The battle line is drawn, and the urgency is upon all of us. Gambian youths should now demand the political space to be open and fair to all players. Youths of The Gambia have been the missing link in the entire 20 years of political struggle.
The time has come for the youths to be bold, politically aware, and conscious and determine to see change happens. If the youths join hands in Diaspora and back home, the entire APRC dictatorship will collapse quicker than anybody anticipates.
The opposition leaders will provide a legitimate face, but the youths will give them courage, boldness and determination to fight the system cleanly. The rise in global political instability is all as a result of bad leadership and governance problems.
The youth population in The Gambia is seriously dilapidated. Our educated men and women have been made hopeless, and are greatly suppressed. It is like all tongues are tied and all lips sealed.
The key to opening the public spaces lies at our feet as youths. The endless condemnation of opposition figures need to be better focus. Yahya Jammeh’s green boys are motivated by financial and job opportunities; the opposition youths have no such incentives.
The rise in youth unemployment, the taking of ‘back way’ to Europe is all common factors which should unite us and make us stand firm to confront the system and end the suppression.
The 21 years of repression hinders human intellectual growth, it stifles economic innovations and drive out entrepreneurs who should create jobs and enhance capacity. The University of The Gambia in itself is a stagnant institution that is not producing youths who will be great thinkers. The continued occupation of President Jammeh at state house is a retardation for our country.
The rule of law is supposed to be the only avenue where Gambians can rely upon to enjoy fairness and balance treatment. Not under the government of President Jammeh. There is no department that is not under the full control and manipulation of President Jammeh. This means, Gambians only have to censor themselves, accept the oppressive environment, and keep away from expressing any political opinion. This has to end and the youthful population have to stand up and be counted.
I am greatly encouraged by the activities of the UDP in travelling to far away corners of the Gambia. I called on other opposition parties to conduct activities that will create a tense environment. If there is anything we know about President Jammeh, it is that he hates noise and confrontation. The time is now, Jammeh must Go!
By Siray Touray (U.K)
Now, Suntou, who is this pretty young lady? Must be Dr Scattred-Janneh’s daughter – she is wearing his subversive T-Shirt! (lol)
Simply PROUD of you young lady. All our prayers to the youths. As parents who lost their freedom and dignity in the hands of a brutal and arrogant dictator who seize our country and made it his personal property and reduce us his subjects to subdue and obey without complain.
Say it again sister Siray. It is time the youths joined and lead the struggle with rest of the conscious Gambians to free the country from this brutal dictator called Yaya Jammeh. Time is not on our side because he is destroying the economic and institutional infrastructure of the country everyday his is power. Thank you for the well written article. I hope many of the Gambian youths read your article and get inspire by it.