An influential opposition woman wants President Yahya Jammeh to understand that Gambian mothers are not scared of his security and their guns. “Let him [Jammeh] understand that we bring his gun-wielding men into this world,” Aja Yamundow Yarbou tells an opposition rally in Busumbala in Kombo North.
“Tell Yahya Jammeh that we are not scared of him and his soldiers, we are the very women who give birth to them, breastfeed and care for them until they have joined the military,” a defiant opposition women’s leader from Busumbala adds. Many people describe Aja Yamundow as “the bedrock of opposition” in Busumbala.
She says the UDP women think it is about time Gambians put an end to the culture of fear that has gripped the nation for so long. “We the women of UDP want the people to halt this culture of fear. We must not fear the security officers loyal to Yahya Jammeh. Are they not sons of women serving in all the security units?” she asked, wondering why mothers, for whatever reasons, fear their own sons.
“We pay for the school fees of our sons and daughters through gardening, selling vegetables at the markets, farming and doing every known hard labour, yet what is it that Gambian service men and women do?” another opposition woman from Mandinary, Nyokoi Njie of Mandinary, asks.
“Our sons are farming in Kanilai and herding Jammeh’s cattle. He uses them as slaves, yet we call them soldiers. What is the relevance of soldiers who cannot even defend the rights and dignities of their oppressed citizens? Clearly, we – us and the so-called soldiers – are in the same boat; we are both victims of Jammeh’s mistreatment or oppression. All we want is to get our seized constitutional rights,” Nyokoi Njie says.
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If these mothers keep their words the struggle to get rid of Dictator Jammeh has reached the boiling point. Well done good mothers.
Bravo to our solid mothers. You deserve our respect for us. Mama Gambia banks on your support for a bailout.
When our mothers speak who doubts the genuineness and sincerity in their tone. Not me. Their snake never crawls again. Please help us finish up a regime that destroys our proud social fabric.
These UDP women are the ones who will select a female candidate among themselves or their daughters if need be. OJ can cling on to his nominated female candidate, Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang.
Thanks
Stop being nagative and divisive Lafia…Madam Tambajang is a MOTHER too.. And the tribute here is to Gambian mothers..
I do hope UDP will -at the end of a thorough selection process -choose a woman as their Flag bearer. I am confident that if indeed available, a qualified woman candidate will galvanise the population to finally take the country back. Such a scenario will end the deplorable voter apathy, which is the biggest hurdle in effecting change in today’s. More than the so-called opposition unity.
bax, I wonder where OJ got the audacity to impose Madam Jallow-Tambajang upon us.
With all the explicit evidences Lafia manifests in his comments, he has shown to be no better than Yahya Jammeh, Fabakary Tombong , Fatoumata Jahumpa or Yankuba Colley who all see Gambia as Yahya Jammeh. Lafia equally sees Gambia as UDP’s and only he should determine the fate of opposition.
It is sad that he still can’t realise that all political parties are mere entities that are seeking the collective will of all to manage our affairs. Lafia sees all opposition as indebted to UDP and must submit themselves to the UDP will only.
There is nothing more dictatorial than his tones. Just as Yahya sees the Gambia as his property and everyone in it are subject to him bcus he sacrificed his life and rescued the country from PPP.
I wonder what will happen if Lafia’s party was in power, if he would respect anyone as the evidence in all his posts indicate that he respects only his party leader and he cares less about everyone else.
I am sure these are some of the reasons that unfortunately the udp’s scores in all elections since 1996 continues to be on a downward trend despite all the mergers and alliances they form with almost every party since their inception.
My sincere advice to the UDP leadership is to fish out Lafia and expel him before it is too late as he is sending away every potential would-be supporters from the party.
Lafia says he will not respect anyone bcus they belong to a smaller party, Yahya Jammeh says, he will not respect or listen to anyone bcus he is the one who was elected and he has the army and the treasury. What are the difference???????
Gambia said ” I am sure these are some the reasons that unfortunately the UDP’s scores in all elections since 1996 continues to be on a downward trend despite all the mergers and alliances they form with almost Every party since their inception”.
I want to point out the performance of UDP or any party in past elections has no bearing on extremists of any political party especially if such individuals are mere supporters . Therefore it is wrong to assume that past performance of Udp has to do with fringe supporter of udp like Lafia . If Lafia touray is the leader Or executive member of udp then your assertion might be right . The conduct of a leader of any party is far more important than mere supporter who may not be a member. In any political party there are extremists who believe only in leader of the party . Example there are some pdois or PPP disciples who believe that mr Sallah or Oj jallow is always right . Another example is Muslim terrorist or extremists like Imam fatty or Bin Laden . These are extremists of Islamic religion or Dictator jammeh who is extremist atheist because he is not Muslim or a Christian . Lafia Touray is an hardcore supporter of udp and particularly lawyer Darboe . He Is just mere supporter but not a member according to him . He failed to understand that Gambia and udp is bigger than lawyer Darboe . I am sure lawyer Darboe and udp leadership don’t agree with his extreme views.
You can’t compare Dictator jammeh with Lafia touray because jammeh is a leader of political party and head of state . The idiotic jammeh should have been more accountable to Gambian people if he is not an imbecilic dictator. I believe udp performance has more to do with stealing or cheating of an election by psychotic Dictator .
Come on Lafia…OJ cannot impose anyone on anybody..He is just expressing his opinion or making a suggestion as a bonafide Gambian. ..I’m sure that is allowed, even if he is OJ..
He had, in the past, expressed his support for a UDP led alliance.. Was he imposing the UDP on anyone then..?
Stop being negative and bullish…Alliance will not be formed until all agree to rally around a common agenda, and that means, respecting each other’s rights to be different and to exist as independent entities, with legitimate political ambitions..
Oh I see. But OJ thinks he can impose a candidate on the rest of us.
Gambia, Lafia is just a mere UDP supporter and not an official. I can support UDP any how I like. Even Lawyer Darboe cannot do anything about that. That is if he knows me. God bless him though.
Thanks
I just cannot understand why the Gambia army is accepting all the nonsenses this idiot is putting on them and still there is no one within the whole army to stop this madness,history will judge them negatively
Because the army belongs to him!
Because the army is infiltrated and reduced to a irrelevant institution. But that’s fine so. For any lasting change will only be achieved through a mass popular uprising.
bravo to the udp women definately we need changes in the gambia, if women participate probably we will fullfill our dreams long life for the struggle in the gambia
‘Mass popular uprising’, is the phrase as Kinteh puts it. I can imagine the soldiers guarding Yaya Jammeh out of the state house after and election victory by the opposition. I think he is ready to accept a defeat in the elections and peacefully bow out of the state house with regards to the so called security events at Busumbala.
Bax, do FJC and her Legion of women APRC supporters qualify as “Gambian mothers”?
The answer clearly being “yes”, then the question should be:
“How can the UDP win Gambian women’s support away from the APRC”?
In the last 21 years, Gambian women have been the bed-rock of support for the APRC – and women have been the biggest beneficiaries of Yahya Jammeh’s 21 years, be it in the area of political empowerment, social legislation and educational advancement.
(I appreciate that the issue of FGM remains an anomaly in this respect – but like my bosom-pal Sam Sarr I would blame the “Boko Haram imams” for this!)