Outrage at Jammeh's death threat

An online petition has been launched in protest at the Gambian president's threat to kill human rights workers.

President Yahya Jammeh told state TV earlier this week he would kill anybody who wanted to "destabilise" The Gambia.

"If you are affiliated with any human rights group, be rest assure that your security is not guaranteed... we are ready to kill saboteurs," he said.

The campaign by a coalition of pressure groups wants the African Union's human rights commission HQ moved from Gambia.

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu from the the Open Society Institute, one of the bodies behind the petition, said Mr Jammeh's comments were "beyond the pale".


"The people of Gambia have been under siege for the past year or two. We've got an obligation to speak up," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

The headquarters of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is in the Gambian capital, Banjul.

The Open Society, along with the African Court Coalition, is now campaigning to have the offices moved to a different country.

Their aim is to secure as many signatures as possible from non-governmental organisations involved in the work of the AU's human rights commission before 28 September, when the petition will be forwarded to the African Union.

Their petition quotes Mr Jammeh's speech, which was made before he went to the UN General Assembly in New York.

"I will kill anyone who wants to destabilise this country," he said.

"If you think that you can collaborate with so-called human rights defenders, and get away with it, you must be living in a dream world. I will kill you, and nothing will come out of it."

The petition says Mr Jammeh's declaration "leads us to fear for the safety, security, and lives of ourselves and our colleagues".

Mr Jammeh came to power in a coup in 1994 and has won three multi-party elections since then.

But amid claims of plots to oust him, journalists have been harassed and dozens of people have been arrested and unlawfully detained, human rights groups say.

Gambia's pitiful political class

By Umaru Fofana
BBC Focus on Africa magazine


Welcome to The Gambia, the land of "His Excellency President Professor Alhaji Dr AJJ Jammeh", a sign at airport tells visitors to the West African nation.

It is a country where the ubiquitous display of a photograph of one man relegates the North Korean leader to the backburner.

Children sing his praises; women dance to his name; men adore him - mostly willy-nilly. I would guess, of every three billboards in the capital Banjul, at least two have President Yahya Jammeh's photograph on them.

His name has to be in the newspapers lest an editor is tagged "anti-Jammeh".

His image is almost always on the state-owned Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) for much of the news bulletin.

One day it shows the country's armed forces working on his farm as he gazes on benignly. The day before it was civil servants doing the same thing. The next it will be some group or other - there as an act of loyalty. And on and on and on, GRTS reports.

Petty squabbles

All this publicity prompted one opposition spokesman to tell me wryly that the president is the "most popular" person in the country.

"It poses a lot of problems for us," he said.

That is an understatement. Like elsewhere on the continent, opposition parties in The Gambia are beset with problems besides that of being out of power.

The fact that the country has known only two regimes - some would say hegemonies - since becoming independent from the UK in 1965 seems to have blinded the opposition to the fact that their own "democratic credentials are as tattered and torn as the current military strongman-turned-civilian president", according to one Gambian journalist, who did not wish to be named.

The problem is that with the president's authoritarian presence lauding over a nation mired in poverty, you would think the opposition would overcome any petty squabbles to focus on a common enemy.

In fact, many of the leaders of the five opposition political parties in the country can barely stand to hear each other's names.

Crucially, many Gambians say these parties are guilty of the very thing they often accuse the governing Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) of being: Undemocratic and lacking transparency.

Oxygen starved

Many do not even have headquarters, and where they do the structure is barely standing upright.

Granted, though, they are operating in less-than-ideal circumstances.

The government is stifling criticism by trying to cut off the oxygen for some of these parties. The United Democratic Party (UDP), for example, is banned from holding public rallies.

But that is no consolation for many ordinary citizens.

"My greatest concern is what happens after President Jammeh leaves or is removed from office," said a school teacher, who did not want to give his name.

He lashed out at the president calling him "a despot".

But said there was no alternative to Mr Jammeh's rule as opposition parties are not offering anything viable and lack the democratic torch to brighten his country's future.

This is a common view. One civil servant asked: "When was the last time any political party held any credible and transparent national delegates' conference to subject themselves to the democratic will of their members?"

The UDP came second in 2006 polls, and is thus the official opposition, but last held a conference in 2000. Some critics even dispute that date, saying the meeting was anything but a convention. The UDP say that they are not even sure when they will hold the next one.

Most glaringly perhaps, the party has had only one leader since it was founded in 1996.



Its spokesman and campaign manager since its birth, Femi Peters, said Oussainou Darboe has been at the helm for so long because he is "the fittest person" and shows no compunction in saying so, adding: "If we find somebody credible enough to replace him, we shall replace him."

