Seriously speaking, there is something we need to be clear about the 2014 December 30th State House attack. This is necessary because trumpet has been blown for so long glorifying this coup attempt. But do we ask ourselves whether this particular illegal attempt to take over the government is different from the July 22 coup which had disvirgined the Gambia. The simple answer is an emphatic NO.
Do we know of any politician or employee of the previous regime who openly thumbprinted a coup d’etat of any nature? Not even opposition leaders wanted a bloodless one because coups in nature bring uncertainty, chaos or instability. In fact, almost all of the opposition party leaders condemned the December 30th attack and even disassociated themselves from it in totality.
If the people who desperately yearn for change bullshit a coup, why do some people keep using the social media platform to heap attacks on the likes of Lt. General Masaneh Kinteh, branding them as “the Jammeh enablers.” Like all government officials, Kinteh’s supposed crime – if it does exist – was to write to former President Yahya Jammeh condemning December 30th failed coup plot. What is the illegality in condemning what is purely illegal?
Jammeh had stepped on Gambians so hard that people thought any means, including violence is appropriate to unseat him. Proponents of this belief include those who supported Jammeh in his early days.
Truthfully, the fight to send Jammeh packing was long, brutal and painful. So many innocent souls and material resources have been lost. We have all contributed our quota until change happened. There are a lot of unsung heroes in this fight who tried the route of December 30 attackers but failed. What about the people who were arrested at work, on bed or on the streets and accused of plotting to dislodge Jammeh from power? Like State House attackers, some of the plotters too received cold-blooded murders. Should we crown these people as martyrs?
Do we forget about the 15 gallant soldiers who were summarily executed on November 11 and 12, 1994 for attempting to get rid of a dictator in the making? Is it fair to call November killers and their loudmouth cyber warriors heroes when their hands are still stained with innocent bloods? We mean those who pulled the triggers and those who bundled their fellow soldiers in vehicle trunks and tied them like baboons.
Do we also forget about the executed six security officers and maimed survivors of March 21st 2006 coup? How fair are we to the families of the unsung heroes when we name the State House attackers as the only heroes?
No coup is glorious than the other, which is why we should give them all a deserving equality in the public space. All of them deserve our condemnation. We can cherry pick or glorify a coup which is our right to freedom of expression. We have to throw away our democratic cap if we choose this route. Let’s decide what we want to be: coup or democracy advocates.
It’s about time we busied ourselves with germinating our new found democracy rather than glorifying coups. Surely, we need everything in a New Gambia except a coup, which has left us in pieces instead of in peace. Let’s therefore put our broken pieces together.
Ends
The only reason we condemned the former enablers are they simply ignored the cries of the gambian people and help entrench evil for the past 22 years.They don’t only betrayed their human nature to consciously ally themselves with evil but many of them stoop so low that they will support anything that their material interest are there. So please these people as they are not fit to lead any civilized society.
Lamin, thank you for spelling it out for some of these editors. Few things to add to what you said.
Editor, no one is stopping you from recognizing anyone you wish to recognize as your hero. Please take the time and recognize anyone that you think put their lives down for Gambia. That is is your choice. In so doing, please be kind enough to let others recognize anyone they too wish to recognize. That will save you you much angst.
Regarding Masaneh Kinteh, you maintained that is only crime is that he wrote a letter condemning the December 30 attack. Well that is is pejorative. But just as he had the right to say what he pleases, so do we. What people like you fail fail to understand is that Masaneh Kinteh chose to align himself with a man he knew was a killer, a thief and an abuser. So yes, while the opposition members condemned the December 30 attack, at least they did not not align themselves with a murderer and prayed for him him to live long and rule the Gambia. I am not saying I agree with their condemnation of it either because besides the omniscient Halifa Sallah, all the others were measured in their condemnation even if I think they were being hypocritical.
Your Masaneh Kinteh and his ilk, stood by while Yaya killed their comrades and raped our country. Yet he supported Yaya. Despite all the atrocities that Masaneh knew Yaya was committing against Gambia and Gambians, he supported him and painted him as a man of peace. Mind you, Masaneh was not an ordinary Gambian. He was in charge of the army. Because he supported Yaya and his abuse against against Gambians, he chose to do nothing but stand aside and watch.. If he couldn’t do anything about the abuse and rape of his fellow citizens, people he swore to defend, the honorable thing he should have done was to simply resign. But he did not. He abdicated his duty as a sworn officer and could care less how many people Yaya kills. Editor, if you cannot be honest enough to hold the Masaneh Kintehs and Isatou Njie Saidys accountable for their betrayal of Gambia, then spare us such self-serving editorials.
complete a**** holes if you excuse my french!
D30 are the true patriots, freedom fighters and heroes who deserved highest honour of the Gambia Government, especially the Coalition government have the opportunity to grant them their well deserved glory, for selfless sacrificing fighting for freedom, to end bloody tyranny and save the Gambia.
Solo Sandeng was a victim of bloody tyranny and tragically martyr of UDP among other political victims but D30 are actually freedom fighters and not political party militants. That’s the difference and Kairo news editorial board got this editorial biased.
Dawda is at it again distorting truth. The coalition government is not mad enough to recognise an illegal attempt to take over the country. Then they are telling everyone that it is legal to take up arms and dislodge any government from power. I think these December 30th plotters will be bold enough to tell Gambians what they don’t know about the plot.