The chicken has finally come home to roost. The Daily observer is reporting the arrest and charged with treason seven former big dogs of the most cruel institution propping up the dictatorship that is terrorizing Gambians. Going through the names, you can’t help but notice that all these guys at one point in their careers worked at the National Intelligence agency… the Gestapo like institution that is responsible for the torture and maiming of several hundred innocent Gambians. I am not gleeful in any way at their arrest and trial, but I am not going to beat on that all famous retort of calling for the rule of law. These men of all people knew they help to create and nurture a system in which the rule of law is subservient to the rules and dictates of Yahya Jammeh. That is the system we are trying to uproot. If any good should come out of their misery, I hope it opens up the hearts of their former colleagues now working the dark halls of the Gambia’s Gestapo that the Gambia is not Yahya’s personal hacienda and that torture and humiliation of fellow citizens to prop him up will only get you far. Here is a snip of the observer story:
The seven charged were, Abdoulie Kujabi, former Director-General of the NIA, Foday Barry, former Commissioner of Police, Kanifing Division, Baba Saho, former NIA Director of Operations, Vincent Jatta, former Chief of Defence Staff, Kemo Balajo, former NIA Director of External, Gibriel Secka, former NIA Director of Operations and Alieu Singhateh, former NIA Director of Intelligence.
In another development, the Gambia echo is reporting that ex presidential aide de camp Kalifa Bajinka is on the run for his life after he thwart efforts to arrest him. His siblings weren’t so lucky. Three of them are languishing at the mile two prisons. Reasons for their arrest are not given, but I won’t be surprise if they are later charged with aiding and abetting their run away brother or they could be used in a ploy to blackmail the ex major to surrender. I hope he doesn’t fall for that ploy or he will be as good as dead.
Below is a snip of the story :
In this case, it all began after 9:00pm that fateful Saturday when Bajinka was resting and meeting with love ones that three armed officers led by Bamba Manneh rudely invaded their privacy and told Bajinka that he was under arrest. According to our unassailable sources, the urbane Major Bajinka quickly opened his suit case and pulled out his military pistol. His message? "Leave right now or all of us will be dead." At this stage says a source "Manneh and the two other officers decided to return and call for reinforcement." However, according to a Presidential aide in Banjul, President Jammeh and the entire top brass of the Army and the NIA were "irritated at Banjika’s show of bravery and hurriedly put up a team of killer marks men to either arrest the major or take him out." Luckily for Bajinka while the marks men were en route to his residence, a loyalofficer called his mobile phone and hinted that "they are coming and are ordered to kill you in the same fashion they killed Dumbuya and Lt. Almamo Manneh, so please surrender". According to our lead source, the seasoned soldier quickly called his superiors and admonished them that it was not necessary to cause chaos; that he was on his way to report himself.
Using a funeral at a church or a mosque to score a political or debating point is something that has been battle-tested and used time and time again. The only problem is; it doesn't work. Grandstanding at funerals is very tasteless and unsavory. People who act on the impulse to do it never understand how bad they look when crashing a funeral or stomping from the pulpit. Most funeral attendees see them as nothing more than pompous opportunists taking a cheap shot at people who can't respond to them out of respect for the deceased. The real meaning of a funeral eludes them. But I will attempt to tell them this and it is a word for the wise:
Hey mister! You see that person in the coffin? It is about them. You are at a funeral for them. It is not about you and your grievances. Not now. Not this time.
Sheesh!
Hey mister! You see that person in the coffin? It is about them. You are at a funeral for them. It is not about you and your grievances. Not now. Not this time.
Sheesh!
The point newspaper decry the extremes young Africans take to make it to the shores of Europe in this editorial:
The editorial went on to report what these people claimed is responsible for their extreme risk taking thus:
I was with the inpression that the point editors do not have to attribute the reasons to the travellers. They knew what is going on the ground. They are daily witnesses to the deprivation that is taking place in the country.
The following slideshow and accompanying music catches the epitome of the human tragedy brought about by the exodus of what the point editorial called "hope starved african youth" to the greener pastures of Europe at any cost.The music is in Wollof but the visuals are captivating in their own right.
Click on the link below to listen and watch SUNUGAAL ( OUR BOAT) ...a studiosankara production.
SUNUGAAL
The slideshow isn't working any more. The host for some reason disabled it. You can read the lyrics accompanying the slide show at the link above. It is in english, french and spanish.
There is a lot of debate these days about African immigrants trying to enter Europe through what many call “the back way.” Like many African countries, The Gambia has lost many of her citizens, mainly the youths, on the dangerous seas between Spain and Morocco and despite the recurrent and grievous nature of the loss of lives, many are still willing to brave the precarious conditions to enter Europe which Africans youths have for decades looked forward to as a greener pasture. Alas, how sorrowful, considering the price the adventure is costing many a hope-starved African youth!
The editorial went on to report what these people claimed is responsible for their extreme risk taking thus:
Many African youths attribute their extreme decision to the inability of their home countries to provide them jobs or, when they could, the remuneration is not comparable to wages in Europe.
