain of wisdom in me. I would say, where as I am actually voting in the post dictatorship Gambia as an Ousainou Darboe/ UDP supporter, this fact wouldn’t exclude the UDP party leader himself from his supporters criticism including mine, much more an opposition’s. It is all the statesman’s quality Hon. Ousainou Darboe has demonstrated all through his political and legal practioner’s carriers. Ousainou Darboe and his executive members are the ones i will refer to as statesmen and women of exemplary difference in contrast to the average Gambian’s lackadaisy towards his children and their children’s future.
“How can you honor the victims you have no regards for since day one or even show solidarity to those who are illegally kidnapped when you have no regards for their effort in the fight for justice ?”
Max, you cannot base an argument on accusation. You should base your argument on facts or a premise that is true or appears to be true. Then you make a logical argument base on that truth or premise to arrive at a given conclusion. This is how rational discussions should be conducted. .
This is not the case with your arguments. Your arguments are base on accusations. And consequently your conclusions are factually incorrect or wrong. I don’t know why you are deliberately doing this.
When you asked the question: how do you honor the victims you have no regards for, the assumption is that we do not have any regards for the victims. And since we do not have any regards for the victims we therefore cannot express any solidarity with them. This is your argument and your conclusion. But is it factual or true?
The answer is an emphatic no. How do you know that we do not have any regards for the victims?
Again, when you asked the question how can we show solidarity to those are illegally kidnapped, when we have no regards for their fight for justice, the assumption is that we have no regards for their fight for justice. Therefore we cannot give solidarity to them. This is your argument and your conclusion. But is it factual or true?
The answer is an emphatic no. How do you know that we have no regards for their fight for justice? And more importantly, how does “justice” fit into the whole argument?
I did not state anywhere my disregard for the victims since this incident occurred for you to make this assumption. Neither did I state my disregard for their fight for “justice”. Therefore it is a lie. It is an accusation that you are making against me.
“I cannot understand how heartless you guys can be . You guys behaves like a rapist in Ohio who kidnapped a young girl in his home but the following day , he showed up at the community gathering to raise fund for the victim and their family and also to give flyers in search of the victim he kidnapped ”
Your statement above is not only accusatory but it also shows that you have no serious bearing as far as making these outlandish claims. One would assume that when you make a charge that we have no regard for the efforts of others to fight for “justice” you will also take up the issue with seriousness.
‘ Mr Castro was later sentenced to 1000 years in prison without any possibility of parole and he later committed a suicide in prison . I think this is best scenario I can explained the behaviors of you confused and dishonest disciples . When Darboe and co were fighting for justice , none of you supported him but today you can show your fake solidarity and fake honor to the victims . This is hypocrisy and heartlessness at worst .”
Accusation. Accusation. It seems you do not have the capacity to make any rational arguments. Making it even more difficult to deal with you.
Freshen yourself like cocoanut water by telling me how those accusations are not true bro and on the right spot bro. This is a sharpened way of politically sensitising the citizens who drive the taxis and those who lay the bricks of the country’s infrastructure and the fish seller on the bicycle around the village.
Bourne, Max makes the claim in most of his statements directed at us that we have done something wrong.
But he cannot established this claim of wrong doing, let alone to prove that something wrong has been done. He only makes the allegation.
Let us consider this statement: “When Darboe and Co were fighting for justice, none of you supported him but today you can show your fake solidarity and fake honor to the victims,” Max.
The first question to be asked: when did Darboe and Co fought for justice?
All we know is that Darboe and Co started a protest to demand for the body of Solo Sandeng, dead or alive.
So the statement in the first place is disingenuous. It is not factually accurate.
Darboe and Co started a protest which barely gained momentum before they were arrested.
So how is the accusation that we did not support Darboe and Co true?
How is Max’s claim that we have done something wrong true? What have we done wrong?
Kamalo, as debates have been flowing like river, and as we agree or disagree with each other’s view or opinions and ideals, did you ever picked it up from @Bax claiming that protests where badly planned and had the UDP abided by due process, Solo Sandeng’s live might not have gone in vain and the uncalled for detention of Ousainou Darboe and the UDP executive might have been prevented??
I did not however keep my own archive of brothers comments or articles but I am well sure to be able to sufficiently follow them up however their language in these national debates might be sophisticated. I will not make archives but surely interested in what folks are writing.