Without a delegates' conference in the near future, this will not happen anytime soon.

Mr Darboe himself was out of the country on vacation during my visit and refused to comment via email.

Reacting to all this, a journalist I met who is not a supporter of President Jammeh simply shook his head.

It seems The Gambia does not follow the precedent of its near-neighbour.

In Sierra Leone the tendency is that anyone who leads a party to a defeat at the polls immediately ceases to be its leader. In contrast, in The Gambia there seems to be no such limit imposed either by a party's internal constitution or its electoral fate.

Halifa Sallah, once the most vocal and courageous critic of the current regime, is sadly another case in point.

He is probably as right as he is complicit when he says Gambians have lost hope in all their politicians.

Mr Sallah has been secretary-general of the opposition People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) since its establishment in 1987.

When asked about internal democracy - or the lack of it - within his party, he deviates into a history lesson, and then gets all philosophical.
Unconvincing

Defending his long stay at the top echelon of the PDOIS, the former presidential candidate told me that his party was "in transition" from 1987 to 1994 when the military coup happened which banned all political parties.

Timeline
Once the ban was lifted in 1996, he said his PDOIS functioned up to 2001 when they formed an alliance with four other political parties under the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) - but this was an alliance that collapsed pretty much before it started.

But Mr Sallah is still the PDOIS secretary-general 22 years on. He concedes the point but is quick to add that his party "operates on [the system of] collective leadership. Individuals who are in authority do not have individual powers… [because] there is no individual-centred leadership in the party," he said, sounding as unconvinced as he looks embarrassed.

With a governing party respected only by its die-hard supporters, Gambians and most diplomats in the country believe that opposition parties should show a greater level of democracy within to send a strong message to those in power.

But perhaps Gambians are all-too-familiar with a statement by their first leader, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who after nearly 30 years in power, announced he was stepping down.

This did not stop him returning to the fray shortly thereafter saying that his People's Progressive Party had been prevailed upon by the people to let him stay.

Not long afterwards he was overthrown in Mr Jammeh's bloodless and initially popular coup.

Yet it seems Sir Dawda's words are those many Gambian politicians are still espousing.

Jammeh's address to the UN Assembly

I would like first of all to thank Almighty Allah for granting us yet another opportunity of the gathering of world leaders. My delegation would want to thank President Obama and the Government and people of the United States of America, and the leadership of the United Nations for the warm welcome and the facilities placed at our disposal since our arrival.

Mr. President,
Permit me to felicitate H.E. Father Miguel D’Escoto Brockman for his inspiring leadership and for
conducting well the affairs of the 63rd Session. By the same token, I extend warm felicitations to Dr. Ali Treki, on his election to lead this important 64th Session. He has the full support of my delegation. Our special thanks go to H.E Ban Ki Moon the UN Secretary-General for his stewardship, and the commitment he has manifested to the welfare of humanity, particularly of Africa.

Mr. President,
The theme “Effective responses to global crises: strengthening multilaterialism and dialogue among civilizations for international peace, security and development” adopted for this year’s Session, is indeed apt and relevant and demands that all nations big or small must adopt multilateralism and dialogue in fostering international partnership, and on all matters of common concern to global peace and development.

Mr. President,
The complexities of today’s world are such that no nation can successfully confront alone. Some issues cannot even be resolved by regional groupings acting independently. Much can be achieved only when we all collaborate and work together within the framework of multilateralism, based on mutual understanding and respect but above all sincerity, strong commitment, universal justice under the same rule of law and equity.

Mr. President,
Our global body, the United Nations, has indeed adopted countless resolutions, which if implemented to the letter would have made this world a better place for all mankind and indeed other creatures of our planet.
Unfortunately, there are some member states of the United Nations who block well meaning resolutions necessary for the maintenance of world peace and even question or disregard resolutions passed by this august body with impunity. As long as this continues to be the order of the day, the United Nations will remain united by name only; unable to achieve, in full, the fundamental objectives for which it was established. Urgent reforms are therefore needed in the modus operandi of the United Nations to ensure that this impunity is abolished and the principle of equality among nation states irrespective of their geopolitical size, location, or economic circumstances, race or religion are safeguarded. Double standards have no place in the United Nations.

Mr. President,
There cannot be peace and security in the absence of justice for all. There cannot be justice in the face of abject poverty characterized by hunger and starvation, disease, and lack of basic social services as a result of exploitation. There cannot be justice if there is merciless exploitation, suppression and criminal invasions of sovereign states. There cannot be peace if there is no development as a result of marginalization, injustice and racism.