I was with the inpression that the point editors do not have to attribute the reasons to the travellers. They knew what is going on the ground. They are daily witnesses to the deprivation that is taking place in the country.
The following slideshow and accompanying music catches the epitome of the human tragedy brought about by the exodus of what the point editorial called "hope starved african youth" to the greener pastures of Europe at any cost.The music is in Wollof but the visuals are captivating in their own right.
Click on the link below to listen and watch SUNUGAAL ( OUR BOAT) ...a studiosankara production.
SUNUGAAL
The slideshow isn't working any more. The host for some reason disabled it. You can read the lyrics accompanying the slide show at the link above. It is in english, french and spanish.
Searching for black conservative bloggers awhile ago, I stumbled upon La Shawn Barber’s site. Prone to reading varying political points of view, I initially thought she was a moderate like me. Lord was I ever wrong. Reading through a few of her pieces made me realized that I have nothing in common with the woman save for our skin color. Her logic and arguments make me sick.
I have nothing against black conservatives. My peeve is with those who took it to the extreme like La Shawn. She claimed to be a Christian, but never pass a chance to belittle any and everything about black people.
La Shawn’s writings made her look like a self-hating hypocrite. Why did I say that? For starters she sells out her race at every opportunity and kept passing aspersions on them while claiming to be a Christian.
She is too busy imitating Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter (the b****y wingnuts) without realizing how foolish and twisted her reasoning has become. Malkin wrote a book defending the interment of Japanese Americans during world war two and La Shawn is almost in their league. This might be her ultimate dream (Joining club Malkin and Coulter) but I hope that if she has any shred of decency, she'll rethink her approach and ask herself is it really worth it. Case in point is this ridiculous post she wrote comparing the NAACP to white supremacy groups. Money quote:
If defending and advocating for your race is a bad thing, it should be bad across the board. Disband the congressional black and hispanic caucuses. Shutter the NAACP, which has become nothing more than a clique of partying elitists who give out awards to pedophiles. Why are racial minorities allowed to honor their race, while whites are not? Why is there a stigma against being proud of your white skin, but not black or brown skin?
The Poorman Institute did a great job educating LaShawn about the differences when he wrote:
I’m going to say this e-x-t-r-a s-l-o-w-l-y so maybe even the terminally stupid Ms. Barber can understand:
1. Fun fact about white people: we can, and do, join white ethnic organizations all the damn time, and nobody says anything. When you poke your head in the local Polish-American club, do not expect to see a Benetton ad. Expect to see lots and lots of white people. Ditto the Italian-American club, the endless Irish-American organizations, etc., etc. It all seems rather pointless to me, but they tend to have cheap beer, so I keep these sorts of idle opinions to myself.
Summit of the despots taking place in what used to be the smiling coast of west Africa (the Gambia) is going smoothly except for a few malapropos here and there. Case in point is Libya's Ghaddafi. He proposed the perennial cry of Pan Africanist ...the uniting of African states as reported by the point in this story:
However Mr. Ghaddafi didn't find it important to attend the opening session of the summit he is purportedly in Banjul to attend. Angolapress reports that:
How do you expect people to respect and debate your proposal if you refused to be in the same room with them. The Libyan delegation is covering for their quintessential dictator by saying that his absence is a protest against a "possible" decision to withdraw African troops from Sudan. Personally I believe that would be catastrophic on the part of the AU unless the United Nations decides to take over their mission. However the operative word here is "possible". The decision hasn't been made. Ghaddafi will serve his position well if he sticks around and argue his point. Walking out in protest from a room full of despots will not help you much especially if the issue you are protesting over is still under review and open to debate. No?
Not to be left out of the charade and never one to pass out a chance to lashed out at the west and the united states for that matter, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Ahmadinejad were at their demagogic best in this anglopress piece.
The 7th Edition of the Banjul AU Summit is expected to discuss, among other things, the creation of a United States of Africaproposed by Libyan Leader Muammar El Gaddafi.
However Mr. Ghaddafi didn't find it important to attend the opening session of the summit he is purportedly in Banjul to attend. Angolapress reports that:
Libyan leader, Col. Moammar Kadhafi was absent from the hall at the opening session of the 7th African Union (AU) summit of heads of states and governments, which began in Banjul Saturday, it was observed by PANA correspondents in Banjul.
How do you expect people to respect and debate your proposal if you refused to be in the same room with them. The Libyan delegation is covering for their quintessential dictator by saying that his absence is a protest against a "possible" decision to withdraw African troops from Sudan. Personally I believe that would be catastrophic on the part of the AU unless the United Nations decides to take over their mission. However the operative word here is "possible". The decision hasn't been made. Ghaddafi will serve his position well if he sticks around and argue his point. Walking out in protest from a room full of despots will not help you much especially if the issue you are protesting over is still under review and open to debate. No?
Not to be left out of the charade and never one to pass out a chance to lashed out at the west and the united states for that matter, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Ahmadinejad were at their demagogic best in this anglopress piece.
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