Kamalo , I am not making any accusations or allegations aganist you or any of your fellow confused disciples . The fact is that you have no regards for the victims of peaceful protest because you all failed to support them. Some of you have considered their efforts as a threat to national security , war mongers, detractors and messey planned protest . Since you do not support them at the time then it can be concluded that your solidarity or honor is disingenuous and fake . It is the same reason I equated your fake solidarity to a rapist , mr Castro who pretentiously showed up at a vigil or fundraising event for his kidnapped victim and her family . It is the same practice dictator Jammeh usually do in his pretentious efforts to send significant amount of money to his Victims families . Today all of you have considered Darboe and co as heroes but yesterday when he demonstrated or stood up in court to defie the kangaroo courts and it’s despicable judges , some of you are heard calling on him to represent himself to ensure that he contribute to his conviction . After all is said and done , you have come back to your senses and have recognized that mr Darboe and co were indeed right to fight for justice .
“Kamalo , I am not making any accusations or allegations aganist you or any of your fellow confused disciples .”
Max, if you are not making accusations or allegations against us, what then have you been making in all your statements directed at us?
An accusation is a claim of wrongdoing against another person. The accusation can either be false or true. If it is false it is then regarded as a false accusation.
You, Max, make the claim that we have no regards for the efforts of the victims who were fighting for justice. What is the charge of wrongdoing?
That we have no regards for the efforts of the victims who were fighting for justice. More so, when you claim that they were fighting for justice on our behalf.
And to make sure that we are guilty of this act of wrongdoing, you followed your accusation with the remark: “I cannot understand how heartless you guys can be.”
Then you compared us to a rapist who kidnapped a young girl and then became actively involved in the search for her whereabouts.
If the remarks that you consistently direct at us are not accusations, when then are you implying?
You make an accusation when you say that someone is guilty of doing something wrong. You have stated that we have shown fake solidarity and fake honor to the victims.
“The fact is that you have no regards for the victims of peaceful protest because you all failed to support them.”
It seems you still do not understand that you are making an accusation when you make remarks like the one above. There is no fact in your statement because you cannot prove that we have no regards for the victims.
And you are still making a claim of wrongdoing. That we have failed to support them. We have failed to support the victims.
” Some of you have considered their efforts as a threat to national security , war mongers, detractors and messey planned protest ”
These are all allegations which are not true. You are not putting the statements made in reference to these allegations in their proper context.
The charge of war mongering has nothing to do with the protesters.
And the issue of “detractors and messy planned protest”, if ever made have been explained over and over again in their correct contextual frame.
But for someone like you who is always twisting other people’s remarks, nobody can take seriously what you think of other people’s comments.
.
” Since you do not support them at the time then it can be concluded that your solidarity or honor is disingenuous and fake .”
Why are you still trying to justify your ill conceived notions? Who are you to say that someone’s solidarity or support is disingenuous and fake? What a bull crap.
“It is the same reason I equated your fake solidarity to a rapist , mr Castro who pretentiously showed up at a vigil or fundraising event for his kidnapped victim and her family .”
Now that you understand what an accusation is, I will excuse the rest of your remarks including the one above.
Do you have any proof that our expression of solidarity to Darboe and Co is fake?
“It is the same practice dictator Jammeh usually do in his pretentious efforts to send significant amount of money to his Victims families .”
It should now be clear to you that your rebuttal that your are not making an accusation or allegation is not true.
You have been making an accusation or allegation, and the comparison you have made above is a testament to that fact.
“Today all of you have considered Darboe and co as heroes”
This is a blatant lie. Show me where I and my colleagues have stated that Darboe and Co are heroes?
You have a tendency to lump all your untruthful statements in one paragraph thus the need to separate this remark.
“.. but yesterday when he demonstrated or stood up in court to defie the kangaroo courts and it’s despicable judges , some of you are heard calling on him to represent himself to ensure that he contribute to his conviction .”
He has not represented himself. Are you saying that contributed to his conviction?
If that is the case you are supporting the notion that he should have represented himself. At least that would not have contributed to his conviction.
You have inadvertently supported our position that he should represent himself. May be not inadvertently. There is no logical inquiry to your statement.
“After all is said and done , you have come back to your senses and have recognized that mr Darboe and co were indeed right to fight for justice .”
Again, a blatant lie. Show me where I have stated and come to the recognition that Mr. Darboe and Co were indeed right to fight for justice? This is a fabrication.
I have made remarks with respect to a statement that Mr. Darboe was supposed to deliver in court before he was sentenced to prison.
All my remarks regarding this statement is there for anyone to reference. I did not say any of the things that you are attributing to me.
Indeed Bourne, can’t agree more factually; the collective betterment of the Gambia for our children & their children’s futures encompassing humanity at large into posterity is paramount & must be the driving force & purpose for ALL liberation committed citizenry endeavours amongst all motives whatsoever….
All genuine liberation committed Gambians continue to rally behind & standby Lawyer Ousainou Darboe & the UDP leadership selflessly engaged at the forefront of liberation directly confronting the cowardly kanilai MURDERER…
The struggle must continue to intensify unabated relentlessly until to the bittersweet end no matter how it takes…
Long live the Gambia…