Mr. President,
Unfortunately, injustice, racism, merciless exploitation and marginalization of especially the Developing nations by the Developed nations are the order of the Day. Africa and Africans are the poorest of the poor despite the fact that the African continent is the richest in terms of Mineral and other Natural resources! This is the sad fact that despite the African continent being the source of 90% of the precious Minerals, gemstones and strategic raw materials for the industrialized north we the Africans are the poorest of the poor!

Mr. President, it is no fault of ours if we the Africans are poor today. This situation is brought about by the perennial locust invasion and their permanent presence in Africa. They devour 90% of our useful African resources ranging from Agricultural to Mineral, Flora and Fauna resources.

These locusts are present in all African resource rich countries today. This devastating permanent locust invasion is exacerbated by another destructive phenomenon, permanent drought which is affecting all African countries without exception.

Mr. President,
We cannot do anything about these two deadly scourges in the African Continent because in the case of the locusts, they are protected by a one-sided international treaty that has been imposed on all the third World countries and not only Africa. For the drought, it is even worse as no irrigation system in Africa can eradicate it.

Mr. President,
The locusts I am talking about are the Western Multi National companies that exploit our Natural
resources as well as agricultural produce taking 95% of their financial value and leave us the owners of these resources with only 5% or less at most. Is it not interesting that with regards to mining of African mineral resources only four African countries receive more than 3% royalty from these Multi National Mining Companies? The rest receive only 3% royalty or even less. In the case of petroleum exploitation, few countries receive above 15% royalty etc.

There is nothing African Countries can do about this because these locusts have absolute monopoly of the Technologies being used in these extractive industries. The treaty that makes it impossible for us to do anything about it is called GLOBALISATION which means the EXPLOITATION of poor third world countries’ resources by the Rich First World Countries. With regards to the drought which is the debt burden, very few rich countries have cancelled the debt owed to them by third world countries.

This excruciating debt burden consumes 80% of the 5-3% left by the Multi-national Companies.
Our Agricultural produce like tea, coffee, cocoa etc are bought at prices fixed by the buyers in most cases at an average price of not more than one US Dollar per kilo whilst the same produce are being sold at
more than fifteen US Dollars per kilo when processed. So for every kilogram of our agricultural produce worth fifteen Dollars at the international western market we get only one Dollar! How can Africa develop and emerge out of this abject poverty. African resources have been continuously looted from the 11th century to date. Everything in Africa that the locusts could set eyes on are looted uptil today. Even dead bodies have not been spared by the locusts. Graves were and are being desecrated and human bodies called mummies have been stolen from Africa.

In such a situation where even Africans in their graves are not spared by these locusts on the rampage, who in his correct state of mind expects us to be rich and developed in Africa. In Africa, RIP on a tombstone which normally means Rest In Peace has never been respected. RIP – means Respected If Poor, that is the body in the tomb was not buried with any precious jewelry.

The UN must come to the rescue of Africa otherwise we Africans stand ready to liberate ourselves from this eternal bondage at any cost. As from now the AU would work towards ensuring that African Nations and our Farmers get their rightful share of our God- given natural and agricultural resources. We will no longer accept less than 65% royalty for our natural resources.

We the Africans have been suffering for too long at the hands of the Westerners and we will put an end to this. It is African sweat, blood, tears and natural resources that have built the North throughout almost five centuries of merciless and racist exploitation uptil today.

Enough is enough. Instead of being respected, we are being called all sorts of names and given all sorts of titles, Dictators, Corrupt Leaders, Failed States and even Rogue States. We the new Generation of African Leaders would put an end to these humiliating, degrading and racist
treatment by any means necessary. The world will not live in peace and security as long as this
dehumanizing and racist status quo continue to prevail with regards to the continent of Africa and
Africans. We have been forced to endure this for far too long and now we are going to put an end to it as we have ended Apartheid in South Africa; by force if need be. We will defend our humanity, our dignity, our resources, our interests and our culture as from now.

Mr. President,
HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis are killer diseases. While I would like to reiterate my delegation’s support for the work of the Global Fund to fighting these diseases, I wish to call for concerted efforts at resource mobilisation to support international research on traditional medicine and alternative diseases treatment programmes. These traditional systems are in most instances more cost-effective, yet abandoned for the sorts of criticisms that come from multinationals who feel threatened that certain traditional breakthroughs would be detrimental to their corporate existence and interests.

