By Dida Halake
“The stars are aligned”, as astrologers and the superstitious might say:
- The Senegalese have endured 2 months of being re-routed around Gambia to reach their southern province;
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Gambians have endured 2 months of the border closure that has created scarcity of major goods in the country;
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And on top of all that, the killing of Solo Sandeng and colleagues, and the Defiant Darboe’s Heroic Stance have finally galvanized the Gambian people and the International Community against the Jammeh regime.
The Senegalese have FIVE things to gain by toppling Jammeh:-
- They will get a new Government which will certainly commence the building of the Trans-Gambia bridge – for the first time connecting Cassamance to the rest of Senegal across The Gambia River. They know Jammeh will never allow them this – partly for the next reason;
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The Trans-Gambia bridge, and a change of Government in The Gambia, will make it easier for Senegal to end the Cassamance rebellion by a) enhancing Senegalese Military movements and b) removing Jammeh, a fellow tribesman of the Cassamance Rebels and a sympathiser, from power;
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The Senegalese will earn the gratitude of Gambian people by ending what is becoming Jammeh’s nightmarish rule over the Gambians; The Demonstrations in Dakar, supported by the Senegalese, are clear evidence that Macky Sall too “has crossed the Rubicon” like Darboe.
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Like Nyerere’s toppling of Idi Amin, Macky Sall and the Senegalese will enhance their own democratic credentials throughout ECOWAS – which President Sall currently leads.
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Finally, Macky Sall will earn much credit from the West – the UK, USA, and EU all want Jammeh gone and will finance and financially assist Sall’s military operations against Jammeh and the Cassamance Rebels. Like his old friend Gaddafy, Jammeh has no friends left – even Pan-Africanist like myself who were earlier seduced by Jammeh’s Pan-African rhetoric have been alienated by Jammeh’s “Islamist” nonsense and the killing of fellow Africans. With Jammeh’s “Comrade Mugabe Pan-Africanist Aura” gone, even the West will be cheered for overthrowing him. Remember US and France have drones and military stationed in Senegal, Mali and Chad. An operation against Jammeh will just be a short afternoon stroll to the South.
If the reports are correct and Gambia’s military has been armed to face Senegal, that itself might be risky. Even Saddam Hussein waited until the very last moment of the USA invasion before he opened the armory for his soldiers – he was scared of a coup should his soldiers have live ammo! Senegal might achieve its goals through ratcheting up the pressure through troop movements – without firing a shot.
PS: I wish to say no more here, but it is my understanding that Edward Singhateh, the man who Jammeh nominated for the Vice-President of ECOWAS, is “Doing the Right Thing” via his New Boss – the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Macky Sall. Talk of “stars being aligned”!!!
And for those of you who may have seen my three-year old “Cartoon” of Jammeh and Bensouda (where she says: “I have lost Uhuru and Ruto” and he says “Better luck next time”) it may be a good idea to note that Fatou now has no high-profile African President to prosecute … and may just be waiting to pounce on her old friend to salvage her own reputation. Talk of “stars being aligned”!!!
Prayers for Lawyer Darboe and all the other detainees whose life and health is at risk while all these goes on.
Ends
Dida, thank you for your excellent points. I hope you continue to write like this. This is what we need to remove the dictator. Your in-law and his boss have more love for Jammeh than lawyer Darboe and UDP.
Senegalese are sick and tired of Jammeh, it is a matter of time when they too will confront the idiotic president. Macky Sall and his government has already planned their strategy of how to deal with Jammeh. Next time if you hear any killings in The Gambia, Senegal will intervene. It is in the national security interest of Senegal to remove Jammeh. Jammeh’s security largely depend on Jola rebels from cassamance. Once Jammeh is gone, those rebels can be exterminated through carpet-bomb and other military strikes. The rebels are the problems of both Gambia and Senegal.
Thank you Dida Halaki Luntango. I am proud of you today. You have spoken the truth and the truth shall prevail.
Have a nice weekend brother.
I notice Gano’s piece on the current problems – and he says that Gambia “has nothing to make other countries interfere”. But,
In his whole piece Gano does NOT mention Senegal even once!!!!!!!!
Check for yourself at Lamingano.com
Luntago, I for one will not waste my time on a 23rd hour Jonny just come.
