Jammeh must explain

In our last weekend edition, we ran a story captioned: No ending to Baba Jobe's troubles, in which we revealed the connection between Baba Jobe, Yahya Jammeh's New Millennium Airline and the Gambia with blood diamonds and arms trafficking.

The story is a very serious one that should not be brushed under the carpet. The Gambian people need answers. They need to be told why their peaceful and God blessed country was used as a base for weapon's smugglers and mobsters. They also need to be told why such international criminal operations were given a free hand to conduct their activities by a regime that claims to be panAfricanist.

Jammeh cannot be exonerated. His aircraft, and former assistant secretary are indicted in this criminal dealings. He must have known something and the National Assembly should without delay investigate him. Our National Assembly Members have to wake up from their slumber. They should know that the Gambia is greater than Yahya Jammeh and her interest must always come first before Jammeh.

Jammeh is the owner of the New Millennium Airline, a Russian-made VIP presidential passenger jet, an Ilyushin IL-62 (C5-GNM) [Gambia] (formerly CCCP-86511 [USSR], RA-86511 [Russia], 3D-RTI [Swaziland], TL-ACL [Central African Republic]), which was formerly registered to Victor Anatoljevitch Bout, one of the world's biggest arms and blood diamonds dealers.

The relationship between Yahya Jammeh and Mr Bout did not stop at the purchase of the aircraft. It went further than that. Investigations shows that even thought the aircraft was reportedly sold to Jammeh, Mr Bout, a former Russian lieutenant, who has acquired the nicknames Merchant of Death and and Lord was still using it to peddle arms and blood diamond thereby supporting former President Taylor’s regime in effort to destabilise Sierra Leone and gain illicit access to diamonds.

Again, a UN Security Council report dated November 30, 2005, lists New Millennium Airline as having its address at the residence of President Jammeh: State House, Banjul, Gambia and that it have acted as a cover for Victor Bout's criminal operations.

Although the New Millennium Airline was said to be managed by Baba Jobe, (a Libyan trained terrorist), I cannot be convinced that Jammeh as owner of the company was not aware of its business dealings Mr Bout.

I am of the view that Baba Jobe was a mere go-between, who was used as a cover by Yahya Jammeh. Baba never got any financial gains from the said dealings? I have the firm believe that the New Millennium Airline, which was covering the criminal activities of Mr Bout is the only one that hugely benefitted from the lucrative business which must have generated millions of Dollars. Jammeh should prove me wrong by showing us the financial transactions of his infamous aircraft.

Secondly, Jammeh have often told the Gambian people that he made Baba Jobe what he was and that he (Jammeh) owned the money which Baba Jobe was spending on people.

Thirdly, the Youth Development Enterprise (YDE), which is again owned by Jammeh and managed by Baba Jobe was paying salaries of the crew and staff as well as maintenance of the New Millennium Airline. Some documents tendered in court by Baba Jobe's defense team during his economic crime trial show the YDE spending huge sums of money on the New Millennium under the directive of Jammeh.

Baba Jobe was a very loyal servant of Jammeh and his responsibilities as assistant secretary Office of the President was 'to help the government and President Jammeh directly' through his connections with the Arab world.

That connection show the coming to the Gambia of other gun running mafias, Samih Osailly and Aziz Nassour. The Lebanese cousins, who are currently serving time in a Belgian jail have between January and June 2001 used the New Millennium Airline as a transiting company for arms and blood diamond, which were used to support the evil and brutal regime of Charles Taylor. Again was Jammeh not aware of the business dealings of Mr Jobe and the two Lebanese? I don't think so.

And although the Gambia has never been a diamond producing country, yet it became a diamond-exporting nation. In 1998, Belgium recorded imports from Banjul of 449,000 carats valued at US$78.3 million, an average value of US$174 per carat. The volume howvere declined the following year to 206,000 carats, with an average per carat value of US$234. And up to mid August 2000, there was a more significant decline: 82,000 carats valued at US$17.6 million (US$214/ct).

Interestingly, when news of the diamond export was reported by The Independent Newspaper (now abitrarily closed down by Jammeh), the Jammeh regime as expected issued a bed time press release saying that the diamonds belongs to the Sarahules (Marakas).

What Jammeh failed to realised is that many Gambians knew that the diamond mines in Sierra Leone were at the time in the hands of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and that it was utter nonsense to suggest that the few Marakas people were able purchase and export diamonds valued at US$78.3 million to Belgium. To further discredit Jammeh, some Marakas people anonimously admitted to The Independent that they have never exported diamonds of such quantity to Belgium.

Its time for Jammeh to come clean before its too late.



Don't harass the bucthers

This Tuesday, while reading the Gambian papers, I came across a story published by the Daily Observer captioned: KMC Mayor reacts to buther's strike. The said strike action came in the wake of Dictator Yahya Jammeh's order for butchers in the country to reduce the price of meat.

In the story, Major Yankuba Colley was quoted as saying that he would not compromise the decision or orders issued by the Gambian leader, noting that anything the president had said was in the interest of the nation; that he would not compromise with anybody who wants to undermine the efforts of President Jammeh."

I found the above comments very interesting as it expose the ignorance of the Major Colley. How can Major Colley make such irresponsible comments? In this 21st Century, I still find it hard to believe that there still exist zombies like Major Colley, who are completely brainless and blind despite being blessed with tennis ball size eyes. But what do you expect when a square peg is inserted in a round hole?

Major Colley needs to know that Jammeh does not own the Gambia. Yes, he is the state of the country, but his duties and responsibilities as head of state are clearly spelt out in the constitution and it does not involve price regulation.

President Jammeh is trying to divert the attention of the public from the fact the high prices of commodity goods are a direct results of his government's poor econmic policies. Jammeh need to be honest to the Gambian people by admitting his failures.

While I understand the pain of the ordinary Gambian in being unable to buy meat, they should understand, that all businesses are geared towards making profit. Many of the cattle that are slaughtered in Jollof are bought from Senegal and Mali. And with the current inflation rate, it is very unfair to force buthers to sell meat at a cost where they cannot make any profit.We should also know that, these buthers are heavily taxed by the KMC. And rather than force them, Jammeh should have urged local councils to negotiate with them so as to resolve the issue. Issuing threats in public only portrays Jammeh as a bully and a tyrant who does not know how to run a country.

Jaarama Gainako

Congratulations to our colleagues at Gainako Newspaper on their second anniversary celebration. Since its establishment, Gainako has played a significant role in educating and highlighting issues affecting the Gambian people. Above all, the paper has given a voice to everyone.

Commentaries by Koto Ebrima Conteh, Omar Jallow among others are always interesting. Solo and Yahya Dampha are also doing a great job. Their stories helps to keep me and many Gambians abreast with current issues happening in Jollof. Keep up the good work. May Allah continue to shower His blessings on you all.


For comments pls write to info@allgambian.net or papak196@yahoo.co.uk. You can also read my blog www.pkjarju.blogspot.com