These multinationals value their monetary gains more than human life. They should not be allowed to hold humanity to ransom. Their insatiable appetite for massive wealth at any cost has pushed them to the point of blindness and insensitivity to human suffering and loss of human life in the developing world especially in Africa.

On international peace and security, my delegation again calls for more honest and stronger international cooperation and dialogue in addressing conflict prevention, peaceful resolution and respect of others cultural values, norms and ways of life. We must respect the fact that humanity is created to be diverse as planet Earth has different regions, each having diverse climatic and ecosystems. Therefore there is bound to be diversity in the colours of our skin diversity in the way we live and differences in our beliefs.

Diverse as we may, we are part and parcel of the one human Family created by the one and only GOD Allah. If we accept this principle that we are all human beings equal before the Only God that created us, and, that differences in religion and skin colour do not make one less human than others then we will all live in perfect peace and harmony in this global village called the World.

The problem is that some play God and believe that by virtue of the colour of their skin, they are better than the rest of humanity and therefore should dictate to them how they should live and how they should worship God. They impose their value systems on the rest of humanity. This unacceptable dictatorship is the source of all the world’s major conflicts and a contributing factor to the persistent threat to world peace.

Racism is on the rise, extreme hate mongers are increasing in numbers and ranks and, instead of
condemning them as criminals and terrorists, they are called the far right, neo Nazis or supremacists and tolerated and even encouraged by the same powers who would happily bomb them back to the stone age if they were Muslim, black African or Asian.

As long as this status quo does not change, peace and security would continue to be an elusive dream as people; rich or poor, Muslim or non Muslim, black or Asian are bound to defend their human dignity at any price. My delegation therefore calls for a united front against this dictatorship of a few over the rest of humanity. And in the interest of our collective security, the United Nations should see to the total elimination of racism and hate in all its forms whatever it takes, so that we can bequeath to generations of humanity yet unborn, a very peaceful and prosperous world devoid of destitution, exploitation and marginalization.

Mr. President,
In this context, my delegation would like to see a speedy resolution of the plight of the Palestinians. We call on the state of Israel to accept and respect the two-state solution that the international community has so clearly articulated without preconditions. We also urge the UN Security Council to ensure that its resolutions are respected by all states and enforced to the letter and spirit of the UN and not allow certain states a choice of not only ignoring these resolutions but violating them with impunity, while other states face drastic and devastating military action if such resolutions are passed against them and they so much as ask for clarification. The State of Israel has ignored and violated all UN Resolutions and conventions with regards to the Israeli Palestinian conflict with not only impunity but with the support and protection of certain powers of the world whilst other countries have paid a very high price for merely not complying fully with a security council resolution. The UN Security Council should stop this unfortunate double standards. The UN must not be turned into an Animal Farm.

Mr. President,
Secondly, there is also the lingering issue of the Republic of China (Taiwan). My delegation holds the position that Taiwan should be invited to participate in all the meetings and activities of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) amongst others. Taiwan has a legitimate right to full membership of all UN Specialised agencies since even NGOs have either full membership or observer status to these UN
Agencies. Taiwan with 23 million people, a democratic state is still being denied this fundamental human right that the UN is supposed to uphold and protect in the first place. My delegation also hereby calls on the UN to urge the United States of America to immediately and unconditionally lift the embargo on Cuba in accordance with the wishes of more than 98% of the membership of this August Body. This trade
embargo continues to hurt Cuban Women and children. The Cuban children that are born into these extreme hardships have committed no crime. The punishment of women and children because of political difference is a very serious violation of children’s rights.

Thirdly, my delegation renews its full support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco, and on the question of the Moroccan Sahara, we remain convinced that the proposal of the Moroccan Government to grant substantive autonomy to the Saharan Region on the basis of the negotiations initiated by the Security Council, and conducted and agreed by the Parties would lead to a lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict. Mr. President,

Finally, my delegation has been following keenly but with deep dismay, the protracted negotiations and a seeming connivance to prevent the reform of the Security Council. Africa would like to see to this Reform undertaken and a balanced representation of the Continents in the Security Council. My delegation therefore urges the President of the General Assembly to exert more effort on the issue within the term of this 64th General Assembly, and ensure that the continent of Africa has at least two permanent seats at the Security Council with full veto powers or else any resolution passed by the Security Council will not be binding on Africa or any AU Member State by the end of 2010. Africa, a continent ten times the size of
Europe does not have a single permanent seat at the Security Council whilst Europe has more than one permanent seat.

Africa has been subjected to discrimination, marginalization, exploitation and humiliation for a very long time. We the Africans are no longer going to accept this status quo. We will put an end to this very soon.
I wish you all a successful 64th Session.