Since the departure of the former President Yahya Jammeh to Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶 , it has been proven that a number of his APRC supporters have the tendency to disturb public order and challenge the status quo as a way of expressing their grievance over the demise of APRC regime. Nevertheless, whenever the government (through the Ministry of Interior) acts accordingly to curb these reported chaos and violence, some politicians at the other end of political spectrum describe this a hindrance to reconciliation process. They show their sympathy with perpetrators who will be depicted as victims in their eyes.
Alternatively, when the government becomes tolerant and reconciliatory, they describe this as sign of weakness, as they hold the government the responsibility of unorderly actions, while perpetrators’ violation of laws and public orders are overlooked purposely.
Yet, this raise the legitimate question of whether the Gambia will be able to achieve its long-awaited democracy and rule of law amid this widespread hypocrisy of specific politicians and their supporters! Apparently, they are resorting toward constructing their own reality to avoid antagonizing APRC, as the horizon of rapprochement with APRC leadership is imminent. This tick-tack political game should be circumvented to address the common threat that is being advanced by the few APRC supporters.
On a more serious note, what unfolded today in Kanilai is not a Foni issue neither a Jola issue as portrayed by some on the social media; rather, this so-called protest is mobilized and orchestrated by few APRC supporters who work hard to portray the act as a Foni issue.
Foni is not reduced to Foni Kansala or Kanilai, neither are all Fonikas APRC supporters. Patriotic Gambians within the five districts of Foni are not and will not involve in such action in the name of democracy, and in a bid to revive the memory of Jammeh who killed and brutalized tens of innocent Fonikas. What you see in the picture are those APRC supporters who still have it difficult to comprehend the change that happened. This could be ascribed to the fact that many of them have lost the privilege of being Jammeh’s associate or being an APRC supporter.
However, what they fail to understand is the fact that Kanilai is an autonomous region which is self-administered. Kanilai is part and parcel of the 🇬🇲, and the authority has all jurisdiction over its affairs and its people. Thus, it is up to the government to deploy any number of military personnel as well as any foreign troops that are being legally mandated to be deployed in the Gambia to beef up the security of the country wherever the threats are perceived to emanate. This fact should be communicated to these APRC supporters to know their limits as citizens and their political rights as Gambians. Moreover, these few supporters of the former regime should understand that the Gambia as a state was not built to be ruled by one individual in the of Yahya Jammeh; holding this belief is akin to death of loyalty to the nation and its institutions. The Gambia as a state with its three component (people, territory, sovereignty) is here to stay, while governments are designed to be alternated. The integrity of the Gambia and its security and that of its people should be overlooked in the pursuit of personal gains.
Gambia 🇬🇲 forever, together forever, Backward never.
Alieu SK Manjang
Ends