Let him ask himself why he waited all this time to come online and is still scared to be interviewed by any online newspaper? He is just a paper tiger.
For me, Bai Lowe is the brave soldier who tried to rectify his association with his former master killer by laying his life on the fireline in December 2014.
He earns my respect and forgiveness.
Thanks again…
Brilliant points Mr halake. Jammeh is a disappointment.
On a rather different direction though, with or without jammeh, I think Gambians should not be pressurized into building the bridge. I think there are other alternatives to the bridge.
I for one, Am against the bridge idea. This is meant only for generating a debate about the issue…..
Karamo I will write an article about why we should have a bridge instead of the outmoded and time consuming ferry services for less than a 200mts stretch.
Stay tune.
OK hydara thanks…
Macky Sall has a big responsibility by launching a Nyerere style operation against Jammeh. I think it’s long overdue regarding how things are going and not talking of Cassamance. The Gambian soldiers have not been training for a while now because jammeh thought that they might stage a rebellion should they be given weapons for training.
The fantasy that Senegal will risk the lives sons to liberate Gambia shows how little Gambians know how the world works.
Senegal didn’t take military action against Gambia when it was crystal clear to them that Gambia was sponsoring the rebels in Casamance
Why will a mature democracy brake international law to save a people who do not care about their fate.
Very few Gambains went out to protest, if the crowd that came out at the most recent UDP rally came out to protest Jammeh would have been gone. Where is Halifa, where is OJ where is Hamat
The hard truth is that Gambians living in Gambia support APRC, mark my words unless Gambians get serious and unite APRC will be in power for another 20 years and more and more Gambians will die and no can
do anything about it
Stop you tribal and regional politics and unite to get rid of a common cancer
Jahsee, I agree with some of your points about unity and lack of political will from the Gambians on the ground especially the opposition leaders such as OJ , Halifa and Ahmat . You are asked very important question, where is Halifa , OJ and Ahmat ? These leaders will not help to remove Jammeh from power because it is to their selfish interest for him to stay in power . Where is the loud mouth OJ , chemeleon Ahmat and mr political awareness or mr righteous sallah . They are busy eating benachine in their homes while Darboe is at mile two prison .
Senegal has national security interest to remove Jammeh and I think you should Agree on that . They will only intervene when there is massacre in The Gambia . The Only person who is engage in tribal politics is Dictator Jammeh. Some may suggest that pdois , NRP and OJ did not support Darboe because they want to put him under the bus but we must be resilience to continue to fight . We need unity as you suggested . Opposition leaders are not united because they are after their selfish interest . The electoral reforms is a national issue but not UDP . A loud mouth OJ and ms tambajang were calling for peaceful protest before this protest but they have hypocritically disappeared in thin air ., while mr righteous sallah also stay mute . They have no moral authority to preach their nonsense to Gambian people . They must be ashamed of themselves for refusing to stand up for justice while they kiss the ass of Yaya Jammeh by signing a stupid inter-party agreement .
Max this is by far one of the most important political events in our political evolution, fortunately I was in Gambia and I can’t overemphasize how disappointed i was with the political class and the professionals.
Halifa, OJ and Hamat should just hang their jerseys for they have been exposed
I am in Senegal, if only Gambians know the level of support they have from our brothers we will seize the opportunity to unite and get rid of Jammeh.
Senegal will not take the lead, this is our problem if we are serious we should untie . A united Diaspora and united opposition is no match for APRC. Duty honor country
While he has a lot of people behind him it is my belief most are for him due to what he can provide them and they would like to keep providing for their families but if they see a credible alternative they will jump ship
It is left to the political class and the diaspora to stop the games and unite
@Jahsee, the priority now is; how the Gambia works. And, as another matter of fact, it is absurd to say Gambians living in the Gambia support APRC. There are many many lifes in question and you know why……..isn’t it. Another hard truth is that someone always bravely and genuinely puts his life on the line to protest the Gambia state of impunity.
Maxs, they are bunch of useless n clueless wannabe politicians who are worrthless. Trust me brother, they are cowards who will never stand to defend their country when the going get toughest. Shame on OJ, Bah and Halifa for letting their country down.