As spelt out in the press release published below, it is clear that the Gambia government will not condone or entertain the celebration of 23rd anniversary of July 22 military coup d’etat.
IGP Issues No Permit To APRC To Celebrate July 22nd 1994 Coup
The government of The Gambia wishes to inform the general public that a front page story on the Standard newspaper of Thursday July 13th quoting Honourable Musa Amul Nyassi, Member of Parliament for Foni Kansala, that the former ruling APRC party has been granted police permit to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the July 22nd 1994 coup, is false and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
The public is informed that no such permit was issued to Honourable Nyassi, or indeed any other person acting on behalf of the APRC. The Gambia government maintains that the 1994 coup was an illegal act, staged principally, to usurp power and subvert the popular will of the Gambian people who fought through their sweat and blood to establish and nurture a democratic culture for 30 years that became an envy of the whole world.
Memories are still fresh of the brutality that the July 22nd coup brought on Gambians. Families were torn apart; innocent citizens willfully killed; businesses unlawfully closed and so many of The Gambia’s most experienced and finest brains forced to flee the country because of the organized and systematic abuse of their fundamental rights.
Notwithstanding its unwavering position to respect and broaden democratic principles and personal freedoms of citizens, the government of The Gambia maintains that the July 22nd coup still leaves painful reminders of torture, unexplained disappearances, killings and plunder of state resources. This day therefore should not in any way be glorified, hailed or celebrated by any well-meaning Gambian.
Furthermore, the government of The Gambia warns that any public gathering which requires a public address system needs a police permit. It is on record that the Inspector General of Police has not issued any such permit to authorize any individual, political party or any other group to hold festive celebrations of the July 22nd 1994 coup.
The general public is therefore warned to be law abiding and follow due process especially in matters related to public safety and national security and to avoid anything that may endanger national security.
Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure
13th July 2017
Ends
A brilliant Statement communicating the right position of Government on the July 22nd event. July 22nd was not a political event, but an illegal military action against the state, that seized power by force and imposed a military dictatorship on our nation.
Celebrating July 22nd, however low key it may be, will be an affront to our efforts to rebuild the democracy that the event “raped” and “defiled” and an insult to the victims of the illegal event, both dead and alive.
The Government must pass legislation that bans the celebration of July 22nd and a penalty, including banning organisations and deregistering political parties that celebrate or even mark the day. July 22nd is an event that is better consigned to history.
A brilliant comment Bax. Can’t add any; you have said it all. The first time we are on the same side of the coin.
Certainly the untold sufferings of humanity due to the advent of July 22 EVIL Coup for 22 yet more years plus in Gambia can’t be glorified in a decent society…
It’s in the media lately (thepoint.gm), as on some “students graduation” that the Charles Jow Memorial school formerly is now referred to as “22 July Academy”…?
I implore on the transitional Government & the Education Minister in particular; to challenge the Academy proprietary; to defend the merits (IF ANY AT ALL) in such a name change &/ adopt a better exemplary name for the Academy…??
Especially an educational institution of Learning & Knowledge; geared towards continued societal advancements enablement endeavours…???