Judgement in the Dr. Janneh Case

Senegalese in turmoil

Senegalese are still demonstrating against Abdoulaye Wade's power grab. The senile octogenerian is trying to run for a third term. He contracted with a US law firm to provide legal support to justify his attempt at a third term. He is an excerpt of the correspondence:

           Dear President Wade:

It is indeed an honor to consult with you and to provide representation for The Office
ofthe President with respect to your efforts to seek a third tenia as President of The Republic of
Senegal. 1 will lead a team of lawyers and professionals at McKenna Long & Aldridge
(hereinafter "MLA") who have been assembled lo research and analyze your authority to seek a third term under the Senegalese Constitution and other relevant laws, create a white paper that discusses our conclusions, and develop and implement an agreed upon protocol for sharing these findings with appropriate officials and interested parties in the United States and in The Republic of Senegal. We would like to present our white paper findings to you in Senegal in early November and in accordance with your schedule.We can perforin this work under the following terms:
(T); A retainer in the Amount of $100,000 to be paid upon, execution of this
engagement letter;
(2): A JSOJOOO tee for researching and draftingthe white paper; and
(3): A $50,0(|0: per month flat fee for developing and implementing an agreed upon
protocol whereby IVltA will share the results of our findings with appropriate officials and
interested parties in the United States and Senegal.

You can read the whole correspondence here.

Life in prison for what?

Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, the erstwhile secretary of state for information, who left the United States to contribute to what he termed then "his quota" to national development, has been sentenced to life behind bars for excercising his free speech rights. A lot of pixels were wasted when he penned a controversial email on Gambian online list serves rationalizing his change of positions, vis-a-vis the Yahya autocracy. A lot of people felt betrayed and offended by his actions then.

Fast forward to the developments of late. Many of these people (online activist) ...been the democrats they are, felt that he fell prey to the evil machinations they've warned him against. They've coalesce without reservations to voice their indignation at his incarceration, notwithstanding, because deep down they adhere to the time worn dictum that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". It is a sad day in the history of the Gambia, that citizens can be locked up for life for what is trivial pursuits. What harm is done to the state when some one print slogans on a t-shirt? The slippery slope is getting sloppy by the day.

The joke is on the Gambian citizenry. It is time for activist in the diaspora to start agitating differently...no  I am not talking abut demonstrating in front of embassies ( God bless the demonstrators), it is time to get creative. Bring to the fore front Yahya's connection to drug traffickers and money launderers with affiliations to terror groups like Hezbollah to the attention of western governments.Unless western interest is at stake, we won't make any headways in our pursuit for justice. We've gotta make him think twice before he board planes for the west.

It was students, Deyda, Koro and countless Gambians yesterday. Today it is Dr. Janneh... tomorrow, it could be your family member. Wake up Gambia and get rid of the mad man devouring your kids for his greed.

Free Dr. Janneh NOW !!!

Winter wonderland [photos from my porch]

Fresh snow coupled with a beautiful Washington sunset.

7 Years Later

It is seven years since Deyda Hydara was murdered by thugs on a dirt street in the Gambia. The government of Yahya Jammeh refused to make any effort to investigate the circumstances. Why would they? after all he is critical of the way Yahya is running that nation into the ground. Two of his sons have recently file a lawsuit with West Africa’s regional human rights court. 
 Rest in Peace Deyda....

Read his daughter's tribute here

UDP rejects election results

The UDP has officially rejected the results of the November 24th presidential elections. They have not divulge as of this publication what their next move entails. Which makes the whole news conference a charade. Unless they are willing to take to the streets, the results of last Thursday stands. I don't foresee the leadership of UDP ever taking to the streets to force yahya's hands. This is much hullabaloo about nothing. Yahya will continue his reign of terror because Gambians let him.

Gambia election results

This is the IEC's breakdown of the November 24th election results. The site is latent beyond belief, but you can check them out here. No surprises as far as I am concerned, after seeing the opposition squabble for years without a concrete plan to confront an entrenched dictatorship.

Gambia Election Results

Live of updates of election results

For live broadcast of the election returns on GRTS, click on this link courtesy of Raaki television...an operation run by brother Buharry out of Sweden. Latency could be an issue along the way due to the traffic they will be getting from diasporans longing for election updates.

Generational failure...as Gambia goes to the polls.

I am in my mid thirties and for most of my adult life, lived in the comforts of the west...United States to be specific. I am the diasporan that politicians in the Gambia recoiled at when we lobbed criticism at their lack of strategy in getting rid of 17 years of Yahya's authoritarian rule. They are grateful for our remittances, without which that place will be a basket case, but never lose a beat in reminding us who has skin in the game. It is a sad spectacle coming from seemingly and by every educational measurement very smart guys.

In a few hours time,Gambians are going to engage in an another sham election. The outcome of which unless you live under some kind of rock is obvious. The mechanism needed to rid our nation of a cancerous dictatorship was derail due to petty squabbles amongst men who should know better.


This has left a sizable sector of my generation puzzled at the intransigence of our parent's generation of oppositon politicians. These men of healthy age couldn't put away idealogy to save a nation. Personally, I have lost faith in the leadership of my parents generation. I speak not specifically of our parents -- I have two loving ones --one died (my Dad) more than a decacde ago,  but of the public leaders our parents’ generation has produced. they have failed us over and over and over again. Remember, when Yahya ordered his goons to use live ammunition on my generation in broad day light and murdered fourteen of them? My parent's generation didn't rise up to demand justice for the fallen. They cowered and hold tightly onto their rosaries praying to a deity to rescue them from the clutches of tyranny. Well I got news for them it aint gonna happen. God said to help thyself and he will bless your endeavors. Freedom ain't free and until Gambians cleanse ourselves of the delusion that we are the most peaceful people on God's green earth, we will be takers for bullies like Yahya Jemus Jammeh.

Our parents’ generation has balked at the tough decisions required to preserve our country’s sacred trust in standing up for the sanctity of life, especially for the young and vulnerable. They preach peace without calling for justice for the fallen. We still grief for the fallen and hope to hold the perpetrator to account for his deeds. All we asked of our parents generation of opposition leaders was to make this possible by coming together and that becomes an insourmantable task for them to carry out. Instead, in a matter of hours they will legitimise a tyrant by participatig in a sham that even ECOWAS had to pull their observers from.

Well, like they say in my neck of the woods, the deed is done. These crop of our parents generation have had their time to lead. Time’s up. I’m tired of waiting for them to live up to obligations. We have to take our country back before it reaches the abyss.Time for plan B.

Campaign videos

Buharry at Raaki Tv is running campaign videos on his site. Check them out at his 2011 presidential elections page