When Yahya Jammeh came to power in July 1994, his Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) that overthrew the PPP regime of Sir Dawda Jawara promised to be soldiers with a difference.
by PK Jarju
With the motto accountability, transparency and probity, they promised to act and to do everything different from typical military governments we have seen in our god forsaken continent. They said they were servants of the people, whose main objective was to free the enslaved Gambians ruled by a corrupt, despotic and retrogressive government that lived on flamboyant life styles while the average Gambian lived in abject poverty.
However, 13 years on, all the sweet talk of making a difference, accountability, transparency and probity is dead and buried 360 feet deep. The current military regime in Gambia is not accountable to the electorates, nor is it transparent and trusted by the very people it claims to be serving. The regime has become a curse to Gambian people with President Yahya Jammeh transforming himself into a super god expecting to be worshipped by every Gambian.
Despite return of the country to 'civilian rule', The Gambia is far from being democratic. It has become more tyrannical with president Jameh continuing to tighten his grip on power everyday. While President Jammeh claims that he is a democrat, he rules with an iron hand, showing no mercy towards his political opponents. To him democracy, which is defined by Abraham Lincoln as government of the people, for the people and by the people is inapplicable in The Gambia. His own definition of democracy is government by Yahya Jammeh, of Yahya Jammeh and for Yahya Jammeh.
As president, Yahya Jammeh is in total control of all the chambers of government. He uses his moppet National Assembly Members who forms a large majority in the National Assembly to manipulate the country's constitution left, right and centre. These dummies (excuse my French) at the National Assembly put the president's interest before national interest. Bills drafted by the executive are hastily passed into laws without second thought. The Gambian National Assembly is now transformed into an APRC bureau were President Jammeh is regarded as a puritan, perfectionist and prophet who will never eat until every Gambian has eaten.
Being party leader of the APRC, President Jammeh has over the years expelled National Assembly Members of his own party who fell out with him despite the fact they were voted into office by thousands of people in their constituencies. He reserves the power to dissolve the National Assembly and to declare state of emergency.
The executive is also under firm grips of president Jammeh. Ministers are hired and fired without any explanation. Civil servants suspected of being opposition sympathisers are sent packing out of the Quadrangle. Police officers, armed forces, NIA and other security officers openly manifest their loyalty to the president and they never hesitate to harass opposition supporters and critics of the regime. Many security officers have been sacked for merely being impartial in the execution of their duties.
The Gambian judiciary has lost its independence to administer justice in a free and fair manner. It has failed its motto of fiat justicia. President Jammeh is responsible for appointment and removal of judges. Many judges who pass judgements against the state have been unceremoniously removed.
While the Gambian constitution guarantees rights and freedoms of the citizens, the government continues to violate them without giving a monkey. Freedom of expression is not tolerated as journalists and other media practitioners are persecuted left, right and centre. And in a bid to prevent Gambians from establishing private newspapers, the government has still refused to repeal military Decree 70/71 from the country's laws. Government has also introduced the criminal amendment code under which journalists risk receiving long jail terms for publishing false news and caricature.
Private media houses are shut down by the state without any court order and journalists are killed, arrested, tortured and detained well over the legal 72 hour period. President Jammeh himself has described African journalists as illegitimate sons of Africa who are brainwashed by the West to cause trouble and instability in their countries. Lashing out to journalists in one of his interviews he said: "Journalists are sh..t. You don't need to go to toilet to know that it stinks."
Today, becoming a journalist in The Gambia is more risky than joining the army. A journalist is ten times more likely to go to jail than a minister who swindles thousands of Dalasis from the state. As a result many Gambian journalists are fleeing the country living behind their children, parents and wives.
NIA officers at the Banjul International Airport now have a classified listed of innocent journalists and writers abroad not because they looted the Gambia economy or attempted to assassinate the president, but for telling the regime the unpleasant truth. Like vultures looking for a dead carcass, these officers cannot wait to lay their hands on any member of the wanted club.
Freedom of association and assembly is also strictly restricted. Opposition parties intending to hold gatherings are required by the bogus laws to seek a permit from the Inspector General of Police, who is appointed by the president. Gambians also need a permit from the police to hold any demonstration. Gatherings and meetings without a permit are termed unlawful and the police and armed soldiers are often sent to disperse such gatherings. These security officers are immune and cannot be held liable for prosecution for any force they prefer using to disperse such a gathering.
The government also seriously violates privacy of Gambians. As a result of its intolerance to criticisms, the lethal National Intelligence Agency (NIA) similar to the German Gestapo, tap the phones of innocent Gambians without any court order. Gambians cannot talk about Yahya Jammeh in the streets without looking at their backs to see who is listening. Air mails living or entering the country inspected by NIA officers permanently posted at all postal offices. Political discussions in schools are now well out of the way with many students recruited as NIA officers to spy on their colleagues. Anyone found criticising the regime is whisked away to the NIA headquarters where they are merciless tortured.
Pressure groups in the country have all become voiceless and toothless. Their rights have been taken away and their leadership doesn’t even have the balls to criticise any law or government policy that are not in the interest of their members.
Gambians are today living in constant fear wondering who is next on the NIA list. Power belongs to the president and his ever loyal NIA officers are so thick that they regard any critic of the regime as an enemy. They are protected by law and can get away from any crime ranging from murder, kidnapping, torture and rape.
The Jammeh regime continues to violate rights and personal liberty of Gambians. It also fails to protect political opponents from inhumane treatment to the extent of even depriving them from their properties. People who fall out with the president are often detained indefinitely at the Mile Two Prisons without any court order.
While the constitution guarantees the right of Gambians to join any political party of their choice, opposition sympathisers are stigmatised and treated like outcasts. Opposition figures and their children cannot get any job in the civil service. They are always presumed guilty anytime they clash with APRC supporters. Law enforcement officers are always in a fishing expedition to arrest and charge opposition sympathisers who refuse to defect to the APRC for the slightest wrong doing.
Today in The Gambia, we are like in the reign of Lord Voldermort in the Harry Potter series. Security officers are like the death eaters always on the hunt for opponents of the regime.
May Allah shower His love and protection on us all. Amen.
Note: The above article was first published on Nov 29 2007 in AllGambian.net
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